How frequent are earthquakes in the Azores?

The Azores have a moderate level of seismic activity. Based on data from the past 25 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 1,300 quakes on average per year in the Azores. However, the Azores have had at least 9 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 10 to 15 years.

How many earthquakes occur every year in the Azores?

On average, The Azores have about 141 quakes of magnitude 3 or higher per year (Mag 4+: 13.1 quakes per year).

Volcanoes of the Azores (14)

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Significant volcanic eruptions: Azores

In historic times, at least 10 volcanoes have been active in the Azores, including Terceira, Fayal, and Monaco Bank volcanoes. A total of 28 eruptions have been witnessed and documented since around 1441 AD.
The table below lists the most recent volcanic eruptions, significant eruptive episodes or related events in the Azores.

Date	Volcano	VEI	Region	Deaths	Damage
1998 Nov 25 ? - 2000 Mar 16 ±15 d.	Terceira Serreta Ridge (submarine vent W of Terceira)	0	Terceira Island, Azores
1957 Sep 27 - 1958 Oct 24	Fayal West flank (Capelinhos) and summit	2	Azores (Portugal)
1911 Mar 7	Monaco Bank	1	Azores, Portugal
1907 Apr 1	Monaco Bank	?	Azores, Portugal
1907	São Jorge	0	Azores Islands, Portugal
1902 May 7 - May 8	São Jorge Submarine, ~27 km ESE of Ponta do Topo	?	Azores Islands, Portugal
1867 Jun 1 - Jun 8	Terceira Submarine vent 3-6 WNW of Terceira	3	Terceira Island, Azores
1811 Jun 14 - Jun 22	Sete Cidades Submarine vent west of Sete Cidades	3	Azores (Portugal)
1811 Feb 1 - Feb 8	Sete Cidades Submarine vent west of Sete Cidades	2?	Azores (Portugal)
1808 May 1 - Jun 10	São Jorge Sao Jorge	1	Azores Islands, Portugal
1808 May 1 (eruption 1808 May 1 - Jun 10)	São Jorge	1	Azores Islands, Portugal	9		Info
1808 May 1: People attempting to save furniture remained too long in vicinity of advancing lava. About 60 were scalded by flashes of steam. 8-10 died on the spot or a few days later. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1800 Jun 24 - Jun 25	São Jorge Submarine, ~35 km SE of Ponta do Topo	2	Azores Islands, Portugal
1761 Apr 17 - Apr 28 ?	Terceira Fissure zone (east of Santa Barbara)	2	Terceira Island, Azores
1757 Jul 9 - Jul 10	São Jorge Off south coast of Sao Jorge	0	Azores Islands, Portugal
1757 Jul 9 (eruption 1757 Jul 9 - Jul 10)	São Jorge	0	Azores Islands, Portugal	1,053	heavy	Info
1757 Jul 9: The submarine eruption of 1757 coincided with history's most violent earthquake in Azores, centered in the E part of the island and causing several hundred deaths. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1720 Dec 8 ? - Dec 26 ±5 d.	Don Joao de Castro Bank	3	Azores, Portugal
1720 Jul 10 - Dec	Pico SE flank (400 m)	2	Azores (Portugal)
1718 Feb 1 - Dec 15 ±5 d.	Pico SE flank (200 m), NW flank (1200 m)	2	Azores (Portugal)
1718 Feb 1 (eruption 1718 Feb 1 - Dec 15 ±5 d.)	Pico	2	Azores (Portugal)	2		Info
1718 Feb 1: Possibly 2 deaths. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1713	Sete Cidades West flank (Pico das Camarinhas)	2	Azores (Portugal)
1682 AD Dec 13	Sete Cidades Submarine vent west of Sete Cidades	2	Azores (Portugal)
1672 AD Apr 24 - 1673 Feb 28	Fayal West flank	2	Azores (Portugal)
1672 AD Apr 24 (eruption 1672 AD Apr 24 - 1673 Feb 28)	Fayal	2	Azores (Portugal)	3		Info
1672 AD Apr 24: Possibly 3 deaths. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1652 AD Oct 19 - Oct 26	Picos Volcanic System Eastern part (SW of Fogo 1 cone)	2	Azores, Portugal
1638 AD Jul 3 - Jul 28	Sete Cidades Submarine vent west of Sete Cidades	2	Azores (Portugal)
1630 AD Sep 3 - Nov 2	Furnas South end of caldera (Pico da Areia)	5	Sao Miguel Island, Azores
1630 AD Sep 3 (eruption 1630 AD Sep 3 - Nov 2)	Furnas	4	Sao Miguel Island, Azores	200		Info
1630 AD Sep 3: Violent pumice explosion, probably of vulcanian type; ejecta fell over most of island. Newhall says at least 200 persons were killed, most probably by mudflows in Riberia Quente on the S coast. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1580 AD May 1 - Aug 30 ?	São Jorge Sao Jorge (SW side)	3?	Azores Islands, Portugal
1580 AD May 1 (eruption 1580 AD May 1 - Aug 30 ?)	São Jorge	3	Azores Islands, Portugal	10		Info
1580 AD May 1: 10 perished in eruption. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1564 AD Feb 10 - Feb 12	Agua de Pau Lagoa do Fogo caldera	2	Azores (Portugal)
1562 AD Sep 21 ? - 1564 ?	Pico East flank (800 m)	2	Azores (Portugal)
1563 AD Jun 28 - Jul 26 ±5 d.	Agua de Pau Caldera, NW flank (Cerro Queimado)	5?	Azores (Portugal)
1444 ? AD	Sete Cidades SW side of caldera (Caldeira Seca)	4	Azores (Portugal)
1441 ±2 y. AD	Furnas Center of caldera (Gaspar)	4	Sao Miguel Island, Azores

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Azores FAQ

+When was the last volcanic eruption in the Azores?

The last volcanic eruption in the Azores was from Terceira volcano during 1998 - 2000.

+When was the first documented volcanic eruption in the Azores?

The first historically documented eruption occurred around 1441 AD from Furnas volcano.

+How often do volcanoes in the Azores erupt?

Since 1441 AD, Azores has seen at least 28 historically documented eruptions. This means that a volcano erupts on average every 20.9 years.

+How active are the volcanoes in the Azores?

Azores is volcanically occasionally active: Since 1900, at least 4 volcanoes in the Azores have been active.Since 1900, Azores has had 6 volcanic eruptions from 4 individual volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions have been recorded erupted during 8 years out of 126 as of now. This means, at least one volcano in the Azores has been in eruption in one in 15.8 years on average. The last volcano to erupt in the Azores was Terceira volcano. Its was active from 1998 until 2000 and ended 26 years ago.

+When was the largest volcanic eruption in the Azores?

The largest eruption in the Azores in historic times was from Furnas volcano. It occurred in 1630 AD. It ranks as a plinian eruption with a magnitude 5 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale. Eruption of this size are often catastrophic on a regional scale.

Latest earthquakes: Azores

In the past 7 days, the area near Azores volcano has had 3 quakes of magnitude 3.0 or above and 17 quakes between 2.0 and 3.0. There were also 2 quakes below magnitude 2.0 which people don't normally feel.

A magnitude 3.9 quake was felt in Azores Islands, Portugal .

Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake Azores Islands, Portugal widely felt -

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Nearest Volcano / Location
Nov 6, 11:37 pm (Universal Time)	2.7 3.6 km	43 km (27 mi) NW of Fayal	North Atlantic Ocean, 58 km northwest of Horta, Azores, Portugal I FELT IT	Info
Nov 6, 09:54 pm (Azores)	3.8 2 km	2 km (1.2 mi) SW of Terceira	14 km northwest of Angra do Heroismo, Azores, Portugal I FELT IT - 8 reports	Info
Nov 6, 09:54 pm (Azores)	3.9 2.8 km	1 km (0.6 mi) SW of Terceira	Azores Islands, Portugal I FELT IT - 33 reports	Info
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Nov 5, 02:39 am (Azores)	2.7 1.7 km	2 km (1.2 mi) NE of Terceira	Azores Islands, Portugal I FELT IT	Info
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Nov 4, 02:06 am (Azores)	3.3 3.8 km	2 km (1.2 mi) N of Terceira	Azores Islands, Portugal I FELT IT	Info
Sunday, November 2, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Nov 2, 01:13 am (GMT -2)	2.7 10 km	206 km (128 mi) E of Furnas	N Falha GLORIA I FELT IT	Info