Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Evaluation and Prevention of Seismic Risk - CEPRIS
 
 
 
 

Address: Angle Av. allal El Fassi, Av. des FAR - BP: 8027 
NU - 10102 Rabat,
Maroc

Tél.: 212 37 56 98 10/ 212 37 77 86 74
Fax: 212 37 56 98 11 / 212 37 77 13 34
Email: i[email protected] 
Website: www.cnrst.ma

 


STRUCTURE

Created in 1995, the Local Management Committee of CEPRIS is based at the CNRST (Morocco’s National Centre for Scientific and Technical Research). The Scientific Guidance Committee deals with evaluation and coordination.

Centre's Director: Prof. Jamila El Alami
CEPRIS Coordinator : Nacer Jabour, Chef de la Division Institut National de Géophysique


OBJECTIVES

Support and promotion of scientific and technical projects. Seismotectonic research at regional level and evaluation of uncertain factors and seismic risk in the countries of the Western Mediterranean (Algeria, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia), in co-operation with their seismological centres and the Agreement's specialised centres, and in consultation with the Civil Defence Directorate, the ministerial departments involved in risk management and academia.


MAIN ACTIVITIES AND LATEST ACHIEVEMENTS

CEPRIS has been involved in many regional projects on tsunami hazards studies and resilience plans for coastal cities in Morocco, Portugal and Malta (2017).
GOBEYOND TSUNAMI is the most recent regional project (2025).
El Jadida tsunami evacuation plan (2025)
Larache tsunami evacuation plan (2025)
Activities mainly focus on:
  • Historical and instrumental seismicity catalogue: creation and updating of an interactive seismic database;
  • Regional cartography: preparation of seismic and seismotectonic maps;
  • Seismic risk: development of approaches for exploring the available historical and seismotectonic data and for evaluating current seismic risk;
  • Study and evaluation of the possibility of tsunamis on the Moroccan coastline.
Training

Co-operation on the introduction at the Faculty of Sciences of Ibn Tofaïl University in Kénitra of:

  • (since 1998) a doctorate in "exploration geophysics and the environment" in the Department of Geology;
  •  (since 2002) a Masters in "natural hazard analysis and management";
  • Short courses for geophysics Masters students;
  • Training for Moroccan and foreign trainees in the field of seismology;
  • Training courses on the setting up, maintenance and operation of scientific seismological instruments.
AT NATIONAL LEVEL
  • Contribution to seismic emergency management at national level;
  • Seismic auscultation of major dams for the Directorate of Hydraulic Installations
  • Seismic monitoring and study of the Strait of Gibraltar region for Morocco’s SNED company, for the purposes of the plan to construct a fixed link between Africa and Europe across the Strait;
  • Contribution to operations (since 2009) to renew and extend the present seismic system via a new-generation VSAT digital seismic system to provide monitoring and seismic alerts in real time. This system comprises around 50 stations, two thirds of which transmit broadband data, to prevent and reduce seismic risk and its consequences;
  • Contribution to the extension of the accelerograph system set up at the sites of major structures throughout the country with a view to better planning of urban expansion in Morocco and civil engineering works;
  • Contribution to the configuration, acquisition and installation of a new system of permanent GPS stations to show stresses and movements in the Earth's crust;
  • Installation of tide gauges to monitor sea level in real time as a contribution to international efforts to monitor and warn of tsunamis.
AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

 Contribution within UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission: plan to set up a tsunami early warning and mitigation system in the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAMTWS);

 Contribution to the implementation of European Commission scientific programmes relating to seismic risk and tsunami risk, with international partners.

Research fields
  • Historical seismicity and macroseismicity, instrumental seismicity, surface geology, seismotectonics and palaeoseismicity, seismic micro-zoning and seismic refraction techniques, uncertain seismic factors and seismic zoning, seismic risk, structure vulnerability and analysis, soil-structure interaction, tsunami risk.
  •  Discrimination of seismic signals; applications to seismic risk reduction studies.
  •  Monitoring of the Al Hoceima earthquake (February 2004), seismic micro-zoning of the urban centre of Sidi Bou Afif-Al Hoceima, for the Taza Urban Agency (AUT) with a view to better evaluation of the seismic risk.
  •  Study of geological risks in the Al-Hoceima region, particularly seismic risk and the risk of earthquake-induced landslides.
  •   Monitoring the activities of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.
  •   Seismic risk reduction programme in the various regions of Morocco.
  •  Co-operation with the Ministry for Regional Planning, Environment, Urban Planning and Housing with a view to better management of urban areas.

 

PUBLICATIONS

Contribution about the September 2023 M 7.0 earthquake in Al Haouz, Morocco, by Dr. Nacer Jabour, Head of the National Geophysics Institute (CNRST) in Rabat, Morocco, Abdelillah Tahayt, from the Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essadi University in Tanger, Morocco, and Mohamed Kasmi, Lahcen Hni, Youssef Timoulali, Mohamed Menzhi, from the National Geophysics Institute (CNRST) in Rabat, Morocco.

Earthquake Watch EGU seismology.

Hamza Akka, Abdelilah Tahayt, Ismail Es-Sabbar, Hafid Ouammou, Nacer Jabour, Elia d’Acremont. Evidence of Seismic Gap in Al Hoceima (Morocco): Implication for Seismic Hazard. 2024, Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation Recent Research on Geotechnical Engineering, Remote Sensing, Geophysics and Earthquake Seismology, p. 257-261