By Ebi Kesiena
A very shallow magnitude 2.9 earthquake was reported on Saturday afternoon near Marrakech, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco.
Marrakesh–Safi or Marrakech–Asfi is one of the 12 regions of Morocco. Its population in 2014 was 4,520,569. The capital is Marrakesh.
According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, IPMA), the quake hit on Saturday at 2:37 pm local time at a very shallow depth of 4 km.
Research indicate that shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface.
Local media reports that the exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake will be revised within the next few hours as seismologists (the branch of science concerned with earthquakes and related phenomena) review data and refine their calculations, and as other agencies will issue their report.
While preliminary calculations reveal that the quake was felt by many people and did not cause any damage. In Oukaimeden (pop. 4,400, 33 km away), Marrakech (pop. 839,300, 45 km away), and Setti Fatma (pop. 22,300, 50 km away), the quake was probably not felt.
