Bahir M., Ouhamdouch S., Ouazar D., Chehbouni Abdelghani. (2020). Global warming and groundwater from semi-arid areas : Essaouira region (Morocco) as an example. Sn Applied Sciences, 2 (7), p. art. 1245 [21p.]. ISSN 2523-3963.
Titre du document
Global warming and groundwater from semi-arid areas : Essaouira region (Morocco) as an example
Bahir M., Ouhamdouch S., Ouazar D., Chehbouni Abdelghani
Source
Sn Applied Sciences, 2020,
2 (7), p. art. 1245 [21p.] ISSN 2523-3963
Climate change is undoubtedly becoming a subject of great concern for public authorities in all regions of the globe, in particular, the regions under Saharan, arid, and semi-arid climate. In this regard, this study aims to assess the effect of climate change on groundwater from semi-arid environments, taking the Essaouira basin as an example. The climate approach shows a downward trend in precipitation from 12 to 16% and an increase in temperature from 1.2 to 2.3 degrees C, and this during the last three decades. A continuous decline in the piezometric level exceeding 12 m for the Cenomanian-Turonian aquifer and 17 m for the Plio-Quaternary aquifer has been observed. The groundwater mineralization is controlled by the dissolution of evaporate and carbonate minerals, by the bases exchange phenomenon, and by the marine intrusion, especially in Plio-Quaternary aquifer. Also, the groundwater quality in the study area deteriorates gradually over time and space. However, the results of this study confirm that the groundwater from Essaouira basin is vulnerable to the global warming.
