Moment magnitude scale characterizing some classes of quakes. As a result, Beno Gutenberg expanded Richter's work to consider earthquakes detected at distant locations. For such large distances the higher frequency vibrations are attenuated and seismic surface waves (Rayleigh and Love waves) are dominated by waves with a period of 20 seconds, corresponding to a wavelength of about 60 km. Their magnitude was assigned a surface wave magnitude scale (). Gutenberg also combined compressional P-waves and the transverse S-waves (which he termed "body waves") to create a body-wave magnitude scale (), measured for periods between 1 and 10 seconds. Ultimately Gutenberg and Richter collaborated
Seismic magnitude scales well" with the seismic moment magnitude in the range of 4.5 to 7.5, but underestimate larger magnitudes. Body-waves consist of P-waves that are the first to arrive (see seismogram), or S-waves, or reflections of either. Body-waves travel through rock directly. The original "body-wave magnitude" – mB or m (uppercase "B") – was developed by and to overcome the distance and magnitude limitations of the scale inherent in the use of surface waves. is based on the P- and S-waves, measured over a longer period, and does not saturate until around M 8. However, it is not sensitive to events smaller