Global warming and groundwater from semi-arid areas: Essaouira region (Morocco) as an example

Abstract

Climate change is undoubtedly becoming a subject of great concern for public authorities in all regions of the globe, in particular, the regions under Saharan, arid, and semi-arid climate. In this regard, this study aims to assess the effect of climate change on groundwater from semi-arid environments, taking the Essaouira basin as an example. The climate approach shows a downward trend in precipitation from 12 to 16% and an increase in temperature from 1.2 to 2.3 °C, and this during the last three decades. A continuous decline in the piezometric level exceeding 12 m for the Cenomanian-Turonian aquifer and 17 m for the Plio-Quaternary aquifer has been observed. The groundwater mineralization is controlled by the dissolution of evaporate and carbonate minerals, by the bases exchange phenomenon, and by the marine intrusion, especially in Plio-Quaternary aquifer. Also, the groundwater quality in the study area deteriorates gradually over time and space. However, the results of this study confirm that the groundwater from Essaouira basin is vulnerable to the global warming.

Surface and Groundwater Characteristics within a Semi-Arid Environment Using Hydrochemical and Remote Sensing Techniques

“…The data from the 2017, 2018, and 2019 campaigns that were carried out during low water periods for the same water points [17,24,25] were also used to monitor changes in the physical parameters of the water under climate change forcing.…”

“…Concerning the campaign of 2019, the EC values varied between 550 and 12,250 µS/cm, with an average of 2340 µS/cm. According to the monitoring carried out in the work of [19,25], the values of conductivity oscillated between 1990 and 2017, but never exceeded 8000 µS/cm, which are values that can be represented by a linear interpolation method of the variable in relation to the small values recorded. The year 2019 was characterized by the appearance of extreme values, which made it necessary to use a logarithmic scale with base 2.…”

Groundwater Vulnerability Mapping Using the Susceptibility Index (SI) Method and Tritium Isotopes: A Case Study of the Gharb Aquifer in Northwestern Morocco

“…The Gharb Plain is situated in the northwestern part of Morocco, spanning the low valley of the Sebou River and covering an area of over 3000 km 2 . It encompasses a substantial aquifer system and is surrounded by the Mamora Plain to the south, the Dradère-Souière Basin to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and conglomerate outcrops marking the basin's eastern boundaries.…”

“…Today, there has been a notable rise in the need for fresh water in Morocco's semi-arid areas [1,2]. This increased demand stems from multiple reasons, such as reduced rainfall, population growth, the expansion of industrial and agricultural pursuits, and deteriorating surface water quality [3,4,5,6].…”