An earthquake of magnitude 2.1 on the Richter scale was felt this Thursday on the island of Terceira, the Azores Center for Seismic Volcanic Information and Observation (CIVISA) reported.
According to CIVISA, the earthquake was recorded at 17:40 local time (18:40 in Lisbon) and had an epicenter about four kilometers east of Serreta, Terceira island.
“According to the information currently available, the earthquake was felt with a maximum intensity of III (Modified Mercalli Scale) in the parishes of Doze Ribeiras and Altares (municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira Island),” CIVISA said in a statement.
On the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified by magnitude into micro (less than 2.0), very small (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), weak (4.0-4.9), moderate (5.0-5.9), 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 above 10).
The Modified Mercalli Scale measures “degree of intensity and corresponding description.”
At intensity III, considered weak, the shock is felt inside the house and hanging objects sway, feeling “vibrations similar to those caused by the passage of heavy vehicles,” the Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) said on its website.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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