Several water sources appeared in the High Atlas after the September 8 earthquake. Although this rare phenomenon may bring relief to victims, scientists remain cautious about its sustainability. Reporting.
Published on: October 30, 2023 – 7:25 p.m
2 minutes
A rare geological phenomenon. In the heart of the Atlas Mountains, in Al Haouz province in Morocco, the scars of the powerful September 8 earthquake are still clearly visible. But as trucks use the tracks and small mountain roads every day to transport relief supplies to villages devastated by the disaster, residents are amazed to discover new sources of water that come directly from the earthquake. A phenomenon that is seen as good news in this mountainous region accustomed to drought.
“From April to September there was nothing, the river was dry. When the earthquake occurred, the water came from the mountains without any rain or snow. We thank God,” testifies Mohamed, a local resident.
Authorities have identified 45 springs that have dried up in recent years’ drought but whose flow has increased since the earthquake. “This water will help the local population a lot, because before there wasn’t much water in the springs,” hopes Sabir, also a resident of the region.
Same amount of water
“These are pockets of water that intersect with fractures. The earthquake closed some and opened others,” explains Hassan Ibouh, a geologist at the Faculty of Sciences in Marrakech. “This may cause springs to disappear, others to emerge, or simply to revive existing springs or increase their flow.”
“Although this can sometimes result in significant flow rates, this phenomenon does not add water,” he points out. “The amount of water in the rock remains the same. It’s just releasing more.” While this phenomenon will certainly be beneficial for certain villages, it will have a detrimental effect on other areas where water supplies are decreasing.
