According to CIVISA, the government civil protection agency in the Azores, a quake was felt at 16:39 local time (17:39 in Lisbon) (9:39 in California) and had its epicenter about three kilometers northeast (NNE) of Santa Bárbara, Terceira Island.

“According to the information available so far, the earthquake was felt with a maximum intensity of III/IV (Modified Mercalli scale) in the parishes of Santa Bárbara and Doze Ribeiras (municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira island),” CIVISA said in a statement.

The event “is part of the ongoing seismic crisis on Terceira island since June 2022”.

According to the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified according to their magnitude as micro (less than 2.0), very small (2.0-2.9), small (3.0-3.9), slight (4.0-4.9), moderate (5.0-5.9), strong (6.0-6.9), large (7.0-7.9), critical (8.0-8.9), exceptional (9.0-9.9) and extreme (when greater than 10).

The Modified Mercalli scale measures “degrees of intensity and their description.”

With an intensity of III, considered weak, the tremor is felt inside the house, and pending objects sway, with a “vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles,” reveals the Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) on its website.

In government sites