Magnitude 2.0 earthquake on Richter scale felt on Pico Island

Um seism of magnitude 2.0 on the Richter scale was felt on Wednesday night on the island of Pico, informed today the Center for Information and Surveillance Sismovolcanic of the Azores (CIVISA).

According to CIVISA, the quake was recorded at 11:51 locals (00:51 in Lisbon) and had an epicenter about three kilometres east of São Caetano, on the island of Pico, in the Central group of the Azores.

“According to the information available so far, the earthquake has been felt with maximum intensity II/III (modified Mercalli scale) in Santo António (Council of São Roque do Pico)”, CIVISA indicated.

According to Richter's 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), important (8.0-8.9), exceptional (9.0-9.9) and extreme (when greater than 10).

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

With intensity III, the shake is considered weak, it is felt inside the house and the outstanding objects swing, feeling a “vibration similar to that caused by the passage of heavy vehicles”, describes the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) on its website.

Already with intensity II, considered very weak, the earthquake is “feeling by people at rest on high floors of buildings or favorably placed”.

The CIVISA raised in May to V1 (volcanic system in metastable equilibrium phase) the volcanic alert in the Faial – Pico channel, which was in V0 (volcanic system at rest).

The scale of volcanic alerts used by CIVISA has eight levels, in which V0 means volcanic system at rest and V7 magmatic or hydromagmatic eruption in progress.