Residents report earthquakes on the coast and interior of SP: What caused the earthquake?
Two earthquakes were recorded by the Civil Defense of São Paulo, being strongly felt by residents of Baixada Santista, located on the coast of São Paulo, and in cities of Vale do Ribeira, in the interior of the region.
The tremor scared residents of the affected regions - Photo Reproduction/Edilson Almeida/Prefeitura de Peruíbe/Flickr
On the morning of this Friday (16), residents of Baixada Santista, located on the coast of São Paulo, as well as residents of cities in the Ribeira Valley, in the interior of São Paulo, reported an intense earthquake that was noticed in several locations in the region. Several people, frightened, described the vibrations in several towns in the area.
Earthquake
A Sao Paulo Civil Defense recorded the occurrence of two earthquakes in the area close to the city of Miracatu, located 138 kilometers from the capital. The first earthquake, with magnitude between 4.7 and 4.9 on the Richter scale, was recorded around 8:30 am. In addition, the University of São Paulo Seismology Center (USP) reported an earthquake of 3.9 degrees in the region of Itariri, which occurred at 8:11 am.
Also according to the USP, the epicenter occurred between the cities from Miracatu (25 km), Iguape (28 km) and Itariri (32 km), in a sparsely populated area. This tremor may have been noticeable in an area of up to 100 km around its epicenter. Usually, earthquakes with a magnitude between 3.5° and 5.4° are felt, but rarely cause structural damage.
Around 8:22 am, residents of the region received an alert on their cell phones about a 4.7-degree tremor. Soon after, images were shared on social networks by residents of Itanhaém, Peruíbe and Registro, reporting what happened. The Fire Department and the Civil Defense reported that despite the scare, there was no occurrence and they did not receive any calls about damages or injuries as a result of the tremor
What caused the earthquake?
The origin of the earthquake is still unknown, however according to USP, earthquakes of this magnitude are not uncommon in Brazil. On average, earthquakes with magnitudes above 4 occur twice a year somewhere in the country. The southern coast of the state of São Paulo is considered a relatively active region compared to other areas of the state. An example occurred in July 1946, when a tremor of magnitude 4.6 on the Richter scale was recorded in Cananéia.
"It is not yet known why this region of the state of São Paulo has relatively greater seismic activity than others. However, a possible hypothesis is that in this region the South American plate is thinner, resulting in a greater concentration of geological pressures in the region. upper crust", says the note from USP about the earthquake this Friday.
The reports received by USP do not indicate the occurrence of more serious effects. The institute said that magnitude 4 is not a cause for significant concern. Effects in the central area of the tremor (fortunately sparsely populated) could involve small cracks in walls, falling roof tiles and other unstable objects, as well as minor damage to substandard homes.
Reports
Businesswoman Ana Paula Martins Bertoldi Gato, 52, told Estadão that she felt the vibrations in Registro, in the Ribeira Valley.
"We were in the kitchen and, suddenly, my cupboard and glasses started to knock. I ran out to the porch of my house to see if a truck was passing through the street or something, but immediately I received earthquake notifications on my cell phone", stated.
Vinícius Santos da Silva, a 23-year-old individual who works as a freelancer and resides in Itariri, told G1 that he experienced a tremor sensation while making a phone call. At that moment, he was talking to his mother-in-law, who is in Pedro de Toledo, and she also noticed the vibrations.
“I was holding my son in my lap, then I felt the first tremor and I thought a truck had hit the road, because we live close by. And we felt the second one, my mother-in-law felt it too. We found it surreal, everyone got a little desperate”
"We had an earthquake here in Peruíbe-SP. Our cell phones received a notification, all at the same time, we have three devices, about an earthquake with an epicenter close to here, the ground shook", published the profile of Maik Freitas.
