An earthquake measuring 2.5 on the Richter scale was felt on Tuesday on the island of Terceira in the Azores, the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) announced.
The earthquake was recorded at stations of the Azores Archipelago Seismic Network at 18:42 local time (19:42 in Lisbon) and had its epicentre about four kilometres northeast of Santa Barbara.
“According to the information available to date, [o abalo] did not cause personal or material damage and was felt with maximum intensity III (modified Mercalli scale) in the Terra Chã parish,” said the same source.
The Azores Seismovolcanic Information and Surveillance Centre (CIVISA) also issued a statement stating that the earthquake had a magnitude of 2.1 and “was felt with maximum intensity III (modified Mercalli scale) in Doze Ribeiras.”
The event “is part of the ongoing seismovolcanic crisis on the island of Terceira since June 2022”CIVISA indicated.
According to the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified according to their magnitude as micro (less than 2.0), very small (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), slight (4.0-4.9), moderate (5.0-5.9), strong (6.0-6.9), large (7.0-7.9), important (8.0-8.9), exceptional (9.0-9.9) and extreme (when greater than 10).
The Modified Mercalli scale measures “degrees of intensity and respective description.”
With an intensity III, considered weak, the shock “is felt inside the house” and “hanging objects swing”, feeling a “vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles”, reveals the IPMA on its website.
Source: Observadora
