New structural model to understanding the subsurface hydrogeology system of the Ouled Asker groundwater, Central Tunisian Atlassic foreland, derived from an integrated geophysical approach

Khazri, Dhekra; Gabtni, Hakim

doi:10.1007/s12517-022-09966-8

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Indeed, after removing the regional anomaly, the gravity data underwent a series of processing techniques such as tilt derivative (TDR), improved logistic filter (ILF), and Euler deconvolution (ED). These powerful methods were employed to accurately map subsurface geological structures and characterize them in terms of depth rooting and connection with basement structures [5,[7][8][9][37][38][39][40].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Deep Structure of the Essaouira Basin Using Gravity Data: Hydrogeological Inferences for a Semiarid Region in Central-Western Morocco

Khouz,

Jaffal,

Trindade

et al. 2023

Geosciences

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The Essaouira Basin, located in central western Morocco, faces a significant threat of water shortage due to both the substantially reduced rainfall caused by climate change and the continuously increasing demand for this essential resource. Groundwater resources are being increasingly exploited to meet the needs of the population, whether for agricultural or domestic purposes. Therefore, it has become necessary to intensify investigations across the entire basin, particularly through indirect methods such as geophysical techniques, to accurately delineate the productive zones. In this context, the present study was undertaken to investigate the deep structure of this basin with the aim of comprehending the functioning of its aquifer system. This study is based on the interpretation of gravity data covering the Essaouira Basin. In addition to their qualitative analysis, these data underwent a methodological approach involving transformations to extract meaningful insights. The observed anomalies were interpreted in terms of (i) thickness variations within the slightly folded sedimentary series of the basin; (ii) Paleozoic basement topography; and (iii) the presence of salt deposits. In fact, among the negative anomalies, some coincide with evaporitic deposits that are known either from the geological outcrops or the seismic surveys carried out in the Essaouira Basin within the framework of petroleum exploration programs, while others coincide with areas of increased thickness of sedimentary sequences. The latter include synclines and basement depressions, where the accumulation of groundwater tends to occur; as a result, they constitute suitable zones for the drilling of water extraction wells. Groundwater flows observed in some existing wells are consistent with this hypothesis. The results of the contact analysis approach implemented within the framework of the study reveals the Essaouira Basin is affected by a fault network whose main direction is parallel to the Atlantic margin (i.e., NNE–SSW). This implies that the extensional tectonic phase responsible for initiating the rifting of the Central Atlantic in the Triassic era has primarily impacted the structural configuration of this basin. This study demonstrates the strong potential of the gravity method as a tool to delineate the deep structure of sedimentary basins and to identify potentially productive groundwater zones. The final results will provide important support to decision makers in sustainable groundwater management, especially in vulnerable areas.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Deep Structure of the Essaouira Basin Using Gravity Data: Hydrogeological Inferences for a Semiarid Region in Central-Western Morocco

Khouz,

Jaffal,

Trindade

et al. 2023

Geosciences

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“…The other essential parameter is the size of the moving window, which depends on the wavelength of the anomalies under investigation [34,71]. Using a small window may not allow for proper interpretation of long wavelength anomalies, whereas selecting a large window can introduce the effects of multiple sources, leading to a cloud of ill-defined solutions that obscure the best solutions [15,26,70,72]. For example, given a source S located at point M with coordinates (X 0 , Y 0 , Z 0 ), the gravimetric field intensity F at the observation point can be computed using Equation (3) [15,26,29,30,33].…”

Section: Euler Deconvolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Ifni inlier, which provides a window into the Precambrian basement of the Anti-Atlas, is composed of crystalline rocks hosting fissured aquifers, where groundwater is contained in tectonic discontinuities such as faults, fractures, and alluvial depressions. To map the tectonic faults and their influence on groundwater dynamics in the Ifni inlier, indirect geophysical methods are needed due to the presence of a thin Quaternary cover obstructing geological observations and surface data [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. This study aims to use gravity data analysis to create a detailed map of the fault systems affecting the study area for hydrogeological reconnaissance purposes [11][12][13][14][15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To map the tectonic faults and their influence on groundwater dynamics in the Ifni inlier, indirect geophysical methods are needed due to the presence of a thin Quaternary cover obstructing geological observations and surface data [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. This study aims to use gravity data analysis to create a detailed map of the fault systems affecting the study area for hydrogeological reconnaissance purposes [11][12][13][14][15]. The residual gravity data, derived from subtracting the regional anomaly component from the Bouguer anomaly map, is analyzed using different transformation techniques to analyze the gradient of the gravity field [13,[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contribution of Gravity Data for Structural Characterization of the Ifni Inlier, Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco: Hydrogeological Implications

et al. 2023

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The Sidi Ifni region in southwest Morocco is mainly composed of crystalline rocks with limited groundwater storage capacity. These water resources drain in particular fault zones with high fracture permeability. The main objective of this study is to describe the geological structure of the region to optimize future drilling locations. The gravity data were processed using various techniques, such as total horizontal gradient, tilt derivative, and Euler deconvolution, in conjunction with the interpretation of the geological data, to create a new structural map. This map confirms the presence of many previously identified or inferred faults and identifies significant new faults with their respective trends and depths. Analysis of this map shows that major faults are oriented NNE-SSW and NE-SW, while minor faults are oriented E-W, NW-SE, and NNW-SSE. The superposition of the hydrogeological data and the structural map reveals that the high groundwater flow values in the boreholes are located in the vicinity of the major faults and talwegs. The structures deduced from the filtering and interpretation of the gravity data suggest that the hydrogeological system of the Ifni Inlier is controlled by its structures. To confirm this impact, a high-resolution electrical resistivity map (7200 Hz) was used, with penetration depths ranging from 84 to 187 m. Negative boreholes, located in high resistivity ranges corresponding to sound basement formations without fault crossings, showed high resistivity values. The positive holes, located in anomalies with low linear resistivity, revealed the impact of fault crossings, which drain water and tend to decrease the resistivity values of the formations. Therefore, these new structural maps will assist in planning future hydrogeological studies in this area.

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Hydrogeological, geophysical, geochemical and statistical integrated techniques to assess a multilayered groundwater aquifer system in an arid region: the case of the Sbeitla aquifers in Central Tunisia

Gouasmia¹,

Dhahri²,

Azaïez³

et al. 2023

Environ Earth Sci

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New structural model to understanding the subsurface hydrogeology system of the Ouled Asker groundwater, Central Tunisian Atlassic foreland, derived from an integrated geophysical approach

Cited by 6 publications

References 72 publications

Understanding the Deep Structure of the Essaouira Basin Using Gravity Data: Hydrogeological Inferences for a Semiarid Region in Central-Western Morocco

Understanding the Deep Structure of the Essaouira Basin Using Gravity Data: Hydrogeological Inferences for a Semiarid Region in Central-Western Morocco

Contribution of Gravity Data for Structural Characterization of the Ifni Inlier, Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco: Hydrogeological Implications

Hydrogeological, geophysical, geochemical and statistical integrated techniques to assess a multilayered groundwater aquifer system in an arid region: the case of the Sbeitla aquifers in Central Tunisia

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