According to a statement from the Institute of Volcanology of the University of the Azores (IVAR), its Crisis Cabinet met to assess the seismovolcanic activity on the Azorean island of Terceira and "maintained the alert level V3 at the Santa Bárbara Volcano, also raising the alert level to V3 in the western fissure volcanic system of Terceira".

“Throughout the month of November, seismic activity on the island, although of low magnitude, has remained significantly above reference levels, maintaining an increasing trend, particularly in the perimeter of the Santa Bárbara Volcano and the Western Fissure Volcanic System of Terceira, more specifically in the Mistérios Negros area”.

IVAR indicates that this fact “has led to the occurrence of several earthquakes felt by the population.”

“During the same period, and although not very intense, crustal deformation continued to be recorded in the area where the seismovolcanic crisis is developing,” it adds.

According to the note, to date “no significant seismic signals of magmatic or hydrothermal origin have been recorded, nor have any anomalies in terms of gases been verified that could be related to the current seismovolcanic crisis.”

Despite the increased seismic activity, the IVAR Crisis Office explains that it has decided to maintain alert level V3 at the Santa Bárbara volcano and raise the alert level to V3 at the Western Fissure Volcanic System of Terceira, due to the fact that “the Mistérios Negros section corresponds to a fracture zone where the two volcanic systems intersect and communicate”.

Monitoring

In conclusion, IVAR emphasizes that “any change in the observed activity pattern may lead to adjustments to the aforementioned alert levels, so it is important to continue monitoring the situation through official civil protection channels”.

In the same note, the Azores Seismic and Volcanic Information and Surveillance Center (CIVISA) recommends that appropriate self-protection measures be adopted for the ongoing activity, “to minimise the risks arising from the possible occurrence of a larger magnitude earthquake or the development of slope movements at the level of unstable slopes and the coastline”.

On November 6th, IVAR raised the alert level for the Santa Bárbara volcano on Terceira Island to V3.

Since June 24, 2022, seismic activity at the Santa Bárbara volcano on Terceira Island has been "above normal reference values," with the most energetic event occurring on January 14, 2024, with a magnitude of 4.5 on the Richter scale.

In June 2024, the alert level rose to V3, but fell back to V2 (volcanic system in a phase of instability) in December of that year, due to the reduction in seismic activity and crustal deformation.