Any one in the Azores should read this article. There are concerns about a major earthquake or volcanic eruption.

[Concerto]

Any one in the Azores? You no doubt have felt the over 2000 minor earthquake tremors since 19 March. The volcanic alert has been riased to level 4 out of 5, meaning there is a "real possibility of eruption". Authorities in the Azores islands are preparing for the possible evacuation of citizens amid fears of a major environmental disaster.

Azores island authorities prepare evacuations amid earthquake fears

 

[Sea-Fever]

Yes, serious news for the Azoreans. Let’s hope there is enough Dunkirk spirit should the worst happen and the island need evacuating, I see they have well established plans for such events.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I'd certainly be worried if I were in the vicinity. A rapid rise in the number of minor earthquakes in the vicinity of a volcano usually means that magma is rising from its source below the volcanic edifice. Has anyone reported inflation (a widespread elevation of the land)? That's another tell-tale sign of a pending volcanic eruption.

Is there a volcano observatory in the Azores?

 

[Concerto]

I'd certainly be worried if I were in the vicinity. A rapid rise in the number of minor earthquakes in the vicinity of a volcano usually means that magma is rising from its source below the volcanic edifice. Has anyone reported inflation (a widespread elevation of the land)? That's another tell-tale sign of a pending volcanic eruption.

Is there a volcano observatory in the Azores?

The article mentions "The region's CIVISA seismo-volcanic surveillance centre ", so I assume yes.

 

[Daydream believer]

What is the bird life doing? I wonder if they have been tipped off by mother nature.
it always surprises me how things like holly grows lots of berries prior to a hard winter & that is not just an old wives tale, I have seen it many times over the years.
Is there any evidence of birds migrating prior to a volcanic eruption? Or do we end up with a surplus of chicken Mcnuggets.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

The article mentions "The region's CIVISA seismo-volcanic surveillance centre ", so I assume yes.

Thanks - I missed that. No doubt they will have precision GPS stations to report changes in elevation.

There's some evidence that birds and animals can react to volcanic and earthquake hazards, but they are probably reacting to things like microseismic swarms, which we can already monitor. Unfortunately, birds and animals give too many false positives to be really useful, and also there's a bias - we only remember them behaving in an unusual manner after there's been an event.

 

[Daydream believer]

Unfortunately, birds and animals give too many false positives to be really useful, and also there's a bias - we only remember them behaving in an unusual manner after there's been an event.

I am sure that if you involved the local "twitchers society", they would know. ????

 

[savageseadog]

The AZAB will have to be renamed, WTAZAB , "Where the Azores Was and Back", a virtual mark.

 

[srm]

mistyped

 

[srm]

You no doubt have felt the over 2000 minor earthquake tremors since 19 March.

Yes, it is very serious, but even on Sao Jorge, the island over the epicentre, very few tremors have been actually felt.

I think there were two permanent monitoring stations in the island, this has been increased to seven, along with satellite observations and sampling for gasses in the soil - none found so far. The area below Velas is a known volcanic zone. Worryingly, all the current activity is under the island and a lot of people have already evacuated, either to the east end of the island or to other islands. There was active volcanic venting underwater in the 90's a few miles off Serreta, on the west coast of Terceira.

If you are interested there is a map here from CIVISA:
Sismicidade

And here from the national authority:
IPMA - Seismic map

The latter is useful as layers can be selected to clearly show the last 24 hours, and the table also gives the depth of the observation. At the moment most observations over the last week have been at a depth of around 10km plus.

Is there a volcano observatory in the Azores?

Yes, as pointed out, CIVISA, part of the University of the Azores. Geologically the islands are in an interesting area being on the junction of three tectonic plates. Micro tremors and the occasional one that may be felt are part of the landscape. They do not bother reporting anything below 2.0 on the Richter scale as they are so common and far too weak to be felt. I have only noticed two or three tremors here on Terceira since moving ashore in 2017.

All of the Azores islands are volcanic, though Santa Maria: the oldest geologically and way off the the south east also has some sedimentary rocks.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Yes, it is very serious, but even on Sao Jorge, the island over the epicentre, very few tremors have been actually felt.

I think there were two permanent monitoring stations in the island, this has been increased to seven, along with satellite observations and sampling for gasses in the soil - none found so far. The area below Velas is a known volcanic zone. Worryingly, all the current activity is under the island and a lot of people have already evacuated, either to the east end of the island or to other islands. There was active volcanic venting underwater in the 90's a few miles off Serreta, on the west coast of Terceira.

If you are interested there is a map here from CIVISA:
Sismicidade

And here from the national authority:
IPMA - Seismic map

The latter is useful as layers can be selected to clearly show the last 24 hours, and the table also gives the depth of the observation. At the moment most observations over the last week have been at a depth of around 10km plus.




Yes, as pointed out, CIVISA, part of the University of the Azores. Geologically the islands are in an interesting area being on the junction of three tectonic plates. Micro tremors and the occasional one that may be felt are part of the landscape. They do not bother reporting anything below 2.0 on the Richter scale as they are so common and far too weak to be felt. I have only noticed two or three tremors here on Terceira since moving ashore in 2017.

All of the Azores islands are volcanic, though Santa Maria: the oldest geologically and way off the the south east also has some sedimentary rocks.

Thanks - the seismic maps are both interesting to a geologist and worrying if you live there! Interesting that there appear to be two, distinct clusters. Unfortunately, the IPMA one doesn't work for me - the page loads but the map doesn't, for some reason.

 

[DavidonMersea]

Ibiza was volcanic, there are several areas of volcanic rock. Also on the eastern coast there are several pyramid shaped hills which I was told were old volcanoes.

 

[srm]

Unfortunately, the IPMA one doesn't work for me - the page loads but the map doesn't, for some reason.

Try going in from the home page, pull down menu along the top bar. The seismic map has a wide coverage.

Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Try going in from the home page, pull down menu along the top bar. The seismic map has a wide coverage.

Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera

I got it going via my smartphone! But unfortunately, it doesn't allow a high enough zoom level to show the two clusters. The CIVISA one is fascinating, from a geological perspective.

Perhaps I should mention that I was principal author of (PDF) Evidence for shallowing and uplift from bathymetric records of Deception Island, Antarctica

 

[srm]

Perhaps I should mention that I was principal author of (PDF) Evidence for shallowing and uplift from bathymetric records of Deception Island, Antarctica

Yes, I got the impression that you have a professional interest, from here and some previous threads we have both been in. Unfortunately, I did not follow geological interests after completing my degree in '71, other than working as a surveyor with marine geophysicists.

Latest situation is that since midnight 700 minor tremors recorded, none strong enough to be felt by the population. However, "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." * so potentially very serious.

*google translate from Portuguese.

 

[srm]

Just as an aside, Velas is the main town on the island with the only port facilities, airport, and marina. All in the area with most seismic activity.
The marina manager used to greet us with "welcome to paradise".

 

[TiggerToo]

OK, guys. I have a real problem.

My plans were: go to the Azores (next year) and pootle about the NE Atlantic (Ireland-Scotland-Norway-Baltic) ending up (whenever) in St Petersburg. Last month, Mr P put paid to the St P's bit of the trip. Now I read that Mrs God has other ideas playing about with tectonic plates 35.7N 25.7W or thereabouts.

Should I revise my plans?

?

 

[Thistle]

As your plans seem to cast dark clouds of divine and other retributions on possible destinations, can I ask that you delete Scotland from your list of places to visit?

 

[TiggerToo]

As your plans seem to cast dark clouds of divine and other retributions on possible destinations, can I ask that you delete Scotland from your list of places to visit?

I was thinking the same...
I live in England, at the moment, and see what is happening here. I dare not comment, as I will be banned from these pages.

 

[Black Sheep]

OK, guys. I have a real problem.

My plans were: go to the Azores (next year) and pootle about the NE Atlantic (Ireland-Scotland-Norway-Baltic) ending up (whenever) in St Petersburg. Last month, Mr P put paid to the St P's bit of the trip. Now I read that Mrs God has other ideas playing about with tectonic plates 35.7N 25.7W or thereabouts.

Should I revise my plans?

?

No, don't revise your plans, unless your plan was to visit the port of Velas on the island of Sao Jorge. That's where the seismic activity is concentrating. The rest of the Azores should be fine. Horta is 20 miles away so might be under a cloud if it all goes wrong, but there's plenty of ports in the Azores over 100 miles away.