"I repeatedly have to correct this belief. In a sense, magnitude involves steps of 10 because every increase of one magnitude represents a tenfold amplification of the ground motion. But there is no 'scale of 10' in the sense of an upper limit"

Charles Francis Richter is referring to the typical misunderstanding that the size range is a scale of 10, with each rise in size standing for a tenfold boost in ground movement. Richter is trying to remedy this belief by explaining that while each rise in size does represent a tenfold rise in ground activity, there is no upper limit to the size range. Simply put, the size scale is not restricted to 10, however can remain to enhance as the ground activity increases. Richter is emphasizing that the magnitude scale is not a linear scale, but rather a logarithmic range, meaning that each increase in size represents a tenfold increase in ground activity. This is why the magnitude range is so useful in measuring the strength of earthquakes, as it allows us to accurately gauge the quantity of power launched by a quake.