Dozens of aftershocks follow magnitude 5.2 earthquake on Azores' São Miguel
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck off São Miguel in the Azores on Tuesday evening, followed by dozens of aftershocks including two more tremors on Wednesday, with no injuries reported.
Update ·
Dozens of aftershocks have been recorded since Tuesday's quake, including two more tremors on Wednesday, CIVISA says.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck off the coast of São Miguel island in the Azores on Tuesday evening, Portugal's IPMA weather and geophysics institute said. Dozens of aftershocks have since been recorded in the area, including two further tremors on Wednesday. No injuries or material damage have been reported anywhere on the island.
The main quake struck in the early evening local time, a little after six, with an epicentre about forty kilometres west of Ginetes, in the municipality of Ponta Delgada. It was felt at maximum intensity four to five on the Modified Mercalli scale in the parishes of Ponta Delgada and Relva, and with lesser intensity across most of São Miguel and on Terceira island, in the Azores' central group, IPMA said.
A second earthquake, of magnitude 3.4, followed about half an hour later, with an epicentre around thirty-seven kilometres west of Ginetes. It was felt at intensity four in the Ponta Delgada municipality, according to the Azores volcanological and seismological monitoring centre, CIVISA.
CIVISA said dozens of aftershocks had been registered in the area between Tuesday and Wednesday. Two further tremors, of magnitude 3.2 and 3.0, struck on Wednesday, Notícias ao Minuto reported. The smaller of the two had an epicentre some fourteen kilometres west-northwest of Mosteiros, and IPMA said it had not received information confirming that one had been felt by residents.
CIVISA said it was continuing to monitor how the situation develops. No injuries, structural damage or emergency response measures have been reported in connection with Tuesday's quake or any of the aftershocks that followed it.
The Azores archipelago sees frequent seismic activity because of its position on the boundary between the Eurasian, African and North American tectonic plates, and earthquakes of this size are felt periodically without causing lasting harm.
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What we know
- Official · IPMA A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck off São Miguel island in the Azores on Tuesday evening, IPMA said.
- 1 outlet · Notícias ao Minuto The quake caused no reported injuries or material damage and was felt at maximum intensity four to five on the Modified Mercalli scale.
- 2+ outlets · Jornal de Notícias, Observador A second, magnitude 3.4 earthquake followed about half an hour later, with a nearby epicentre.
- Official · CIVISA CIVISA recorded dozens of aftershocks in the area, including two further tremors of magnitude 3.2 and 3.0 on Wednesday.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The Azores sit on a seismically active boundary between the Eurasian, African and North American tectonic plates, and earthquakes above magnitude 5 are felt periodically across the islands. Tuesday's quake caused no reported damage, but it was felt across most of São Miguel and, with lesser intensity, on Terceira, and the many aftershocks since show the area remains seismically active days later.
Updates
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Dozens of aftershocks have been recorded since Tuesday's quake, including two more tremors on Wednesday, CIVISA says.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Jornal de Notícias: Meia hora após sismo de 5,2 foi registado novo sismo de 3,4 em São Miguel
- Observador: Sismos de 5,2 e 3,4 sentidos em São Miguel
- Observador: Sismo de 3,2 na escala de Richter sentido em São Miguel
- SIC Notícias: Novo sismo de magnitude 3,2 sentido em São Miguel após abalo de 5,2
- Notícias ao Minuto: Açores voltam a tremer: Sismo de 3,0 registado em São Miguel
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Questions and answers
- How strong was the earthquake that hit São Miguel?
- Magnitude 5.2, according to Portugal's IPMA institute, followed by a magnitude 3.4 tremor about half an hour later and further aftershocks since.
- Was anyone hurt or was there any damage?
- No injuries or material damage were reported, IPMA and CIVISA said.
- Have there been further earthquakes since?
- Yes, CIVISA recorded dozens of aftershocks, including two more tremors of magnitude 3.2 and 3.0 on Wednesday.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.