700 earthquakes recorded
… but none felt
Açoriano Oriental reports that about 700 earthquakes were recorded this Tuesday on the island of São Jorge, but none were sufficiently strong to be felt by the local population.
About 700 earthquakes were recorded today on the island of São Jorge, the first day that none have been felt since the beginning of the seismovolcanic crisis that began on March 19, the Civil Protection of the Azores announced this Tuesday.
“Since midnight today, the Azores Seismovolcanic Information and Surveillance Center (CIVISA) has registered around 700 low-magnitude earthquakes and no earthquake has been felt [by the population] on the island of São Jorge”, said the President Service. Regional Civil Protection and Fire Department of the Azores (SRPCBA).
After the daily briefing at the Velas City Council, Eduardo Faria said that, in recent days, there has been “consistency with regard to the number and magnitude of earthquakes”, but stressed that the island’s population must remain alert. .
“Although the magnitude of the earthquakes has reduced slightly and is on the threshold between the senses and the unfelt, populations must remain alert, must not relax and must maintain self-protection measures”, warned the head of the SRPCBA.
Eduardo Faria also advanced that CIVISA will analyze information from the Instituto Volcanológico das Ilhas According to which the estimated volume of a possible intrusion of magma on the island of São Jorge is around 20 million cubic meters, comparable to that recorded by the deformation of the soil before the eruption of Cumbre Vieja in La Palma in 2021.
“This situation will be analyzed and as soon as there is a response and some conclusion from CIVISA, we will transmit it, but we are obviously aware of this situation”, he assured.
Eduardo Faria also stressed that, just as the population should not relax due to the fact that the magnitudes are lower and that no earthquakes have been felt in the last few hours, “they should not panic with information that is not issued by official entities”.
The island of São Jorge has recorded more than 20,000 earthquakes, more than 200 of which have been felt by the population, since the beginning of the seismic crisis on March 19, according to official data.
The number of registered earthquakes is more than double the total recorded in the entire Autonomous Region of the Azores during the year 2021.
The island is at volcanic alert level V4 (threat of eruption) out of a total of seven, where V0 stands for “rest state” and V6 “eruption in progress”.
