Mohamed El Baghdadi

Landfill site selection with GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation technique. A case study in Béni Mellal-Khouribga Region, Morocco

Abstract Given the potential negative environmental impacts linked with wild landfills in Béni Mellal-Khouribga Region, there is a significant need to accelerate the development of controlled intermunicipal landfills. Any landfill project requires identification of the most suitable sites to prevent environmental adversity. So, this study was conducted to identify candidate landfill sites using geographic information system (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation techniques. Ten suitability criteria including distance to residential areas, aspect (wind), geology (lithology), distance to faults, distance to surface water, groundwater table, land use, distance to roads, elevation, and slope are considered in the siting assessment. The thematic maps of all criteria were prepared in GIS environment using Boolean and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) standardization. After hiding unsuitable areas of landfill sites identified by the Boolean method, each criterion was evaluated with the aid of AHP and the final landfill site suitability map was generated using the overlay analysis in GIS. The results showed that 54% of the study area is not suitable, 12% is lowly suitable, 24% is moderately suitable, and indeed 10% is highly suitable for landfilling. The identified suitable areas will require careful field studies before the final decision for landfill site selection. Nonetheless, this study can help planners and local and regional authorities to better manage the solid waste in the region.

Evaluation of water quality in open channels flowing through Beni-Mellal City (Morocco)

Abstract The water quality of the open channels (Foughal, OumDhar and Tamagnounte) flowing into Beni-Mellal city were assessed in a bid to determine impacts of anthropogenic activities. Physicochemical and bacteriological parameters comprising temperature, pH, alkalinity, electrical conductivity, oxidizability, total hardness, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total coliforms, fecal coliforms and geochemical analyses were determined for the channels water before reaching the irrigation areas. While biological parameters demonstrated substantial variability, other parameters showed relatively little spatial variations. The spatial variations in water quality may be attributed to the effects of the urban wastewater discharge in the channels and to surface urban and agricultural runoff. Compared with drinking water quality standards of Moroccan and WHO, the results indicated that the channels water was suitable for drinking purpose with prior treatment. Various determinants such as electrical conductivity, residual sodium carbonate, total dissolved solids and hardness revealed that all water samples were suitable for irrigation. STRESZCZENIE Oceniono wpływ działalności człowieka na jakość wody w otwartych kanałach (Foughal, OumDhar i Tamagnounte), dostarczających wodę do miasta Beni-Mellal. Zmierzono takie parametry fizyczne, chemiczne i bakteriologiczne, jak: temperatura, pH, alkaliczność, przewodnictwo elektrolityczne, utlenialność, twardość całkowitą, jony amonowe, azotyny, azotany, całkowitą liczbę bakterii coli, bakterie pochodzenia kałowego oraz przeprowadzono analizy geochemiczne w wodzie kanałów przed jej wprowadzeniem do systemów nawadniających. Podczas gdy parametry biologiczne wykazywały znaczną zmienność, pozostałe parametry cechowała stosunkowo niewielka zmienność przestrzenna. Na zmienność jakości wody w przestrzeni mogąwpływać ścieki miejskiespuszczane do kanałów oraz powierzchniowy spływ z terenów miejskich i obszarów rolniczych. Uzyskane wyniki porównane do norm jakości wody pitnej obowiązujących w Maroku i norm WHO pokazują, że woda w kanałach nadaje się do spożycia po wstępnym uzdatnieniu. Różne wskaźniki, takie jak przewodnictwo elektrolityczne, stężenie węglanu sodu, ilość całkowitej zawiesiny i twardość dowodzą, że analizowane wody nadają się do nawodnień.

Les Basaltes de l'Atlas de Béni-Mellal (Haut Atlas Central, Maroc): un Volcanisme Transitionnel Intraplaque Associé aux Stades de L'évolution Géodynamique du Domaine Atlasique

The basaltic rocks emitted at the synclinal basins of the Atlas of Beni-Mellal, show entablatures shapes constituted by interbedded lava flow successions with red silted-sandstone layers (Red Beds). In the synclinal basins of the area, basaltic lavas form two volcanic sequences B1 and B2 which correspond to distinct volcanic events. Pyroclastic deposits are rare. Basaltic outcrops show no pillow lavas. The lava flows were emplaced while the sediments were still soft and unconsolidated. The original flows fissure bet up to the open air, or under very shallow water. Ages of basaltic flows grouped around two distinct values t hat correspond to the Middle Jurassic (B1 basalts) and to the last of the Lower Cretaceous (B2 basalts). Basaltic rocks consist of olivine basalt. Textures are variable and dependent of the type of structure. Lavas flows typically show porphyritic texture at the bottom of entablatures, fluidal structure in its inner parts and vesicules at its upper zone. Clinopyroxene compositions range from augite in B1 to diopside in B2 basaltic horizons. Whole rock compositions mark the transitional character of these volcanic rocks. Normative composition show low nepheline contents (≤ 5%). LREE/HREE ratios are low and clearly less enriched than those obtained for alkaline magmatic series. Spidergram spectra are similar to those of Oceanic Island basalts (OIB). The relative geochemical dissimilitude reported at the both basaltic sequences B1 and B2, indicate, eventually, the changing of the magmatic regime, which becomes from tholeiitic to purely alkaline in Cenozoic, in relation to the geodynamic evolution of atlasic domain. This geodynamic and geochemical evolution is ruled by two major events: the opening of the Central Atlantic and the Mediterranean convergence.

Remote sensing approach to assess salt-affected soils in the north-east part of Tadla plain, Morocco

Abstract Recently, the remote sensing technologies have been used increasingly in various domains in order to explain or detect different phenomena in a rapid manner and covering large areas. This study aims to use Landsat 8 Oli imagery product to elaborate a map of soil salinity in the north-east part of Tadla plain, by implication of spectral reflectance and electrical conductivity (EC) measured in the laboratory. Based on salinity Index (SI), the Normalized Differential Salinity Index (NDSI), and Landsat bands, we carried out a statistical study via the JMP13 software to determine the most correlated bands with EC measured. The obtained results were very satisfactory with an R2 = 71.3% and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.084. The elaborated map showed that the salinity is high near Oum Er Rbia River and the two cities of Beni-Mellal and Ouled Yaich, which is due to saline waters of Oum Er Rbia River and Béni-Moussa-East (Dir) groundwater used for irrigation. These results signify that the combination of remote sensing and laboratory EC measurements would be a suitable method for predicting soil salinity.

Spatiotemporal monitoring of surface soil moisture using optical remote sensing data: a case study in a semi-arid area

ABSTRACT Surface soil moisture content (SSMC) monitoring constitutes an important parameter to estimate crop water requirements, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Remote sensing became a useful tool for estimating SSMC. Two approaches were applied for monitoring the SSMC during the 2013/14 cropping season in the irrigated perimeter of Tadla (Morocco) using multispectral bands of Landsat-8 OLI images. The first approach examined the potential of visible and short-wave infrared drought index (VSDI), normalized multi-band drought index (NMDI) and short-wave infrared water stress index (SIWSI), to retrieve SSMC. The second approach attempted to develop a new SSMC model based on evaluation of the correlations between multispectral bands and measured SSMC using a stepwise multiple regression analysis. Results showed that the established model is highly correlated with the measured SSMC at all crop growth stages with R 2 of 0.87, 0.85 and 0.89, for bare soil, partially covered and entirely covered by vegetation, respectively.

GIS-based multi-criteria land suitability analysis for sustainable agriculture in the northeast area of Tadla plain (Morocco)

Assessment of soil suitability for sustainable intensive agriculture is an appropriate tool to select the land suitable for agricultural production with the least economic and environmental costs. This study was conducted to evaluate the agricultural soil quality in the northeast area of Tadla plain (Morocco) using geographic information system (GIS) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Six soil quality indicators, i.e., pH, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, texture, salinity and slope were considered and performed in 60 subsurface soil samples. AHP method was utilized to identify the weight of each indicator from the pairwise comparison matrix. The weighted sum overlay analysis was then used to generate the soil quality map in a GIS environment, by overlaying both indicator weights and sub-indicator weights. The studied area was classified into four soil quality categories, i.e., poor, medium, good, and excellent, the percentage of each category is 1.12, 20.98, 61.07 and 16.83%, respectively. The results indicated that 1.12% of the study area has poor suitability for sustainable intensive agriculture due to their unsuitable texture and low salinity, while about 77% of cultivated soils are adapted to agricultural production. The above results could be useful for the management of agricultural activity.

Multivariate statistical analysis for spatial evaluation of physicochemical properties of agricultural soils from Beni-Amir irrigated perimeter, Tadla plain, Morocco

ABSTRACT Soil surveying and mapping is an important operation in soil science, and characterization of their properties is a key step in understanding soil quality . This study was undertaken to investigate the spatial variability of selected soil properties, such as soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC1:5), carbonate content (CaCO3) and total organic matter (TOM) and soil texture using different conventional analytical methods. Spatial distribution of these soil properties was elaborated by using the kriging method. The obtained results showed that the soil is alkaline, soil pH ranges from 7.20 to 8.78. TOM varies from 0.11 to 1.05 dS/m, and its texture varied from sand to loam content. Nonetheless, EC values fall within the slight, moderate and strong degrees of salinity. According to these results, it can be concluded that the soil is saline. Interrelationships between the parameters analyzed and the different samples were investigated by multivariate analyses, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analyses (HCA). HCA classified the five groups, which were compared to PCA visualizations. The Box-plots show that the values fractions (sand, silt, clay) were very variable. Pearson correlation coefficient indicates a high correlation between carbonate content and pH, organic matter and silt fraction

Geochemistry of the Miocene Zoumi flysch thrust-top basin (External Rif, Morocco): new constraints on source area weathering, recycling processes, and paleoclimate conditions

This study focuses on the Lower-Middle Miocene syn-orogenic flysch deposits of the Zoumi basin to infer source area paleoclimatic conditions, the intensity of source rocks paleoweathering, and mechanical sorting and recycling effects. The mudrocks are enriched in Al2O3, Fe2O3, CaO, and TiO2 relative to PAAS and depleted in the other mobile major elements. There are high positive correlations between SiO2, Al2O3, and TiO2 and negative correlations between SiO2 and CaO. Geochemically, the mudstones are mainly classified as shales, Fe-shales, and wackes. Various discriminant diagrams were used to reveal the inferred tectonics, source paleoweathering intensity, and paleoclimatic conditions. Chemical index of alteration (CIA) and chemical index of weathering (CIW) values for Lower-Middle Miocene vary from 50 to 80% indicating low to moderate degree of source area weathering compatible with non-steady-state weathering under wet and humid paleoclimatic conditions. Locally (Zoumi mid-section) CIA values are higher (> 80) reflecting intense source area weathering, which may be attributed to high tectonic impulses and more humid conditions during deposition. The combination of ICV-CIA, Al2O3-Zr-TiO2, and Th/Sc-Zr/Sc values suggests the bulk rock is chemically immature and has experienced modest physical sorting and recycling reflecting little transportation until the final deposition.

Evaluation of Hydrogeochemical Quality Parameters of Groundwater Under Urban Activities. Case of Beni Mellal City (Morocco)

Actually many studies of groundwater resources expect that the features of rocks, runoff, climate, terrain, replenishment, drainage conditions and anthropic activities are the major factors, which impact on the variations of groundwater chemistry (Dragon 2008; Chen et al. 2008).