AN EARTHQUAKE in the province of Jaén (Andalucía) was barely felt in the early hours of this morning (Saturday), despite reaching level 4 on the Richter scale – normally enough to cause minor damage.
A recent report by the National Geographical Institute (IGN) says the epicentre was in the town of Jódar at exactly 01.41 this morning, but that as it was very deep underground – about 11 kilometres below the surface – nearly everyone in the area would have slept through it.
In fact, only one resident rang the 112 emergency hotline, saying he felt his house tremble for a split second and saw a table moving.
An earthquake of 4 on the Richter scale closer to the surface would cause a small amount of damage, similar to that which would occur during periods of high winds, and would normally be felt by residents within a few kilometres of the epicentre, but generally would not result in injury.
Tremors of between 2 and 4 are common in southern and south-eastern Spain, but most go unnoticed and those that are felt rarely cause any problems.
