Quake does not suggest seismic activity increasing – meteorologist
Residents in and around Lisbon are still talking about the earthquake yesterday, measuring 4.7 on the Richter Scale, which rattled the region at lunchtime, but the truth is that it was ‘just’ a moderate to intermediate quake, according to meteorologists – without any link to the stronger (5.3) quake in the same region last August.
Even so, it caused alarm in some quarters, and will have exacerbated cracks in buildings, albeit no damages nor injuries were reported.
Today, tabloid Correio da Manhã reports that “cracks opened in the Costa da Caparica health centre, in Almada”, but authorities have checked them and allowed the unit to continue functioning as normal.
The quake hit at 1.24 pm, with its epicentre 7kms below the seabed, around 14kms southwest of Seixal. It was felt locally with ‘great intensity’.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, for example, has said it was “felt intensely” at his official residence in Belém. Others describe the customary shaking of doors and windows, while outlying areas equally felt something or heard something, as far south as Portimão and Albufeira, in the Algarve, as well as north of Lisbon (in Mafra/Leiria).
Geologist Filipe Rosa described the tremor as ‘moderate/intermediate’, inside the Euroasiatic plate as opposed to on its border with the African plate, which could generate far greater earthquakes.
The truth, as outlined by Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas, is that Portugal is sandwiched between tectonic plates, and will always be subject to earth tremors and movements. The number of quakes per week can be consulted on the IPMA meteorological site – and is considerable.
Moedas added that Lisbon is prepared for earthquakes, as well as tsunamis, having alert systems in place, and 86 emergency meeting points spread throughout the city (see map).
The last really devastating earthquake to hit the capital (and damage huge swathes of national territory) came in 1755.
