Groundwater Hydrochemical and Isotopic Evolution from High Atlas Jurassic Limestones to Errachidia Cretaceous Basin (Southeastern Morocco)
Allal Roubil,
Anas El Ouali,
Ali Bülbül,
Abderrahim Lahrach,
Jacques Mudry,
Younes Mamouch,
Ali Essahlaoui,
Abdellah El Hmaidi,
Abdelhadi El Ouali
Affiliations
Allal Roubil
Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Research Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, Morocco
Anas El Ouali
Functional Ecology and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, BP Imouzer Road, Fez 30000, Morocco
Ali Bülbül
Department of Geological Engineering, Pamukkale University, Denizli 20010, Turkey
Abderrahim Lahrach
Functional Ecology and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, BP Imouzer Road, Fez 30000, Morocco
Jacques Mudry
UMR 6249 Chrono-Environment, University of Burgundy-Franche-Comté, 16 Route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
Younes Mamouch
Laboratory Physico-Chemistry of Processes and Materials, Research Team Geology of the Mining and Energetics Resources, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Hassan First University of Settat, Settat 26002, Morocco
Ali Essahlaoui
Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Research Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, Morocco
Abdellah El Hmaidi
Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Research Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, Morocco
Abdelhadi El Ouali
Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Research Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, Morocco
The objective of this research was to determine the recharge of the Cretaceous aquifers by the High Atlas, as well as the interaction and possible mixing phenomena between the waters of the different aquifers, by investigating the hydrochemical and isotopic evolution of groundwater flow paths from the limestone karst systems of the High Atlas to the Cretaceous basin of Errachidia. Geological techniques were used to investigate and confirm the chemical and isotopic characteristics of the waters. Although the Gibbs diagram shows that water–rock interaction is the dominant hydrochemical process, some water samples in the Cretaceous basin are influenced by both evaporation and water–rock interaction, indicating a mixture of rainfall and deep waters. A saturation index study indicated that limestone minerals were supersaturated in parts of the groundwater samples (calcite and dolomite). This result was confirmed by isotope data. Indeed, some Cretaceous basin samples show isotopic similarities to those from the Jurassic High Atlas. The geological cross-sections illustrate that the High Atlas Jurassic limestones are in direct contact with the Cretaceous basin’s permeable rocks, allowing groundwater to circulate from the High Atlas to Errachidia’s Cretaceous basin.
