An earthquake was recorded at 12:06 p.m. local time (1:06 p.m. in Lisbon) with an epicenter approximately four kilometers southeast of Serreta, according to CIVISA.
“Based on the information available so far, the earthquake was felt with a maximum intensity of III (Modified Mercalli scale) in Serreta and Santa Bárbara (municipality of Angra do Heroísmo),” it was stated.
The quake “is part of the ongoing seismo-volcanic crisis on the island of Terceira since June 2022,” CIVISA reported.
The Richter scale classifies earthquakes by magnitude: micro (less than 2.0), very small (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), light (4.0-4.9), moderate (5.0-5.9), strong (6.0-6.9), major (7.0-7.9), great (8.0-8.9), exceptional (9.0-9.9), and extreme (greater than 10).
The Modified Mercalli scale measures “degrees of intensity and respective descriptions.”
With an intensity of III, the quake is considered weak, felt indoors, and causes hanging objects to sway, resembling “vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles,” describes the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA) on its website.
