A moderate earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale struck Al Hoceima province on Wednesday, with residents across surrounding towns and villages reporting the tremor.
Nasser Jbour, head of Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics, said the quake is part of ongoing seismic activity in the region, which has been active for decades.
In a statement to Hespress, Jbour noted that activity alternates between periods of relative calm and heightened seismic events.
The Al Hoceima region has experienced repeated quakes since 1994, the expert said, with notable sequences in 2004 and 2016, reflecting its geologically active nature.
He said moderate or minor earthquakes are common in such zones and do not necessarily signal a larger quake.
He added that the area saw noticeable offshore seismic activity in 2021, consisting of clusters of quakes over short periods, which is normal for the region’s tectonic behavior.
Jbour emphasized that the recent tremor was limited in intensity and mostly felt by residents near the epicenter, causing no significant damage. A simultaneous 3.0-magnitude quake was recorded in Ifrane Wednesday morning.
The institute continues daily monitoring through specialized networks, relying on long-term data to study seismic trends, though precise earthquake prediction remains impossible.
Weak and moderate tremors, including ongoing aftershocks from the Al Haouz province quake of September 8, 2023, are considered normal indicators of the region’s natural seismic dynamics.
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