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Mineralization of water resources of Roc-Blanc watershed (Morocco)

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Abstract

In order to assess the relationship between the groundwater mineralization of Roc-Blanc watershed (Morocco), lithology, fracturation and abandoned mine tailings in the area, a multidisciplinary work was conducted by using the geochemical assessment approaches. Geological and hydrochemical results showed the following: (i) the main direction of fractures and the groundwater flow investigations reveal hydrogeological structures as dividing axis according to the SE and NW directions; (ii) correlations between the principal elements (Cl−, SO42−; Na+, Cl−) indicate that the mineralization of the Roc-Blanc groundwater is deduced from sulphates, chlorides and alkaline formations and iii) the dissolution of carbonate, gypsum and anhydrite constitutes the principal source of the mineralization processes. The saturation index shows that dissolution of gypsum and anhydrite is one of the origins of sulphates and calcium in the water resources of the study area. Abandoned mine tailings have no effects on the groundwater quality.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the collaboration between the “Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle” and the “FST- Cadi Ayyad University of Marrakech (Morocco)”. The authors are grateful to the Professor James W. LaMoreaux, (Editor-in-Chief) and reviewers. Authors would like to thank Dr. Daniel VACHARD (CNRS, University Lille I) for his helpful comments and suggestions that have significantly improved the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georesources Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology Marrakech, Cadi Ayyad University, Abdelkarim El Khattabi Avenue, Guéliz, P.O. Box 549, 4000, Marrakech, Morocco

    Khalid El Amari, Abdelfattah Benkaddour, Sana Toughzaoui, Mohamed Hibti & Samira Essarraj

  2. AGHYLE, Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle Beauvais, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS, 341719, rue Pierre Waguet, 60026, Beauvais Cedex, France

    Lahcen Zouhri

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  1. Khalid El Amari
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  4. Sana Toughzaoui
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  6. Samira Essarraj
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Correspondence to Lahcen Zouhri.

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El Amari, K., Zouhri, L., Benkaddour, A. et al. Mineralization of water resources of Roc-Blanc watershed (Morocco). Environ Earth Sci 80, 479 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-09765-6

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