IPMA says Monday’s quake serves as warning of seismic risk in Portugal

The head of the geophysics department at the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere told Luce that Monday’s earthquake “serves as a warning of the seismic risk” in Portugal and the “potential problem” of some structures.

“We don’t need to worry too much, this is an opportunity for us to think, it warns us of seismic risk,” said geophysicist Fernando Carrillo, pointing to the worrying “upstream issues” and the “potential problem” of old houses and infrastructure that “are not prepared to withstand an earthquake.”

As for new construction, Fernando Carrillo admitted that the supervision of anti-seismic regulations in terms of construction “may fail”.

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter located 58 kilometers west of Sines, in the district of Setubal, was recorded this Monday at 5:11 a.m., without causing any personal or material damage.

According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the earthquake had a maximum intensity of IV/V on the Mercalli scale, classified as moderate or strong, and was accompanied by at least four aftershocks.

The earthquake was felt in several areas of mainland Portugal, with greater intensity in the Setubal and Lisbon areas.

Fernando Carrillo stressed that “small earthquakes” like the one on Monday could turn into “smaller copies” in nearby areas.

“They release very little energy and do not protect us from a strong earthquake” in the future, he stressed.

It has been about 15 years since mainland Portugal experienced such a strong earthquake.

In December 2009, an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 occurred, but with a more distant epicentre, 185 kilometres west of Faro.

This Monday’s earthquake, despite its “lower” magnitude, was registered “closer to areas with greater population density,” so “many people felt it more strongly,” Fernando Carrillo emphasized.