The IPMA announced that an earthquake, with its epicenter about eight kilometers east of Peniche, was recorded by the Mainland Seismic Network at 00:41 today.
No personal injuries or material damage were reported, and the tremor was felt with a maximum intensity of II (Modified Mercalli scale) in the municipality of Peniche, in the district of Leiria.
According to the Richter scale, earthquakes are categorized 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 (above 10).
The Modified Mercalli scale measures the “degrees of intensity and their description.”
The maximum intensity II on the Modified Mercalli scale indicates that the tremor can be “felt by people at rest on the upper floors of buildings.”
