Mapping of Groundwater Potential Zones in Crystalline Terrain Using Remote Sensing, GIS Techniques, and Multicriteria Data Analysis (Case of the Ighrem Region, Western Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

Khalid Benjmel,Mohammed Ouchchen,Amine Touab,Said Boutaleb,Fouad Amraoui,Amine Tahiri

doi:10.3390/w12020471

Khalid Benjmel, Mohammed Ouchchen + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/w12020471

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Journal: Water	Publication Date: Feb 10, 2020
Citations: 111	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Université Ibn Zohr, University of Hassan II Casablanca

Abstract

This research work is intended as a contribution to the development of a multicriteria methodology, combining several factors to control the availability of groundwater resources, in order to optimize the choice of location of future drilling and increase the chances to take water from productive structures which will satisfy the ever-increasing water demand of local population (Arghen basin in the Western Anti-Atlas chain of Morocco). The geographic information system is used to develop thematic maps describing the geometry and the hydrodynamic functioning of the aquifer. In this study, 11 factors including geology, topography, and hydrology, influencing the distribution of water resources were used. Based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model, GIS, and remote sensing, the study mapped and classified areas according to their hydrogeological potential. The favorable potential sectors cover 17% of the total area of the basin. The medium potential sectors account for 64%, while the unfavorable areas cover 18% of the basin area. The groundwater potential map of the study area has been validated by comparing with data from 159 boreholes scattered throughout the basin.

Highlights

Water is a natural resource essential for life and sometimes a determining factor for socio-economic development of a country
The study area is closely limited by the Arghen basin, which is part of the crystalline basement of Ighrem region (Western Anti-Atlas chain)
The groundwater potential map was created by the combination of all the criteria developed on the basis of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) techniques and the grid based on geographical information systems (GIS)

Summary

Introduction

Water is a natural resource essential for life and sometimes a determining factor for socio-economic development of a country This is the case in Morocco where groundwater is characterized by scarcity, spatiotemporal irregularity, and vulnerability to anthropic effects. The study area is closely limited by the Arghen basin, which is part of the crystalline basement of Ighrem region (Western Anti-Atlas chain) This watershed is in a difficult hydrogeological context because of its semi-arid bioclimatic stage and the geological complexity of the terrain where the crystalline basement formations are the most dominant. In these environments, the complexity of groundwater management is increased when these regions face a data scarcity [1]. The groundwater resources can hardly meet the growing demand driven by the changing demographics of

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