Groundwater Hydrochemical and Isotopic Evolution from High Atlas Jurassic Limestones to Errachidia Cretaceous Basin (Southeastern Morocco)

Roubil, Allal; Ouali, Abdelhadi El; Bülbül, Ali; Lahrach, Abderrahim; Mudry, Jacques; Mamouch, Younes; Essahlaoui, Ali; Hmaidi, Abdellah El

doi:10.3390/w14111747

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The Atlas Mountains, which dominate landscape, play a crucial role in regulating the local climate and the distribution of rainfall. The region is also home to essential natural resources, such as fertile, agriculturally-suitable soils and groundwater sources (Abdelfadel et al, 2021;Roubil, et al, 2022).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Tourism Investment and Land Use Change in the Northern Piedmont of the Western High Atlas (1989-2022)

Ait Zamzami,

Elaanzouli,

Zahrani

et al. 2024

For. Geo.

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This study aimed to investigate the profound influence of tourism investment on the Northern Piedmont of the western High Atlas over 34 years in response to the escalating global trend of tourism-driven land-use changes, particularly in the Marrakesh region. In this context, the driving forces behind the significant transformation of agricultural land and bare soils into tourism-driven investments were evaluated as well as the critical role of accessibility in shaping spatial shifts. The method used high-resolution (10 m) satellite images from Spot 1 (1989), Spot 5 (2003 & 2010), and Sentinel 2 (2022) through remote sensing methods to investigate the historical land-use changes over 34 years. The results showed significant transformations in land-use based on the correlation between improved transportation infrastructure and the growth of tourism ventures, underscoring the role of roads and facilities as catalysts. The analysis suggested the need for reflection on the consequences of unregulated tourism growth, aiming to balance economic benefits with environmental and socio-cultural challenges in sensitive regions. Although tourism significantly contributed to economic development and employment opportunities, it also posed risks when not managed prudently. This underscored the need to strike a harmonious equilibrium between economic prosperity as well as preserving the unique natural beauty and cultural heritage of the region. The insights provided in this analysis had broader implications for responsible planning and management of tourism development in sensitive ecological and cultural regions. In conclusion, a thoughtful and sustainable approach was needed to safeguard the delicate balance between economic prosperity and environmental preservation.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Tourism Investment and Land Use Change in the Northern Piedmont of the Western High Atlas (1989-2022)

Ait Zamzami,

Elaanzouli,

Zahrani

et al. 2024

For. Geo.

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“…Moreover, the PCA method is performed for identifying and expressing similarities and differences, and aggregating samples according to their hydrochemical properties. Indeed, PCA uses factor analysis to identify the causes of changes in water quality by evaluating the variation in the various tested parameters [11,12]. The KMO and Bartlett's tests were used to gauge the data's suitability for factor analysis, evaluating the sample's suitability for each individual variable in the model.…”

Section: Principal Component Analysis (Pca)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, CA, which has been utilized in several previous studies to assess groundwater chemistry, can provide reliable data for interpreting hydrochemical results. Moreover, PCA was utilized to identify mineralization processes, monitor geochemical composition, and evaluate groundwater quality [11,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying Multivariate Analysis and Machine Learning Approaches to Evaluating Groundwater Quality on the Kairouan Plain, Tunisia

Salem,

Gaagai,

Ben Slimene

et al. 2023

Water

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In the Zeroud basin, a diverse array of methodologies were employed to assess, simulate, and predict the quality of groundwater intended for irrigation. These methodologies included the irrigation water quality indices (IWQIs); intricate statistical analysis involving multiple variables, supported with GIS techniques; an artificial neural network (ANN) model; and an XGBoost regression model. Extensive physicochemical examinations were performed on groundwater samples to elucidate their compositional attributes. The results showed that the abundance order of ions was Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ and SO42− > HCO3− > Cl−. The groundwater facies reflected Ca-Mg-SO4, Na-Cl, and mixed Ca-Mg-Cl/SO4 water types. A cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA), along with ionic ratios, detected three different water characteristics. The mechanisms controlling water chemistry revealed water–rock interaction, dolomite dissolution, evaporation, and ion exchange. The assessment of groundwater quality for agriculture with respect IWQIs, such as the irrigation water quality index (IWQI), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (Na%), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), potential salinity (PS), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC), revealed that the domination of the water samples was valuable for agriculture. However, the IWQI and PS fell between high-to-severe restrictions and injurious-to-unsatisfactory. The ANN and XGBoost regression models showed robust results for predicting IWQIs. For example, ANN-HyC-9 emerged as the most precise forecasting framework according to its outcomes, as it showcased the most robust link between prime attributes and IWQI. The nine attributes of this model hold immense significance in IWQI prediction. The R2 values for its training and testing data stood at 0.999 (RMSE = 0.375) and 0.823 (RMSE = 3.168), respectively. These findings indicate that XGB-HyC-3 emerged as the most accurate forecasting model, displaying a stronger connection between IWQI and its exceptional characteristics. When predicting IWQI, approximately three of the model’s attributes played a pivotal role. Notably, the model yielded R2 values of 0.999 (RMSE = 0.001) and 0.913 (RMSE = 2.217) for the training and testing datasets, respectively. Overall, these results offer significant details for decision-makers in managing water quality and can support the long-term use of water resources.

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“…Considering the importance of groundwater resources in southern Morocco, scientists have recently conducted a considerable amount of research to study the hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical features of the adjacent regions. These include papers on the Ziz basin by (Lgourna et al, 2015;Roubil et al, 2022), Guir basin by (Abdelfadel et al, 2020) the Middle Ziz aquifer by (Mehdaoui et al, 2019), and the Tafilalet plain by (Bouaamlat et al, 2016;El Ouali et al, 2023). Therefore, the quality of groundwater in the Tinejdad-Touroug region was investigated in this study in order to assess its suitability for domestic and irrigation purposes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrochemical evolution and groundwater quality assessment of the Tinejdad-Touroug quaternary aquifer, South-East Morocco

Ait Said,

Mili,

El Faleh

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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The Palm Grove ecosystems situated in the southeastern region of Morocco are highly vulnerable to compromise, encountering significant challenges due to insufficient precipitation and limited availability of groundwater. The objective of this study is to evaluate the groundwater quality of the Tinejdad-Touroug aquifer for domestic and irrigation purposes. Groundwater flows from southwest to northeast mostly in Quaternary conglomerate-lacustrine facies in the Rheris basin. The results show that the domination of the major ions is in the following order: Cl−>HCO3−>SO42−>Na+>Ca2+>Mg2+>NO3−>K+>NO2−>NH4+. Piper diagram showed the predominance of a single mixed chemical facies Cl-SO4-Ca-Mg, as well as the presence of exceptions of some samples that showed other facies variations. The water quality index (WQI) assessments of the campaigns that were examined demonstrate that the recorded percentages of poor quality water ranged from 40% to 90% while the percentages of good quality water varied from 7.7% to 54.5%. The remaining samples reveal different classes with varying percentages. Most of the sites in all campaigns had drinking water parameters that exceeded the values established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Moroccan standards. Nevertheless, the parameters of Temperature, pH, TH, DO, Ca2+, SO42−, K+, NH4+, and bacteriological parameters were within the required limits. The results of the assessment based on electrical conductivity suggest a significant increase in salinity levels, with an average of 2744.75 µS/cm in 2000, 3248.58 µS/cm in 2007, and 2957.84 µS/cm in 2021. The findings of the study reveal a positive assessment regarding the quality of the water samples examined during the eight sampling campaigns, as indicated by the PI and KR indices. However, additional investigation of the SAR, Na%, and MH indices revealed that three water samples acquired from separate surveys are not appropriate for irrigation purposes, showing that groundwater must be controlled until it can be properly used. The outcomes accentuate the necessity of consistent monitoring and evaluation of water quality parameters to establish the safe and sustainable exploitation of water resources for domestic and agricultural purposes. Elevated salinity levels in Quaternary aquifers resulting from natural mechanisms such as increased rates of evaporation and geological factors may have contributed to the degradation of groundwater quality.

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Groundwater Hydrochemical and Isotopic Evolution from High Atlas Jurassic Limestones to Errachidia Cretaceous Basin (Southeastern Morocco)

Cited by 12 publications

References 37 publications

Tourism Investment and Land Use Change in the Northern Piedmont of the Western High Atlas (1989-2022)

Tourism Investment and Land Use Change in the Northern Piedmont of the Western High Atlas (1989-2022)

Applying Multivariate Analysis and Machine Learning Approaches to Evaluating Groundwater Quality on the Kairouan Plain, Tunisia

Hydrochemical evolution and groundwater quality assessment of the Tinejdad-Touroug quaternary aquifer, South-East Morocco

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