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 >
Earthquake magnitudes are measured using seismometers. Based on the amplitude of the seismic waves, seismologists can make a preliminary estimate of the moment and Richter magnitudes of the earthquake. For a more accurate estimate of the energy released, seismologists use the moment magnitude scale (MW).