Morocco earthquakes: micro-tremors shake north after Al Haouz

The Gibraltar Strait region is stirring. In just the last three days alone, approximately sixteen earthquakes have been recorded in the northern zone of the country. The daily newspaper Le Matin reports that recent measurements show magnitudes between 1 and 3.2 on the Richter scale.

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On Sunday, the province of M’diq-Fnideq trembled twice within the space of two minutes, with epicenters located 29 and then 15 kilometers deep. A few days earlier, on Wednesday, Martil also recorded a vibration rated at 3.1. In total, the average stands at nearly five micro-earthquakes daily.

To understand this underground activity, we must look back in time. The director of the National Institute of Geophysics, Nasser Jabour, notes an overall increase of approximately 15% in seismic activity, both on land and at sea, since the major Al Haouz earthquake in 2023. He describes the current episode as a "seismic swarm," reflecting a natural readjustment of tectonic stresses following this disaster. The scientist further specifies that "we have observed earthquakes in zones previously calm," illustrating the gradual awakening of various geological faults located at the far western edge of the Mediterranean.

There is, however, no cause for panic. This behavior of the Earth’s crust is not unprecedented. In 2021, an identical scenario unfolded off the coasts of Nador and Al Hoceïma, generating thousands of submarine movements before gradually subsiding.

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The institute’s director is therefore very reassuring, emphasizing the low intensity of these movements, barely perceptible to residents. Specialized teams nonetheless maintain strict and continuous monitoring to analyze the geological evolution of the region.