A 2,3 earthquake was felt on Sunday on the island of São Miguel in the Azores, according to CIVISA. According to the Richter scale, this is a minor earthquake that might be felt by individuals but does not damage buildings. The earthquake was felt at 11:58 PM on Sunday in Ponta Garça, in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, and in Ribeira Quente and Furnas, in the municipality of Povoação.
There has been a seismic volcanic crisis on the island of São Jorge since March 19th, the largest earthquake detected there occurring on March 29th, with a 3,8 scale. In the last month, there have been around 30,000 earthquakes on the São Jorge island, according to CNN Portugal.
São Jorge’s volcanic alert has been raised to level 4 of 5, meaning there is a threat of a volcanic eruption. The last volcano eruption was in 1808 in Velas, São Jorge.
According to the Richter scale, earthquakes are classified as micro (1-1.9), minor (2-3.9), light (4-4.9), moderate (5-5.9), strong (6-6.9), major (7-7.9), and great (8 and above).
São Miguel, the largest island in the Azores is part of the Eastern Group of the Archipelago with the island of Santa Maria which is 80 kilometers away. The island has around 140,000 inhabitants, with 45,000 people residing in Ponta Delgada, the island’s largest city.
