Brasília, June 23, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Tremors, such as those that occurred in the early morning hours of Friday (20) in the state of Amazonas, are relatively common in the region, according to seismologist Vasile Marzo, professor at the UnB (University of Brasília) Seismological Observatory. In an interview with Radiobrás, Marzo explained that the shock of 7 degrees on the Richter scale (which goes from 1 to 9) had as its epicenter the city of Cruzeiro do Sul, on the border with the state of Acre.

"In the last 20 years, we have registered three shocks of comparable magnitude," the seismologist affirmed, adding that other tremors might have occurred and not been registered, for lack of adequate technology. "It is possible that some quakes went unrecorded," he said.

According to the researcher, the tremors were almost imperceptible, because they took place at a depth of 553 kilometers, and the shock waves were attentuated on their way to the earth's surface. Moreover, the phenomenon occurred at an hour when the population was still asleep. The tremor was caused by the movement of tectonic plates. (DAS)