Satellite images have revealed the extent of the ground movement caused by the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco last week, killing thousands.
The upward movement to the surface reached a maximum of 15 cm-Image Source: Sky News
The earthquake struck a rural area in the Atlas Mountains, about 75 kilometers (47 miles) from the city of Marrakech, on Friday evening, September 8. The area, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), lies on the boundary between the European and African tectonic plates, making the region prone to earthquakes.
Radar measurements taken by two European Sentinel-1 satellites before and after the disaster show how the plates shifted during the quake.
According to the BBC, the maximum upward movement of the surface was 15 centimeters (6 inches), while in other areas the ground sank by up to 10 centimeters (4 inches).
The ESA said in a statement that the images obtained from the satellite measurements are helping scientists and rescue teams to assess the situation and the risks of aftershocks.
Satellites reveal how deadly Morocco earthquake moved ground (photos) https://t.co/4uPa4gTgH2 pic.twitter.com/kCiDWsc9fr
— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) September 15, 2023
“Earth-observing satellites are unique in their ability to not only provide a broad overview of affected areas, but also to provide very detailed information,” said Simonetta Cheli, director of Earth observation programs at ESA. “They can see through clouds and are often also used to map dangerous floods. In the case of the Morocco earthquake, the value of the mission was to measure how the surface has changed, which will be important once the immediate crisis is over and the recovery process begins.”
The two images used to create the visual, called an interferogram, which tracks surface displacement, were taken on August 30, more than a week before the earthquake, and September 11, three days after the disaster.
