Saharan lithium: Brine chemistry of chotts from eastern Algeria

Zatout, Merzouk; Steinmetz, Romina Lucrecia López; Hacini, Messaoud; Fong, Shao Bing; M’nif, Adel; Hamzaoui, Ahmed Hichem; Steinmetz, Lorena Cecilia López

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2020.104566

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Most of the existing studies investigating chotts in Algeria are limited to geochemical analyses [31,32] or geological evaluations of saline brine environments in terms of their potential for lithium resource exploration [33,34]. This is because salt pan brines in desert regions of the Sahara are known to be rich sources of lithium [35], which has garnered attention in the field of geochemical research. Nevertheless, processing remote sensing data for investigating environmental changes in water levels of saline lakes through GIS presents more advanced and complex approaches, due to the task of image interpretation.…”

Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A GRASS GIS Scripting Framework for Monitoring Changes in the Ephemeral Salt Lakes of Chotts Melrhir and Merouane, Algeria

Lemenkova

2023

ASI

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Automated classification of satellite images is a challenging task that enables the use of remote sensing data for environmental modeling of Earth’s landscapes. In this document, we implement a GRASS GIS-based framework for discriminating land cover types to identify changes in the endorheic basins of the ephemeral salt lakes Chott Melrhir and Chott Merouane, Algeria; we employ embedded algorithms for image processing. This study presents a dataset of the nine Landsat 8–9 OLI/TIRS satellite images obtained from the USGS for a 9-year period, from 2014 to 2022. The images were analyzed to detect changes in water levels in ephemeral lakes that experience temporal fluctuations; these lakes are dry most of the time and are fed with water during rainy periods. The unsupervised classification of images was performed using GRASS GIS algorithms through several modules: `i.cluster’ was used to generate image classes; `i.maxlik’ was used for classification using the maximal likelihood discriminant analysis, and auxiliary modules, such as `i.group’, `r.support’, `r.import’, etc., were used. This document includes technical descriptions of the scripts used for image processing with detailed comments on the functionalities of the GRASS GIS modules. The results include the identified variations in the ephemeral salt lakes within the Algerian part of the Sahara over a 9-year period (2014–2022), using a time series of Landsat OLI/TIRS multispectral images that were classified using GRASS GIS. The main strengths of the GRASS GIS framework are the high speed, accuracy, and effectiveness of the programming codes for image processing in environmental monitoring. The presented GitHub repository, which contains scripts used for the satellite image analysis, serves as a reference for the interpretation of remote sensing data for the environmental monitoring of arid and semi-arid areas of Africa.

show abstract

Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A GRASS GIS Scripting Framework for Monitoring Changes in the Ephemeral Salt Lakes of Chotts Melrhir and Merouane, Algeria

Lemenkova

2023

ASI

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For this reason, greater interest has been focused on the possibilities of geo-engineering to (re)green the Sahara [Pausata et al, 2020]. In the meantime, the exploitation of new mineral resources could be considered, such as the extraction of uranium present in the groundwater of the Chotts region [Dhaoui et al, 2016] and lithium precipitating in the brines of the evaporites of eastern Algeria [Zatout et al, 2020].…”

Section: L'invasion De La Mer: a Permanent Sea Or Ephemeral Lakes In ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Literature & Geosciences: Jules Verne’s geological novels, from the 19th to the 21st century

Bollinger¹

2022

Comptes Rendus. Géoscience

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A friend of both François Arago, who founded the Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, and his brother Jacques, a renowned traveler, Jules Verne wrote many novels in which his heroes made use of the most recent scientific knowledge of the time. While the novelist only really had a legal background, he did keep himself apprised of all the latest scientific developments. This study, based on a selection of novels wherein geology is very present as well as on contemporary or current scientific publications, shows that today's understanding of the geosciences does indeed agree with Jules Verne's extrapolations. Among the subjects developed are: coal extraction and the hazards of firedamp, so-called "mud volcanoes" and the special case of gold trickling from volcanoes, diamond geo-genesis, the creation of an inland sea in the Sahara, and a foretelling of the Anthropocene Epoch.Résumé. Ami de François Arago, le fondateur des Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, et de son frère Jacques, un grand voyageur, Jules Verne (1828-1905) a écrit de nombreux romans dans lesquels ses héros utilisent les connaissances scientifiques les plus récentes de l'époque. En effet le romancier, s'il n'avait qu'une formation juridique, se tenait informé des développements de la science. Dans cette étude, basée d'une part sur un choix de romans où la géologie est très présente, et d'autre part sur des publications scientifiques contemporaines ou actuelles, on montre que les géosciences d'aujourd'hui sont en accord avec les extrapolations de Jules Verne. Parmi les sujets développés, citons : l'extraction du charbon et les risques de grisou, les volcans dits « de boue » et le cas particulier de l'or qui s'écoule de certains volcans, la géo-genèse des diamants, la création d'une mer intérieure dans le Sahara, et une prédiction de l'époque Anthropocène.

show abstract

“…On the contrary, CP53 and CP57 HFs indicate a direct ion-exchange (Na increase and calcium and magnesium depletion) leading to Na enrichment. This means that the leaching of evaporite minerals such as halite, gypsum, carbonates, natron, and trona, typically observed in Algerian chotts (Zatout et al, 2020) is coupled with significant cation exchange processes in which Na is exchanged with Ca and vicariant elements. Fig.…”

Section: Geochemical Characterization Of the Studied Watersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many inland basins in North Africa are characterized by the presence of chotts and sebkhas that form as salt pans, playa systems, and saline ephemeral lakes on low-laying and internally drained areas because of the local topography and the prevailing desert conditions. Information on saline waters contained in the chotts located in eastern Algeria comes from studies by Merzouk et al (2020) on Sahara lithium resources. The authors described that the surface of chotts is composed of halite and gypsum crusts, clastic muds, and very fine aeolian powder.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrogeological and geochemical characterization of groundwater in the F'Kirina plain (eastern Algeria)

Rahal

Gouaidia

Fidelibus

et al. 2021

Applied Geochemistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Saharan lithium: Brine chemistry of chotts from eastern Algeria

Cited by 10 publications

References 23 publications

A GRASS GIS Scripting Framework for Monitoring Changes in the Ephemeral Salt Lakes of Chotts Melrhir and Merouane, Algeria

A GRASS GIS Scripting Framework for Monitoring Changes in the Ephemeral Salt Lakes of Chotts Melrhir and Merouane, Algeria

Literature & Geosciences: Jules Verne’s geological novels, from the 19th to the 21st century

Hydrogeological and geochemical characterization of groundwater in the F'Kirina plain (eastern Algeria)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About