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Precipitation isotopes to elucidate moisture sources in the Western Mediterranean: case of the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco

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Abstract

Morocco, being part of the Mediterranean basin, is characterized by a semi-arid climate heavily affected by climate change, spatial heterogeneity of the water resources along with its high demand. As the region heavily relies on precipitation to supply surface and groundwater, the restraints are a capital threat to its availability. Therefore, conducting studies on the spatio-temporal variations of precipitation ought to be a necessity. Herein, we present the results of our study conducted in the High Oum-Er Rbiaa catchment in the Moroccan Middle Atlas Mountains. Spatial and temporal monitoring of precipitation isotopic composition during a full hydrological year indicated a wide variation of isotopic values ranging from – 3.7‰ to – 13.1‰ and from – 17.1‰ to – 78.2‰ for δ18O and δ2H, between winter and summer respectively. Deuterium excess was marked by a strong seasonality, ranging from -9.2‰ to 27.8‰, with a mean value of 14.8‰. The preliminary local meteoric water line (LMWL: \(\updelta\) 2H = 6.58 × \(\updelta\) 18O + 8.3 (R2 = 0.92)) reflects the significant evaporation effect, whereas the high d-excess values might also suggest Mediterranean-sourced moisture. Global reanalysis data of the vertical integral of moisture flux combined with air masses trajectories simulations, confirm substantial Mediterranean-sourced moisture during the rainiest events in 2020–2021, as shown by the depleted isotope values (– 9.5 < δ18O (‰) < – 13.1; – 55 < δ2H (‰) < – 78.2) and high d-excess (18 < d-excess (‰) < 27). Contrariwise, summer precipitation displays weak and heterogenous moisture sources indicative of continental influence, as reflected by the enriched isotope values and high d-excess (0 < d-excess (‰) < 5) likely due to sub-cloud evaporation process. The findings allowed to emphasize the influence of large-scale water vapor transport of oceanic moisture contributing to winter precipitation within the region, whereas summer precipitation is affected by cloud microphysical processes generating local rainfall.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the editor and the 3 anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments which improved the discussion and the scientific value of the manuscript. We gratefully thank SICMED project for funding this work, the LAGAGE Laboratory at Ibn Zohr University for isotopic analyses, as well as Pr. Rachid Hakkou and the LCME laboratory.

Funding

SICMED project, MORSNOW.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Remote Sensing Applications (CRSA), Mohamed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Benguérir, Morocco

    Nadia Rhoujjati & Abdelghani Chehbouni

  2. International Water Research Institute (IWRI), Mohamed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Benguérir, Morocco

    Yassine Ait Brahim, Abdelghani Chehbouni & Lhoussaine Bouchaou

  3. Laboratory of Georesources, Geoenvironment and Civil Engineering - Earth Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Cadi Ayyad University, BP 459, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco

    Lahoucine Hanich & Ali Rhoujjati

  4. HydroSciences Montpellier, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France

    Nicolas Patris

  5. IRD/CESBIO (Toulouse, UMR 5126, UPS-CNRS-CNES-IRD), Toulouse, France

    Abdelghani Chehbouni

  6. Laboratory of Applied Geology and Geo-Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Zohr University, Cite Dakhla, BP 8106, 80060, Agadir, Morocco

    Lhoussaine Bouchaou

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  1. Nadia Rhoujjati
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  2. Yassine Ait Brahim
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  4. Ali Rhoujjati
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Contributions

N.R., L.H., Y.A., and L.B. performed the analytical work. N.R., L.H., and A.R. carried out the fieldwork. L.H., L.B. and A.C coordinated this project. N.R., Y.A., LH., A.R., N.P., A.C and L.B designed and reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nadia Rhoujjati.

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Rhoujjati, N., Ait Brahim, Y., Hanich, L. et al. Precipitation isotopes to elucidate moisture sources in the Western Mediterranean: case of the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Environ Earth Sci 82, 250 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-10930-2

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