Proposition d’un schéma chronostratigraphique des héritages quaternaires continentaux de la Jeffara septentrionale et de la partie nord-orientale du plateau de Dahar-Matmata (sud-est tunisien)

Fraj, Tarek Ben

doi:10.4000/quaternaire.6242

Cited by 11 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…The village of Zammour is located at an altitude of 540 m a.s.l. and lies on the cuesta back slope, which forms a depression covered by a layer of Quaternary fine sand and silt (or loess) several meters thick [31][32][33][34]. These fine sandy and silty deposits are the agricultural "wealth" of the region, which would otherwise lack soils deep enough for annual crops [5,8].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits of Water-Harvesting Systems (Jessour) on Soil Water Retention in Southeast Tunisia

Calianno

Fallot

Fraj

et al. 2020

Water

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In this paper, we quantify the water balance of Jessour at the scale of agricultural plots. Jessour (plural of Jesr) are ancestral hydro-agricultural systems in the Dahar plateau (southeastern Tunisia). They consist of small dams built across wadis and gullies, which retain rainwater and sediments, hence enabling cropping. Despite arid climate conditions, Jessour allow the culture of the olive tree beyond its ecological limits. Weather monitoring stations were set up and soil moisture sensors installed down to a depth of 1.25 m in the soil in two neighboring gullies in the village of Zammour: one with a Jesr and one without. Laser granulometry and organic matter analyses were carried out on samples collected near the soil moisture sensors. Measurements were recorded from 28 September 2017 to 21 September 2018. From 10 to 12 November 2017, the region received 123.3 mm rainfall. The Jesr retained the equivalent of 410.3 mm of soil moisture to a depth of 1.25 m whereas the value in the gully was 224.6 mm. Throughout the summer of 2018, the soil available water capacity (AWC) remained above 55 mm in the Jesr, while it dropped to zero in the gully. Jessour are thus very suitable hydro-agricultural systems to face the climate changes concerning this fragile region, located in the transition zone between the semi-arid to arid Mediterranean region and the Sahara.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits of Water-Harvesting Systems (Jessour) on Soil Water Retention in Southeast Tunisia

Calianno

Fallot

Fraj

et al. 2020

Water

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“…The Saharan platform (southern Tunisia) so called: ‘Grand Erg oriental’ is a major source of sand to the Jeffera coastal plain (Coudé‐Gaussen, 1991; Swezey et al ., 1999; Giraudi, 2005; Ben Fraj, 2012; Giraudi et al ., 2012) owing to a strong Saharan wind, which is basically recurrent in spring and summer. In southern Tunisia, Ballais et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle to late Holocene sedimentary filling history of the Sebkha el Melah in south‐eastern Tunisia

et al. 2022

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The sedimentological and geochemical properties of a 146 cm long sediment core collected from Sebkha el Melah (Ml core) in south‐eastern Tunisia have been used to infer the genesis and evolution of the Sebkha el Melah over the last 5000 years. Two main sedimentary units have been defined: a huntite [Mg3Ca(CO3)4] unit at the bottom of core Ml is covered by a second unit made up of siliciclastic and evaporitic materials. The huntite level is synchronous with Holocene marine transgression, which was followed by a regression of about 5300 years bp. Geochemical data (major and trace element), magnetic analyses, grain‐size distribution and microtexture of quartz grains were performed to assess the sediment provenance. The upper unit of Ml core is characterized by alternations between fluvial, aeolian and evaporite deposits. Redox proxies displaying marked Fe/Ca and Rb/S peaks, in addition to high magnetic susceptibility (MS) values, polymodal grain‐size frequency curves, as well as sub‐angular grains with V‐shaped percussion cracks, are suggestive of palaeohydrological events. In contrast, a decreasing trend in the low MS values, bi‐modal grain‐size frequency curves as well as well‐rounded quartz grains with crescent percussion marks would indicate enhanced aeolian sand input in the sebkah el Melah sequence. Moreover, geochemical proxies suggest formation of evaporite facies under a strongly warm climate contemporary with marine intrusion.

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“…It culminates at 713 m a.s.l. and is composed of a system of cuestas that gently incline to the west and are partly dissected by valleys and depressions filled with several-meter thick Quaternary fine sand and silt (or loess) [26][27][28][29]. Zmerten lies at an altitude of 530 m a.s.l.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the tributaries of Wadi Zmerten, they are less than one meter thick. At the valley floors of the main Wadi, they are up to 4 m thick [28,29]. These fine deposits are the agricultural "wealth" of the Dahar that otherwise would lack soils deep enough for annual crops [2,30].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Upstream-Downstream Influence of Water Harvesting Techniques (Jessour) on Soil Water Retention in Southeast Tunisia

Calianno

Fraj

Fallot

et al. 2023

Water

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Weather parameters and soil moisture profiles were measured at an hourly time step during four agricultural years (September to October, from 2018–19 to 2021–22) in two Jessour (water harvesting cultivated terraces) of the same valley in Zmerten (southeastern Tunisia), characterized by an arid climate. One instrumented Jesr (singular of Jessour) was located upstream and the other one downstream. During each dry season, when crops experience water stress, the downstream Jesr had a higher available water content than the upstream one; in the downstream Jesr the soil profile moisture remained above the wilting point, whereas in the upstream soil surface, moisture levels decreased to below the wilting point. High accumulation/low intensity rains (causing saturation/excess runoff) flooded both upstream and downstream Jessour from 50 mm of cumulative rainfall, whereas high intensity/low accumulation rains (causing infiltration/excess runoff) activated the downstream Jesr from an intensity of 15.2 mm/h, and a combination of moderate intensity and moderate accumulation rains activated both Jessour from an intensity of 8 mm/h and a cumulative rainfall of 33 mm. We propose to set 50 mm of cumulative rainfall and/or 6.4 mm/h of intensity as threshold values for the activation of the Jessour system in Zmerten. However, significant soil moisture recharges can occur even without activation of the Jessour system.

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Proposition d’un schéma chronostratigraphique des héritages quaternaires continentaux de la Jeffara septentrionale et de la partie nord-orientale du plateau de Dahar-Matmata (sud-est tunisien)

Cited by 11 publications

References 16 publications

Benefits of Water-Harvesting Systems (Jessour) on Soil Water Retention in Southeast Tunisia

Benefits of Water-Harvesting Systems (Jessour) on Soil Water Retention in Southeast Tunisia

Middle to late Holocene sedimentary filling history of the Sebkha el Melah in south‐eastern Tunisia

Upstream-Downstream Influence of Water Harvesting Techniques (Jessour) on Soil Water Retention in Southeast Tunisia

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