The Crisis Office of the Azores Seismo-volcanic Information and Surveillance Center (CIVISA) has raised the alert level at the Santa Bárbara Volcano, located on Terceira Island in the Azores, to V3, as “seismic activity, although of low magnitude, is significantly above reference levels.”
In an official statement released on its website, CIVISA announced today, Thursday, November 6, that the decision was made “during its meeting on seismo-volcanic activity in October.”
“On Terceira Island, seismic activity, though of low magnitude, is significantly above reference levels, particularly at the Santa Bárbara Volcano and the Western Fissural Volcanic System of Terceira, showing an increasing trend compared to the observations earlier this year. Seismic activity between Cinco Ribeiras and Angra do Heroísmo was also recorded. The strongest event reached a magnitude of 3.0 on the Richter scale and was felt in the western sector of the island with a maximum intensity of IV on the Modified Mercalli Scale,” officials explained, adding that “during the same period, minor crustal deformation continued to be recorded in the area where the seismo-volcanic crisis is developing. No anomalies in gases have been observed that could be related to the current seismo-volcanic crisis.”
Therefore, due to the increased seismic activity, “the Crisis Office decided to raise the Alert level to V3 at the Santa Bárbara Volcano, while maintaining the Alert level at V2 for the Western Fissural Volcanic System of Terceira.”
Seismic activity on São Jorge Island and adjacent structures, particularly in the Rosais area, “remains slightly above reference levels, thus the situation remains at Alert V1.”
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