Diagnostic préliminaire de l’exposition du littoral méditerranéen du Maroc face au risque de tsunami

Abstract

In the Alboran Sea, the Mediterranean coastline of Morocco is exposed to tsunami hazard. The average regional seismicity (≈ 6.6 Mw) may be the direct cause of this phenomenon and may enhance the possibility of occurrence of submarine landslides, a potential indirect source of tsunami. Recent events in the Indian and Pacific Oceans have demonstrated that tsunamis are difficult to predict and devastating. Thus, they constitute a latent threat to the Moroccan coastal population. The present study gathers the first reflections on the exposure of the stakes of the Moroccan northern coastline to contribute to an integrated and dynamic approach of the Mediterranean coastal risks. It analyses the tsunami hazard in the geological context of the Alboran Sea. It also highlights the characteristics of the human occupation of the Moroccan coasts. The Tetouan tourist coastline, the Al Hoceima agricultural plain and the Nador lagoon appear to be the territories most exposed to a potential tsunami. The variety of urban, tourist, agricultural and environmental issues results in an exhaustive diagnosis of the exposure of Morocco’s Mediterranean coastline.

Keywords

• Alboran Sea
• Risk management
• Coastal risk
• Morocco