An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.4 on the Richter scale was felt today on Terceira Island, in the Azores, said the Seismic Information and Surveillance Center of the Azores (CIVISA).
According to CIVISA, the earthquake was recorded at 06:44 local time (07:44 in Lisbon) and had an epicenter about four kilometers northeast of Santa Bárbara, Terceira island.
“According to the information available so far, the earthquake was felt with maximum intensity IV (Modified Mercalli scale) in the parishes of Santa Bárbara, Cinco Ribeiras, São Bartolomeu and Terra Chã (municipality of Angra do Heroísmo)”, indicates CIVISA, in a statement.
The event was also felt with intensity III in the parishes of São Mateus da Calheta and São Pedro, also in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo.
In the note, CIVISA recalls that the earthquake “is part of the ongoing seismovulcanic crisis on Terceira Island since June 2022”.
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”.
With an intensity of III, considered weak, the tremor is “felt inside the house” and “the pending objects swing”, feeling a “vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles”, reveals the Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) on its website.
When there is an intensity IV, considered moderate, “parked cars sway”, “windows, doors and crockery shake” and “glass and crockery rattle or clink”, and walls or wooden structures may creak, describes the IPMA.
