An earthquake measuring 2.4 on the Richter scale was felt early this afternoon on the island of Terceira, in the Azores, the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA) revealed.
According to the statement issued by the IPMA, the earthquake, recorded at 14:06 local time (15:06 in Lisbon) “did not cause any personal or material damage, according to the information available so far”.
The quake, whose epicentre was located about four kilometers south of Raminho (Terceira), was felt with a maximum intensity of III (modified Mercalli scale) in the parish of Quatro Ribeiras, according to the IPMA statement.
On Friday there were four earthquakes felt on Terceira island, which according to the Azores Seismic Information and Surveillance Center (CIVISA), are events that are part of “the seismic crisis that has been underway 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 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.
When there is an IV intensity, considered moderate, parked cars sway, windows, doors and crockery shake and “glass and crockery rattle or clink”, and walls or wooden structures may creak.
