Series of Minor Tremors Shakes Portugal's Azores

The Azores, Portugal's mid-Atlantic island chain, experienced roughly 180 small earthquakes over three days beginning Sunday, according to seismic officials.

Joao Luis Gaspar of the Sivisa institute reported that nearly all the activity was centered on Sao Miguel, the archipelago's main island, though tremor frequency dropped off by Tuesday.

The Azores consist of nine islands of volcanic origin, situated approximately 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) off the Portuguese mainland.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in September 2004, in its own words.