An earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale was felt on Monday on the island of Faial in the Azores, according to the Center for Information and Seismic Volcanic Observation of the Azores (CIVISA).
According to CIVISA, the earthquake was recorded at 18:51 local time (19:51 in Lisbon) with an epicenter about 23 kilometers west-northwest (WNW) of Capelo, on Faial Island.
“According to the information currently available, an earthquake with a maximum intensity of III/IV (on the modified Mercalli scale) was felt in the parishes of Castelo Branco, Flamengos and Matrices (Municipality of Horta),” CIVISA said in a statement.
On the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified by magnitude into micro (less than 2.0), very weak (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), weak (4.0-4.9), medium (5.0-5.9), strong (6.0-6.9), major (7.0-7.9), important (8.0-8.9), exceptional (9.0- 9.9) and extreme (when more than 10).
The modified Mercalli scale measures “degrees of intensity and corresponding description”.
At intensity III, considered weak, the jolt “feels inside the house” and “hanging objects sway,” feeling “a vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles,” reports the Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) on your website.
When there is intensity IV, which is considered moderate, “parked cars shake”, “windows, doors and dishes shake” and “glasses and dishes rattle or tinkle”, and walls or wooden structures may creak, IPMA describes.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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