RETRACTED CHAPTER: Simulation of Groundwater Quality: Case Study of the Limestone Chain of the Western Rif of Morocco

Abstract

The north of the Rif is where the quarries exploiting the limestone rock are located, the groundwater being the main source of drinking water supply for some towns and the rural world in mountainous areas, in an agricultural activity generating modest income for the beneficiary populations. Given the risk of degradation of water quality by the extraction activity, a simulation of groundwater quality was carried out using a hybrid model integrating a self-organized map (SOM). The groundwater quality index (WQI) and its actual factors were estimated using digital maps and secondary data. NeuroSolutions software was used to simulate groundwater quality. To do so, a model was trained and optimized in the SOM, and then the optimized model was tested. The performance of the SOM in simulating groundwater quality was confirmed. The tested SOM was used to simulate the groundwater quality index at sites without the secondary groundwater quality data. The results of the groundwater quality simulation show that the study area has medium to good quality groundwater resources in the spring period.KeywordsSimulationModelingSelf-organized mapGWQI indexOptimizationTestPerformanceGroundwaterQuality mapExtraction activitySpring periodLimestone chainWestern RifNorth of TetouanMorocco