“In its meeting on seismic-volcanic activity in February, the Crisis Cabinet maintained the Volcanic Alert level at the Santa Bárbara Volcano and the Western Fissure Volcanic System of Terceira,” revealed the Institute for Volcanological Research and Risk Assessment of the University of the Azores (IVAR) in a statement.

IVAR lowered the aforementioned alert levels from V3 (volcanic system in a phase of reactivation) to V2 at the beginning of February.

According to the report, seismic activity on Terceira Island, in the Central group of the Azores, “although of low magnitude, remained clearly above reference levels and close to that recorded in January, particularly at the Santa Bárbara Volcano and the Western Fissure Volcanic System of Terceira.”

“Seismicity was also recorded further south, east of the area of ​​influence of the Santa Bárbara Volcano, particularly in the vicinity of Angra do Heroísmo,” it added.

IVAR also reported that, during the period under analysis, “no earthquakes related to the crisis were felt (as in the previous month), with the strongest earthquake reaching a magnitude of 1.7” on the Richter scale.

During the same period, “although not very intense, some crustal deformation continued to be recorded in the area where the seismic-volcanic crisis is developing,” and, in terms of gases, “there were no anomalies that could be related to the current seismic-volcanic crisis.”

Thus, the Crisis Cabinet decided to maintain Alert Level V2 at the Santa Bárbara Volcano and the Western Fissure Volcanic System of Terceira Island.

IVAR warns, however, 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."

The population is recommended to adopt self-protection measures "appropriate to the ongoing activity, in particular, 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."