An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.1 on the Richter scale was felt yesterday, in the late afternoon, in some municipalities in the Algarve, without causing any damage, announced the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA).
The earthquake, with its epicentre located about 40 kilometers southwest of Faro, was recorded at 6:16 p.m. and felt in the municipalities of Faro, Lagoa and Loulé, according to an IPMA statement released today.
“This earthquake, according to the information available so far, has not caused any personal or material damage,” reads the statement issued at 19:15.
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 their description”.