An earthquake with a magnitude of 3.0 on the Richter scale was recorded this morning near Peniche, in the district of Leiria, revealed the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
According to IPMA, the quake occurred at 01:44 and the epicenter was located “about 25 kilometers west of Peniche”.
The institute also explains that “no information has been received confirming that this earthquake was felt” by the population.
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).
Hours earlier, IPMA announced that two quakes, a first with magnitude 2.4 on the Richter scale and a second with magnitude 2.9, were recorded at 22:16 and 22:24, respectively, on Sunday, near Montemor-o-Novo, Évora district.
The earthquakes did not cause personal or material damage and were felt with maximum intensity IV (modified Mercalli scale) in the region of Montemor-o-Novo, the institute said.
The Modified Mercalli scale measures “degrees of intensity and their description”.
With an intensity of IV, considered moderate, 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”, describes the IPMA on its website.
