Why was the Morocco earthquake so deadly?

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Before the quake on 8 September, there was reason to believe Morocco could experience strong earthquakes. Kelman highlights a 2007 study that counted 1,739 major earthquakes — defined as greater than magnitude 3 and not including aftershocks — whose effects were felt in the country between 1045 and 2005, based mostly on historical descriptions1.

And yet most buildings in the affected area were built of masonry and ‘aggregate’ — particulate matter such as gravel or sand — which is prone to collapse, says Kelman. Strengthening buildings with stronger materials such as reinforced concrete can help, but such measures might not have been practical for the area, which has high levels of poverty, he says.

Buildings in Morocco are often designed to control for extremes of temperature, which are an ever-present risk, whereas earthquake resilience has taken a back seat, in part because they are rarer, says Kelman. However, in some other regions traditional building materials such as masonry or adobe have been successfully adapted to be earthquake-resilient. “We know we can do it,” he says.

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Kelman says it is also crucial to think about earthquake resilience as part of sustainable development. People are often advised to have a ‘go bag’ that contains essentials like bottled water, non-perishable food, medicines and a means of communication — but they need to have enough money to be able to afford to maintain it.

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