It will almost certainly take several tens of thousands of years, if the growth rate for L'ihi is comparable to that of other Hawaiian volcanoes (about 0.1 foot per year averaged over geologic time).
A: The Richter scale is used to quantitatively measure the magnitude of an earthquake. This tool was devised by the seismologist Charles F. Richter in 1935. Full Answer >
The aftermath of an earthquake, Golcuk, Western Turkey. The power of an earthquake is measured using a seismometer. A seismometer detects the vibrations caused by an earthquake. It plots these vibrations on a seismograph. The strength, or magnitude, of an earthquake is measured using the Richter scale. The Richter scale is numbered 0-10. 1  Earthquakes measuring just one or two on the scale are very common and can happen everyday in places like San Francisco. 2  These earthquakes are so small that people cannot feel them, they can only be picked up by a seismometer.