Iran Press/ Africa: “An earthquake with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale is very strong and can cause ground acceleration at the epicenter of the earthquake ranging from 200 to 300 cm per second, which can destroy objects, especially those not specifically designed to be resistant to earthquakes, when the foundations are not adequately prepared from the geological and topographical points of view," Dr. Iyd al-Tarazi, a professor at the Department of Seismology and Natural Hazards at the Hashemite University in Jordan, told Sputnik.
The latest Interior Ministry figures put the death toll at 2,012, with 2,059 people injured, including 1,404 in critical condition.
It was Morocco's deadliest earthquake in more than six decades.
Countless homes have been destroyed by the earthquake and more than 1,200 people are said to have been seriously hurt, according to the country’s interior ministry.
Regarding the impact of the Moroccan earthquake on neighboring countries, Al-Tarazi ruled out that it would have any strong stimulating effect on the Earth's crust in the surrounding region, especially in North Africa or the Middle East. So, in his opinion, the potential occurrence of similar destructive earthquakes in neighboring countries is unlikely.
Regarding the possibility of predicting such earthquakes before they happen, Al-Tarazi explained that “they are usually unpredictable, but sometimes - and such cases are few - earthquakes may be preceded by increased activity in the Earth's crust, and before the main earthquake there is a series of small earthquakes of small magnitude, about 3 or 4 points.
He added: "There may also be some changes in the magnetic field at the earthquake's epicenter, the electric field, and other layers of the earth, but these are not constant, so scientists cannot rely on them to try to predict such earthquakes."
“Morocco is located far enough from the boundary of contact between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, the distance to it is about 400 kilometers, so scientists previously ruled out the possibility of an earthquake of such magnitude in this region," Dr. Iyd al-Tarazi said.
"The seismologist explained that the Moroccan earthquake would change many theories used by seismologists and geologists since the region is hundreds of kilometers from the boundary of the collision of lithospheric plates, but an earthquake of unexpected strength still occurred," he added.
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Morocco earthquake death toll rises to over 2,000
