Communities in Mértola (Alentejo) and Alcoutim (Algarve) woke in panic at 5.24 on Monday morning as the ground shook in a new earth tremor that measured 3.6 on the Richter Scale.
Reports refer to of “two loud noises like thunder” that set locals calling emergency services. But the upshot was that no one was hurt and no significant damage recorded. The two towns are 40 km apart.
Portugal is constantly assailed by earth tremors, most of them passing unnoticed. For an up-to-date picture of the situation, see: http://www.ipma.pt/pt/geofisica/sismicidade/.
It is clear from the latest images, that the tremor on Monday was along a ridge or fault that connects with the Azores, where two lesser quakes have also taken place.
