The earthquake was recorded at 11:16 a.m. local time (12:16 p.m. in Lisbon), with its epicenter approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Porto Martins, in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA).
“Based on the available information, this earthquake did not cause any personal or material damage and was felt with a maximum intensity of II (Modified Mercalli Intensity scale) in the Ribeirinha parish,” stated the IPMA in a press release.
According to the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified by their magnitude as micro (less than 2.0), very minor (2.0-2.9), minor (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 (over 10).
The Modified Mercalli Intensity scale measures the “degrees of intensity and their respective description.”
With an intensity of II, considered very weak, the earthquake is “felt by people at rest in upper floors of buildings or favorably situated,” describes the IPMA on its website.
