An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 was detected and located on 25 January 2016 at 04h22 UT (05h22 Spanish and French local time). Its epicentre was located approximately 50 km north of Al Hoceima (Morocco), a region affected by earthquakes of similar magnitude in 1994 and 2004. The seismic activity of the region is produced by the convergence between Africa and Eurasia, accommodated to some extent by the activation of strike-slip faults along the trans-Alboran shear zone, a transcurrent fault zone which slips at a rate of nearly 0.5 cm per annum.
The CEA's Military applications division (Direction des applications militaires, DAM) is involved in the fight against nuclear proliferation and terrorism, which includes contributing its expertise to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Comprehensive nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). This contribution to strategic programs is based on the expertise of the environmental assessment and monitoring Department (Département analyse, surveillance, environnement, DASE) in monitoring seismic events, detecting radionuclides, measuring atmospheric phenomena and designing sensors and related networks.