Abstract
The determination and monitoring of aquifer formations on the eastern border of Moroccan Gharb basin are very difficult because of their spatial and temporal variation. To delimit these formations, a geophysical survey of 52 geoelectric soundings was performed with a mesh of 500 m and electrodes distance between 1000 m and 3000 m. Geoelectric sections and resistivity maps show a horst and graben structure. The correlation of existing oil drillings shows that the Jurassic and Neogene formations are both affected by normal faults causing Jurassic deposits collapse with local thickening of the Miocene deposits, and reverse faults delimiting tectonic slices due to tension caused by prerifaine nappe advance. This fact confirms the generated structure by the resistivity method. The isobath map of resistant formations's roof show average depths extending from 400 to 800 m for calcareous sandstone that are potential aquifers while oil drillings indicate over 1000 m depths.
Highlights
The Gharb Neogene basin is a collapse zone formed on the margins of the Rif’s chain
The correlation of existing oil drillings shows that the Jurassic and Neogene formations are both affected by normal faults causing Jurassic deposits collapse with local thickening of the Miocene deposits, and reverse faults delimiting tectonic slices due to tension caused by prerifaine nappe advance
The realization of geoelectric sections and resistivity maps, combined with the correlations of stratigraphic drilling columns, allows elucidating the structure of the eastern boundary of the Gharb basin-prerifaine ridges which is affected by reverse faults due to prerifaine nappe advance in the basin and by the collapse normal faults
Summary
The Gharb Neogene basin is a collapse zone formed on the margins of the Rif’s chain. The filling deposits of the basin are characterized by a vertical variation due to a regional geological context. The Gharb basin, which knew many subsidences during certain periods, with a paroxysm in the Pliocene, receives the prerifaine nappe which subdivides the Miocene in infra-nappe and supra-nappe Miocene [1,2,3,4,5] The former works reflect the structural complexity of Gharb basin in general and particulary its eastern boundary. This makes the determination and monitoring of the formations, constituted by permeable deposits likely to correspond to aquiferous levels, very difficult [6,7,8]. The realization of geoelectric sections and resistivity maps, combined with the correlations of stratigraphic drilling columns, allows elucidating the structure of the eastern boundary of the Gharb basin-prerifaine ridges which is affected by reverse faults due to prerifaine nappe advance in the basin and by the collapse normal faults
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