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MOROCCO
EARTHQUAKE
OF 2023
JABRANI HASSNAE
EL ATTAOUI ZINEB
GE2

PLANING
INTRODUCTION
CAUSES
IMPACT
SOLUTIONS
CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION
On September 8, 2023, a magnitude-6.8 earthquake struck the High Atlas
Mountains near Oukaïmedene, Morocco, causing widespread devastation.
Over 2,900 people were killed, and more than 5,500 were injured. The
earthquake damaged historical sites in Marrakesh and destroyed remote
villages. It was felt as far as Portugal and Algeria, highlighting the region's
vulnerability to seismic events. Despite being in a low seismic area, this
earthquake emphasized the need for better preparedness and understanding
of the seismotectonic environment in Morocco.

“Earthquakes don’t kill people, Buildings kill
people.”

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central Morocco on September 8, 2023,
was primarily caused by the tectonic interaction between the African and Eurasian
plates. The African plate is gradually moving into the Eurasian plate at a slow rate of
about 3.6 millimeters per year. This slow convergence creates stress and strain in the
Earth's crust, particularly in the High Atlas Mountains region, where the earthquake
occurred.
The region is characterized by reverse faults, which occur when tectonic plates collide
and compress, causing the Earth's crust to buckle and break. The earthquake was
unusual for this area, as it had not experienced such a significant seismic event in
over a century, leading to buildings that were not constructed to withstand strong
shaking. The brittle nature of the Earth's crust, akin to cracking a hard-boiled egg,
illustrates how tectonic plates can fracture under stress, resulting in earthquakes.
SPECIFIC REASON