Despite the scare, the Brazilian Seismographic Network said that it is ‘unlikely’ that this tremor caused any structural damage in the capital of São Paulo
Residents of the city of São Paulo felt tremors as a result of an earthquake recorded in the north of Chile in the early evening of this Monday (25). The Brazilian Seismographic Network (RSBR) reported that the phenomenon was of magnitude 6.9 recorded at 6:52 pm, Brasília time, with the earthquake at a depth of 101.3 km.
On social network X, residents shared their reactions. “MMy friend felt the earthquake from Chile in her work building in the west of SP“, another said “I just felt a tremor in my apartment, I looked it up and there was a earthquake from 6.7 no Chile 10 minutes ago“. “Or a mini mini mini just happened earthquake em They are Pauloor I need to check the vitamins in my body, because out of nowhere I was swaying while sitting still“, said another resident at X.
In the “Did you feel it?” from the USP Seismology Center website, other people also claimed to have felt the tremor in São Paulo.
- “I felt the desk I was working on oscillate sideways, in a potted plant with water on another table I could also notice this oscillation. I was on the 8th floor of a building.” – shared at 18h55.
- “I was sitting, I felt the chair and the door shaking. I also felt dizzy. Other people in the condominium also felt it and started to comment in the building’s group.” – shared at 6:56 pm.
- “I have the video of the curtain at the exact moment of the swing.” – shared 7:36 pm.
- “The car alarm on the street even rang.” – shared 18:56.
RSBR together with the USP Seismology Center, explained that earthquakes that occur in the Andes, like the one recorded in Chile, depending on the magnitude and depth, can even be felt in São Paulo. “This occurs because São Paulo is in a sedimentary basin that has the characteristic of amplifying seismic waves.”
“People who are in high places such as high-rise buildings or neighborhoods have a greater chance of feeling these events. Furthermore, the time at which the Chilean earthquake occurred also makes it easier for people to feel it, who are generally at home at a calmer time of the day”, they concluded.
Despite the scare, RSBR said it is “very unlikely” that this tremor caused some structural damage in the city of São Paulo.
Tremor in Rio de Janeiro
Last Thursday (21) RSBR had already identified, at around 5:31 am, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro. The agency reported that there were no reports that the episode was felt by the population.
According to Gilberto Leite, seismologist at the National Observatory, the type of tremor and relatively common in the country e did not represent a significant risk for the population. “Brazil records small earthquakes with some frequency, especially due to tectonic tensions that act on the Earth’s crust,” he explained.
Leite said that, in most cases, “shocks have low magnitude and are not felt”. The expert also added that the coast of the Southeast region “is considered the main seismic zone” in the country because “small earthquakes” occur “relatively frequently”.
