A modest quake by any measure, directly beneath a sleeping town built on soft ground. In fifteen seconds it killed a third of Agadir — proof that magnitude and catastrophe are not the same thing.
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DownloadThe 1960 Agadir earthquake struck on February 29, 1960, registering magnitude 5.9 (moment magnitude, Mw).
Its epicenter was located near 30.43°N, 9.62°W, at a depth of about 10 km — a shallow crustal earthquake. Shallow earthquakes like this release their energy close to the surface, which is why the shaking near the epicenter was so violent.
An estimated 13,100 people were killed.