List of earthquakes in Morocco explained

This is a list of significant earthquakes that either had their epicentres in Morocco or had a significant impact in the country.

Seismicity in Morocco

Northern Morocco lies close to the boundary between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate, the Azores–Gibraltar Transform Fault. This zone of right-lateral strike-slip becomes transpressional at its eastern end, with the development of large thrust faults. To the east of the Strait of Gibraltar, in the Alboran Sea, the boundary becomes collisional in type. Most of the seismicity in Morocco is related to movement on that plate boundary, with the greatest seismic hazard in the north of the country, close to the boundary.[1]

Earthquakes

DateRegionMMIDeathsInjuriesNoteRef
2023-09-08IX6.8 Mw2,9605,674Extreme damage[2] [3]
2019-11-17Drâa-TafilaletVI5.2 Mw[4]
2016-01-25Al HoceimaV6.3 Mw115Moderate damage[5]
2007-02-12Portugal, Morocco6.0 MwMinor damage[6]
2004-02-24Al HoceimaIX6.3 Mw628–631926Severe damage
1992-10-23ErrachidiaVI5.5 2Damage in Erfoud and Rissani[7]
1969-02-28Portugal, MoroccoVII7.8 Mw1380Moderate damage
1960-02-29AgadirX5.8 Mw12,000–15,00012,000Extreme damage
1909-01-29Tétouan100[8]
1761-03-31Portugal, Morocco, SpainVII-IX8.5 UnknownUnknownTsunami
1755-11-27MeknesIX6.5–7.0 15,000Severe damage[9]
1755-11-01Portugal, Morocco, SpainVII–VIII7.7–9.0 MwSeveral thousandConsiderable damage / tsunami
1624-05-11FezIX6.0 ThousandsExtreme damage
1522-09-22Spain, MoroccoVIII–IXSeveral hundredSevere damage - Epicenter in the Alboran Sea
Note: Only damaging, injurious, or deadly events are listed.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Cherkaoui T-E. . 2012 . Seismicity and Seismic Hazard in Morocco 1901-2010 . Bulletin de l'Institut Scientifique, Rabat, section Sciences de la Terre . 34 . 45–55.
  2. News: Devastating Earthquake in Morocco Claims 2,000 Lives and Leaves 1,500 Injured. chennaiprint.in . 2023-09-10 . 2023-09-10.
  3. Web site: 2023-09-08 . Earthquake in Morocco causes structural damage, panic . 2023-09-08 . HESPRESS English - Morocco News . en-US.
  4. Web site: M 5.2 - 22km SE of Amersid, Morocco. United States Geological Survey. 2019-11-17.
  5. Web site: M 6.3 - 50km NNE of Al Hoceima, Morocco. United States Geological Survey. 2019-06-26.
  6. Web site: M 6.0 - Azores-Cape St. Vincent Ridge. United States Geological Survey. 2019-06-26.
  7. Bensaid . Ihsane . Cherkaoui . Taj-Eddine . Medina . Fida . Caldeira . Bento . Buforn . Elisa . Emran . Anas . Hahou . Youssef . The 1992 Tafilalt seismic crisis (Anti-Atlas, Morocco) . Journal of Seismology . 2012 . 16 . 1 . 35–53 . 10.1007/s10950-011-9248-5. 2012JSeis..16...35B . 129291396 .
  8. Web site: Comments for the 1909 earthquake . . 2019-06-26.
  9. Poujol . A. . Ritz . J.-F. . Vernant . P. . Huot . S. . Maate . S. . Tahayt . A. . Which fault destroyed Fes city (Morocco) in 1755? A new insight from the Holocene deformations observed along the southern border of Gibraltar arc . Tectonophysics . 2017 . 712–713 . 303–311 . 10.1016/j.tecto.2017.05.036. 2017Tectp.712..303P .