Following the recent 7-magnitude earthquake in Morocco and the catastrophic flooding in Libya, the Kingdom has installed in the Jorf Lasfar Port (located on the Atlantic coast) a tide gauge, a seawater monitoring station which is fitted with sensors to measure the height of water, the Moroccan news agency (MAP) reported on Thursday.
The warning system can detect tsunamis or tidal waves which are frequently triggered by undersea earthquakes.
The initiative is part of the “Coast Wave Project” and aims to strengthen local tsunami preparedness efforts. It was undertaken by the Marine Geosciences and Soil Sciences Laboratory at Chouaib Doukkali University (UCD) and the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST), in collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO).
The newly erected station can monitor sea levels, provide real-time data for climate research, track changes and detect abrupt changes in sea levels, which is critical for tsunami warnings, stated Prof. Khalid El Khalid, the project coordinator.
El Khaldi also highlighted the importance of this technology for timely forecasts and alerts that could optimize authorities’ response.
The El Jadida Faculty of Sciences trained approximately twenty technicians on the operating and technical aspects of the new tide gauge.