An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.0 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter about four kilometers east of Serreta, was felt today on the island of Terceira, the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA) said.
The event took place at 16:25 and, “according to the information available so far, it caused no personal or material damage and was felt with maximum intensity III on the modified Mercalli scale) in Terra Chã, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo”.
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 to be weak, the tremor was felt inside the house and hanging objects rattled, with a “vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles”, the IPMA reveals on its website.
