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Gravimetry Contribution to the Study of the Bahira Aquifer (Morocco) -

Hydrogeological Implication

Conference Paper · September 2016

DOI: 10.3997/2214-4609.201602072

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Mohammed Elgettafi Morad Karroum

Université Mohammed Premier Sultan Moulay Slimane University | Faculty of Sciences and Techniques
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M. Himi Albert Casas

University of Barcelona University of Barcelona
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Introduction

Groundwater in Morocco has been studied intensively during the past years, stimulated by both
scientific interest and Moroccan policy relevance. Which the principal aim is to face major challenges
in the management of scarce freshwater resources under pressures of population, climate change, and
pollution. Water in Morocco like all regions in the world has significant socioeconomic importance,
both as a factor of production in agriculture and as a source of drinking water. Bahira plain illustrates
an example of groundwater in central Morocco. This region lies near the Marrakech city (tourist region),
and on the other hand it is near to OCP group (Office Chérifien des Phosphates) which acts actively in
agricultural development. The region is considered as the principal source for drinking water to the
local villages. The main water supply for the infrastructures installed recently, such as large hotels and
golf courses around the Marrakech and piedmont of the High Atlas Montaigne, with the intention of
developing the tourism sector. Apart from this, the large-scale irrigation in the upstream of Tensift also
depends on the groundwater resources. The purpose of the present study is to identify the structure,
geometry of the Bahira aquifer system and their hydrogeological implications. To achieve these goals,
this study uses gravity data correlated with piezometric and structural data from field and boreholes.
Such information is required to guide the implementation of new boreholes for agricultural use and
drinking water supply, and provide a good management of groundwater in Bahira plain.

Geological setting

The Bahira plain is located in the center of Morocco and extends between latitudes 31°55’and
32°20’N, and longitudes 7°15’ and 8°50’W. It covers a total area of approximately 5,000 km².
It is limited by the metamorphic massive of Jbilet in the south and the plateau of Rehamna and
Gantour in the north (Fig. 1). While the western border coincides with the high plateau of
Mouissate. To the east the Tessaout River is the important river in the Bahira plain, which is
mostly characterized by a seasonal flow regime. From a geological point of view, the geology
of Bahira plain is characterized by the crystalline Variscan basement locally called western
Meseta domain (Michard 1976). This crystalline basement consists of micaceous schist and
flysch. It also surfaces inside the plain giving a form of horst (seuil de Rhirat). The Triassic
sedimentary rocks essentially comprise clays and evaporate. This formation restricted the plain
in the western extremity, and forming the bedrock of Zima Lake. In this region, evaporates
sediments buried in the graben are covered by Quaternary sediments. Upper Jurassic is formed
by a series of dolomitic limestone, calcareous sandstone, marls and gypsum, forming the hills
of Mouissate in the NW part of the plain. Therefore, two partial sections of evaporates can be
observed, the first one in the west Triassic age, and the second in the northwestern part Jurassic
age. The filling of the synclinal of Bahira is represented by the middle and higher Cretaceous
formed essentially by calcareous marl of Gantour plateau. The Eocene formation formed by a
large series of phosphatic calcareous marl and Lutetian limestone. The Pliocene-Quaternary
sedimentary rocks comprise conglomerates, gravels, clays and lacustrine limestone. Bahira
plain is structurally characterized by a subsidence area in the East limited by faults oriented
N50 to N60 and N90 to N90 to N110, although in the west a fault systems oriented N120 to
N140 uplifted the Paleozoic block.

Near Surface Geoscience

4-8 September 2016, Barcelona, Spain
Figure 2 Geological map of the Bahira plain (From the geological map of Morocco 1/50000).

Method

The gravity data used in the present study come from a former regional survey carried out in 1963 by
the Fondazione Ing. C. M. LERICI, for the Moroccan Ministry of Mines and Energy. The data is
available as a Bouguer anomaly map and was collected using a La Coste-Romberg gravity-meter model
G. Planimetric and altimetric measurements of the gravity survey points were carried out using a Wild
T0 tacheometer model, and based on the network of geodetic points covering the study area. Gravity
data were reduced using the classical formulae of the Bouguer anomaly, in which a series of corrections
were applied to the rough measurements to eliminate the non-geological causes related to gravity
variations including topographic correction. Terrain correction was calculated for the short distances
(Hammer zones A-C) using near station topography estimation during the gravity survey. For the
middle to long distance (Hammer zones D-M) it was achieved using the 1/50,000 scale topographic
coverage (Van Den Bosch 1981).

Results and discussion

The Bouguer anomaly map shows a strong regional gradient from southeast to northwest (Fig. 2).
Values range from -76 mgal at the SE to +20 mgal at the NW. The residual anomaly map reveals the
existence of several anomalies, with varying wavelengths and amplitudes, from positive (P1 to P4) to
negative (N1 to N5). It shows clearly structures with minimum negative values (-24 mgal) at Elkalaa
des sraghna, Bengrir and Youssoufia, while the maximum values (+20 mgal) are recorded in the rest of
the plain (Fig. 3). They represent the local variations of the gravity field, compared to an average
background level, that are due to geological structures of variable size. To understand the origin of these
anomalies and how they can contribute to the knowledge of the geological structure, they can be

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4-8 September 2016, Barcelona, Spain
analyzed in light of the geological and drilling data. Comparison of gravimetric and geological data
shows that in general, positive anomalies coincide with outcrop areas of the Paleozoic basement while
negative anomalies correspond to sedimentary fillings of depressions. The results of this comparison
are summarized as below: N1 oriented EW and located in the East of Elkalaa des sraghna and it opens
to the east where it should continue to Tadla Basin. In the west of Elkalaa des sraghna the second
anomaly N2 oriented NNW-SSE, corresponds to a depression filled essentially by Pliocene-Quaternary
sediments. The third low gravity N3 NNW-SSE direction, located southeast of Bengrir, and it is
characterized by a regular form and corresponds to the granite massif of Bengrir which is buried under
a sedimentary cover. The N4 situated northwest of Bengerir oriented WSW-ENE, coincides with
hercynian granite of Rehamna. Finaly, The N5 situated in the northwest of Youssoufia
city and is oriented N-S, this anomaly should continue
further north to Doukkala Basin. It is consistent with limestone of lower Cretaceous. High gravimetric
anomaly P1 N-S direction coincides with the outcrop of the Hercynian basement in the Massif of
Rehamna. The high gravimetric anomaly P2 direction NE-SW, located at the east of the Bengrir city is
associated with the hercynian massif of Rehamna. At the south of the study area, the rise of Paleozoic
basement manifested by three high gravimetric anomalies P3, P4 and P6. These anomalies are oriented
WSW-ENE, WNW-ESE and E-W respectively. The high gravimetric anomaly P5 lying about 30 km,
it corresponds to the threshold of Douar Rhirat as a part of the Paleozoic basement. This threshold is
raised from the Hercynian orogeny which constituted an obstacle to the deposition of secondary
formations.

Figure 2 Bouguer anomaly map of the study area mGal

Figure 3 Residual anomaly map, a b and c are the localisation of geological cross and gravimetric
profile

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The piezometric map based on 68 water points (Karroum et al., 2014) shows that water levels above
the mean sea level vary between 450 m in the eastern area and 390 m in the western area (fig. 4). This
map shows parallel flow lines oriented E-W and follow north and south corridor. A convergent zone
is observed at the west part of the plain in the Sed Elmajnoun Lake, this depression coincides with N3
anomaly.

Figure 4 Superposition of Piezometric map and residual anomaly map of the Bahira plain

Conclusion

This study provides a better understanding of the hydrogeological context of the Bahira plain (central
Morocco), based on combined analysis of gravity structural and piezometric data. Two areas have been
highlighted: a subsidence area with Plioquaternary filling organized into two main families of N50 to
N60 and N90 to N110 directions. The second area as a consequence of the rise of the Paleozoic
basement affected by two main families of N120 and N140 directions and overlying by limestone
Lutetian age. The combined analysis of the piezometric and residual anomaly maps reveals that
groundwater flow to low-gradient sedimentary basins characterized by negative anomalies, while
groundwater divides coincide with the uplifts of the Paleozoic basement, evidenced by the positive
anomalies. On a hydrogeological point of view, this investigation will provide a key support for future
investigations to research groundwater in the Bahira plain.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank AECID for financial support of the research project N°
AP/040547/11.

References

Van Den Bosch J.W.D. 1981. Mémoire explicatif de la carte gravimétrique du Maroc (provinces du
Nord) au 1/500 000. Notes et Mém. Serv. géol. Maroc, 234 bis, 219 p.
Michard A. 1976. Elément de géologie marocaine. Notes et Mémoires du Service Géologique du
Maroc.
Karroum, M.; Elmandour, A.; Kattach, D.; Casas, A.; Himi, M.; Rochdan, S.; Laftouhi, N.; Khalil, N.
2014. Fonctionnement hydrogéologique du bassin de la Bahira (Maroc central) : apport de l’analyse
des données géologiques et gravimétriques. Rev. can. sci. Terre 51: 1–10

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4-8 September 2016, Barcelona, Spain