Earthquake Relief: 69 Water Springs Appear After September 8 Tremor

Rabat – In a meeting held today in the House of Representatives, Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Water Nizar Baraka revealed that several water springs in the Moroccan province of Al Haouz had changed in flow following the September 8 earthquake.

Since the tragedy, discoveries of new springs have continued to increase in the region and its neighboring provinces. As of today, there are 69 of them, up from 45 last October.

According to the minister, satellite images have identified these springs, which are spread over the provinces of Taroudant, Ouarzazate, Chichaoua, and Al Haouz.

During a session in the House of Councilors last October, Baraka indicated that springs holding up to 1,300 liters per second had been discovered and will be used to provide drinking water.

Abdennabi El Mandour, a water-specialist professor and the director of Morocco’s Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilization, offered his observations on the phenomenon, pointing out that changes in water flow are very likely during natural disasters. He also noted that earthquakes can both strongly increase and decrease water flow.

“Water underground is stored in geological layers, either ancient or modern, meaning that there may be layers composed of lime and contain a strong and dense reservoir of water in underground caverns,” El Mandour previously explained to the local media.

In case of an earthquake, these caverns are exposed to strong pressure that causes them to erupt. Additionally, the stone’s force can drive the stored water to run its course, thus increasing the flow rate, the professor detailed.

He went on to explain that the flow of some dried-up springs becomes dense because the pressure forces water out of the sources.

The professor explained the opposite situation, emphasizing that while some springs are full, the flow process is impacted because of pressure and the proliferation of stones that obstruct the routes through which the water passes.