Climate change effect on groundwater characteristics within semi-arid zones from western Morocco

Bahir, Mohammed; Ouhamdouch, Salah; Ouazar, Driss; Moçayd, Nabil El

doi:10.1016/j.gsd.2020.100380

Cited by 38 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…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.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the last three decades, the quality and availability of water resources in these areas have been negatively affected by climate change [9,15]. According to previous studies, the succession of drought cycles where the number of years of rainfall deficit exceeds the number of wet years [16,17] and the continuous increase in needs due to population growth and lifestyle improvements have negative consequences on the water resource potential. Climate change has a direct influence on water availability and quality in the Essaouira basin [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Rafik

Bahir

Beljadid

et al. 2021

Water

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The understanding of hydro systems is of great importance in monitoring quantitative and qualitative changes in water resources. The Essaouira region at the edge of the Moroccan Atlantic Ocean is subject to a semi-arid climate. The decrease in rainfall as a result of climate change and the increase in the exploitation of surface and groundwater have disrupted the stability of these resources and threaten the socio-economic and environmental balance in the area under investigation. Climate scenarios estimate that precipitation will decrease by 10–20% while warming increases by 3 °C over the next 30 years. The physico-chemical parameters studied show that the evolution of the pH and temperature of the groundwater remained stable with a neutral (pH ≈ 7) and a hypothermal character (T < 30 °C). For the electrical conductivity, it showed an increasing trend from 2017 to 2020. A hydrochemical approach showed that the groundwater mineralization was controlled by the dissolution of evaporites and carbonates, by cation exchange processes, and by seawater contamination. A groundwater assessment for drinking use was made by comparing the concentrations of the chemical elements with the standards set by the World Health Organization. The results obtained show that the groundwater from the aquifers studied requires treatment before being consumed, in particular for Cl− and SO42−. Furthermore, the groundwater quality for irrigation was evaluated based on the parameters Na% and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR). The results showed that the groundwater was adequate for agricultural purposes, especially for the plants that adapt to high salinity. The monitoring of surface water by processing the satellite images via the calculation of the normalized difference water index (NDWI) showed an increase in water surface areas in the region following the commissioning of two large dams (Zerrar and Igouzoullene). Despite the installation of these hydraulic structures, a drop of 4.85 km2 in water surface area was observed beyond 2016. This situation requires intervention in order to preserve this vital resource.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Rafik

Bahir

Beljadid

et al. 2021

Water

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“…Water resources are crucial for ecology and societies, and groundwater is particularly important in arid areas. The susceptibility of groundwater resources will be especially critical to understand due to increasing aridification with climate change (Döll 2009; Kumar 2012; Seager et al 2018; Bahir et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemistry and Provenance of Springs in a Baja California Sur Mountain Catchment

et al. 2022

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Fractured rock aquifers cover much of Earth's surface and are important mountain sites for groundwater recharge but are poorly understood. To investigate groundwater systematics of a fractured-dominated aquifer in Baja California Sur, Mexico, we examined the spatial patterns of aquifer recharge and connectivity using the geochemistry of springs. We evaluate a range of geochemical data within the context of two endmember hypotheses describing spatial recharge patterns and fracture connectivity. Hypothesis 1 is that the aquifer system is segmented, and springs are fed by local recharge. Hypothesis 2 is that the aquifer system is well connected, with dominant recharge occurring in the higher elevations. The study site is a small <15 km 2 catchment. Thirty-four distinct springs and two wells were identified in the study area, and 24 of these sites were sampled for geochemical analyses along an elevation gradient and canyon transect. These analyses included major ion composition, trace element and strontium isotopes, δ 18 O and δ 2 H isotopes, radiocarbon, and tritium. δ 18 O and δ 2 H isotopes suggest that the precipitation feeding the groundwater system has at least two distinct sources. Carbon isotopes showed a change along the canyon transect, suggesting that shorter flowpaths feed springs in the top of the transect, and longer flowpaths discharge near the bottom. Geochemical interpretations support a combination of the two proposed hypotheses. Understanding of the connectivity and provenance of these springs is significant as they are the primary source of water for the communities that inhabit this region and may be impacted by changes in recharge and use.

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“…Stable isotopes integrated with major ions in groundwater have been employed in regional groundwater studies at different locations across the world. The works of [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] have demonstrated effectiveness of this approach in understanding recharge pattern, origin and residence time of groundwater from specific sites to basin-scale hydrogeological investigations. Most of these studies have contributed vital information and knowledge that are useful in global groundwater resource management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical and isotopic evidence of groundwater salinization processes in the Essaouira region, north-west coast, Morocco

et al. 2021

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The city of Essaouira is located along the north-west coast of Morocco, where groundwater is the main source of drinking, domestic and agricultural water. In recent decades, the salinity of groundwater has increased, which is why geochemical techniques and environmental isotopes have been used to determine the main sources of groundwater recharge and salinization. The hydrochemical study shows that for the years 1995, 2007, 2016 and 2019, the chemical composition of groundwater in the study area consists of HCO3–Ca–Mg, Cl–Ca–Mg, SO4–Ca and Cl–Na chemical facies. The results show that from 1995 to 2019, electrical conductivity increased and that could be explained by a decrease in annual rainfall in relation to climate change and water–rock interaction processes. Geochemical and environmental isotope data show that the main geochemical mechanisms controlling the hydrochemical evolution of groundwater in the Cenomanian–Turonian aquifer are the water–rock interaction and the cation exchange process. The diagram of δ2H = 8 * δ18O + 10 shows that the isotopic contents are close or above to the Global Meteoric Water Line, which suggests that the aquifer is recharged by precipitation of Atlantic origin. In conclusion, groundwater withdrawal should be well controlled to prevent groundwater salinization and further intrusion of seawater due to the lack of annual groundwater recharge in the Essaouira region.

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Climate change effect on groundwater characteristics within semi-arid zones from western Morocco

Cited by 38 publications

References 22 publications

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

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

Geochemistry and Provenance of Springs in a Baja California Sur Mountain Catchment

Geochemical and isotopic evidence of groundwater salinization processes in the Essaouira region, north-west coast, Morocco

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