Earthquakes in Portugal
In Portugal, there are partly large earthquakes with strengths of more than 7.0, which cause damages within a radius of over 100 kilometers. Measured by the size of the country, earthquakes do not occur very frequently.93 people died since 1950 by direct consequences of earthquakes. There were 2 earthquakes that also caused a subsequent tsunami, which claimed further lives, and cause additional damage.
Other natural hazards in Portugal:
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Earthquakes in Portugal since 1950
The strongest earthquake in Portugal happened on 02/28/1969 in the Rabat, Sale; Spain (Canary Is) region with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. The shifting of tectonic plates in a depth of 32 km resulted in 13 deaths. The earthquake also triggered a tsunami, leading to further victims and destruction.| Date | Region | Depth | Magnitude | Deaths | Total damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/09/1998 | Faial, Pico, Terceira | 7 km | 6.2 | 10 | |
| 06/26/1989 | Graciosa, Terceira | 39 km | 5.7 | 0 | |
| 11/21/1988 | Sao Miguel Island | 52 km | 5.3 | 0 | |
| 01/01/1980 | Terceira, Angra Do Heroismo | 40 km | 6.7 | 69 | |
| 11/23/1973 | Pico, Faial, Terceira | 19 km | 5.1 | 1 | |
| 02/28/1969 | Rabat, Sale; Spain (Canary Is) | 32 km | 7.8 | 13 | |
| 02/28/1968 | Azores | 7.6 | 0 | ||
| 02/18/1964 | Azores | 4.6 | 0 |
These statistics are based on datas from the National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Data have been summarized and translated.
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