1980 Portugal / Azores Earthquake
Terceira, Azores, Portugal — January 1, 1980
The 1980 Terceira earthquake killed 61 people and damaged or destroyed 15,000 buildings on the Azores islands of Terceira, São Jorge, and Graciosa. The Azores are among the most seismically active regions in the North Atlantic due to their position on three tectonic plate boundaries.
Earthquake Facts
Magnitude
M7.2
Date
Jan 1, 1980
Depth
9 km
Deaths
61
Latitude
38.763°
Longitude
-27.870°
Tsunami
No
Region
Portugal / Azores
Tectonic Cause
Fault earthquake in the Azores Triple Junction, where the North American, Eurasian, and African Plates all meet. The complexity of this triple junction produces frequent earthquakes across the archipelago.
Aftermath in Pictures
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — open licenses (CC / Public Domain)
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under open licenses. Attribution required where specified. Click any image to enlarge.
Related Earthquakes in Portugal / Azores
Sources & Further Reading
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