Physicochemical characterization of the unconfined water-table aquifer of the Fez-Meknes basin

Abstract

This paper aims to determine the hydrogeochemical characteristics of the Fez-Meknes free water table thought the monitoring of the physicochemical analyses of nine samples during the year of 2013, 2016, and 2019. This water table, which circulates in the plio-quaternary formations, is generally supplied by rainfall infiltration, irrigation water returns and also the lateral inflow of the unconfined liasic water table of the Middle Atlas Tabular. Analyses were performed for electrical conductivity (EC), potential hydrogen (pH), temperature and major elements: Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, HCO3⁻, K+. The results of the projection of the samples on the Piper diagram for the three companies showed a hydrochemical carbonate, calcic and magnesian facies for the majority of the samples with the exception of samples 1161/15 and 352/21 for the year 2013. Then, to understand the origin of the mineralization, as well as the processes related to the dissolution of the carbonate country rock, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed.