Le patrimoine naturel - géologique et oasien - au service du développement géotouristique dans la province de Sidi Ifni et son arrière-pays oasien (Maroc)

Fragile environments, the oases of the Western Anti-Atlas contain not only the wealth of biodiversity within them but also a geodi-versity around ; Indeed, oases appear as a space full of rich phoenicicole heritage and having an important role in the socio-economic development of arid and semi-arid areas. However, these areas are characterized by their hypersensitivity to desertification and any human intervention : extraction, inappropriated touristic development, etc. The aim of this article is to develop a territorial approach with the preservation and the development of the geological and geo-morphological heritage in the oasien context. Focused on the Sidi Ifni Province and its hinterland oasis, this study analyses how to protect the resources to produce wealth, and enhancing the potential land without risking biodiversity and geodiversity of these vulnerable areas ?Milieux fragiles, les oasis de l'Anti-Atlas occidental recèlent des richesses de biodiversité et de géodiversité ; elles sont par ailleurs un espace abritant un patrimoine phoenicicole varié et ayant un rôle socio-économique important dans le développement des zones arides et semi-arides du sud marocain. Mais ces espaces sont aussi caractérisés par une hypersensibilité à la désertification et à toute intervention anthropique : extraction minière, développement touristique inapproprié , etc. Cet article met l'accent sur la mise en place d'une approche territoriale visant à valoriser les ressources géologiques et géomorphologiques des oasis. Ciblée sur la province de Sidi Ifni et son arrière pays oasien, notre démarche repose sur la question suivante : comment protéger les ressources, produire de la richesse et valoriser les potentialités territoriales, sans pour autant porter atteinte à la biodiversité et la géodiversité de ces espaces vulnérables ?Albab Siham, Ezaidi Abdelkrim, Benssaou Mohamed, Kabbachi Belkacem. Le patrimoine naturel - géologique et oasien - au service du développement géotouristique dans la province de Sidi Ifni et son arrière-pays oasien (Maroc). In: Collection EDYTEM. Cahiers de géographie, numéro 14, 2013. Ressources patrimoniales et alternatives touristiques, entre oasis et montagne. pp. 117-130

Un complexe récifal à stromatoporidés, coraux et microbialites : exemple du Kimméridgien de Cap-Guir (Haut-Atlas Atlantique, Maroc)

A reef complex with stromatoporoids, corals and microbialtes : the Kimmeridgian of Gap-Guir (western Haut-Atlas, Morroco). The Cap-Guir reef is a kimmeridgian build-up. It overlies an oxfor-dian bioclastic sedimentary succession. The distribution of the facies in the area has allowed the establishment of a morphological zonation. Indeed, the reef separated the fore reef in the West from the back reef in the East. The main frame builders are stomatoporoids, corals, Chaetetids, microbialtes and micro-encrusters. They are well lithified and well preserved. Back reef conglomerates occupied the eastern side of the build-ups. They are composed of predominently destroyed organic build-up (detritus of corals, stromatoporoids,...). Many patch-reefs appear among the back reef limestone. Also the Eastern part of the study area, is particularly occupied by a micritic limestone rarely bioclastic.Le complexe récifal de l'anticlinal de Cap-Guir d'âge kimméridgien, repose sur des calcaires bioclastiques qui scellent le récif oxfor-dien. Il englobe des dépôts récifaux, d'avant récif et d'arrière récif, de répartition inégale en allant d'Est en Ouest du secteur étudié. Une lentille bioconstruite, soit la mieux exposée dans ce secteur, à fait l'objet d'une étude détaillée. Elle est constituée par des coraux, des stomatoporidés et des chaetetidés associés à des encroûtements algaires et/ou microbiens. Ces organismes sont bien conservés suite à une lithifaction précoce, due à l'activité intense de microbialites au sein du bioherme. Cette bioconstruction est relayée vers l'Est par une masse de calcaire bréchique à organismes basculés ou fragmentés en bioclastes qui sont souvent attaqués par des biophages. Il s'agit de brèche d'arrière récif. On assiste aussi à la persistance de boursouflures moins bio-construites alternant avec des masses de sables bioclastiques ou des bio-accumulations, jusqu'à l'apparition plus à l'Est de calcaires massifs et très fin à rares bioclastes et ostracodes de milieu lagunaire. Le récif de Cap-Guir a joué durant le Kimméridgien inférieur le rôle d'une barrière paléogéographique, permettant la distinction de l'Ouest vers l'Est de faciès d'avant récif, d'arrière récif et d'une crête récifale.Ourribane M., Chellaï El Hassane, Ezaidi Abdelkrim, Içame N. Un complexe récifal à stromatoporidés, coraux et microbialites : exemple du Kimméridgien de Cap-Guir (Haut-Atlas Atlantique, Maroc). In: Géologie Méditerranéenne. Tome 26, numéro 1-2, 1999. pp. 79-88

Physiographie et dynamique sédimentaire actuelle dans la marge atlantique sud-ouest marocaine (Le bassin Tan Tan -Cap Juby) [Physiography and recent sedimentary dynamic in southwestern atlantic margin of Morocco (Tan Tan - Cape Juby basin)]

The studied area corresponds to coastal plateaus connected to a passive margin by abrupt chalky cliffs along the ocean. Its geological history is linked to inherited structures and to an eustatism recognized on all the north-western African shore lines. Thus, the topography of the continental shelf is rich of depressions forming traps for essentially bioclastic sediments, similar to the salt lakes of the continental border. Many canyons incise it and allow the sandy turbidites to flow. They play a role in the shifting of upwelling currents from the system of the deep circulation of the central Atlantic to the platform. The influence of the eustatism may be recognized through two morphological levels of former sea shorelines (at -70 m/80 m and -130 m depth) which are often found on the Atlantic passive margins.Le bassin étudié correspond à des plateaux côtiers qui se raccordent à une marge passive par des falaises calcaires vives plongeant dans l'océan. Son histoire géologique est liée à des structures héritées et un eustatisme reconnu sur toute la ligne du rivage nord-ouest africain. Ainsi, la topographie du plateau continental est accidentée de dépressions formant des pièges à sédiments, essentiellement bioclastiques, à l'image des lacs salés qui jalonnent sa bordure terrestre. De nombreux canyons l'incisent et permettent l'écoulement de turbidites sableuses. Ils jouent un rôle dans le forçage des courants d'upwelling en raccordant la plate-forme au système de la circulation générale profonde de l'Atlantique central. L'influence de l'eustatisme se traduit par deux niveaux morphologiques de stationnement marin (-70 m/-80 m et - 130 m) qu'on trouve classiquement sur les marges passives type Atlantique.Kabbachi Belkacem, El Youssi Mohamed, Ezaidi Abdelkrim, Rognon Pierre. Physiographie et dynamique sédimentaire actuelle dans la marge atlantique sud-ouest marocaine (Le bassin Tan Tan -Cap Juby) [Physiography and recent sedimentary dynamic in southwestern atlantic margin of Morocco (Tan Tan - Cape Juby basin)]. In: Quaternaire, vol. 12, n°3, 2001. pp. 139-148

Assessing Impact of Land Use/Land Cover Dynamic on Urban Climate Change in a Semi-Arid Region – Case Study of Agadir City (Morocco)

This research seeks to assess historically the urban expansion of Agadir city in Morocco within the 35-year timespan (1984-2019), and the influence of those changes on the regulating services of Agadir. It was achieved by applying Support Vector Machine supervised (SVM) algorithm on each Landsat products to derive Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) maps. High accuracy assessment values were obtained for all Landsat classified maps. Spectral radiance model was exploited successfully to highlight the spatiotemporal changes of thermal behavior of city surfaces. Terrestrial carbon dynamics of Agadir LULC was evaluated by applying a process-based carbon model. Outcomes of this paper revealed an important urban expansion within the 35-year timespan with an important loss of vegetation and bare land. This urban evolution impacts the Land Surface Temperature (LST) and caused carbon storage loss that contributes to local climate change. These findings could assist policy-makers to characterize a sustainable evolution of urban area, especially, to interpret how and where LULC changes might alter the dynamics of climate regulation and ecosystem services

Health effects of the consumed water from the traditional reservoirs on the population of Tiznit in Morocco

The consumption of water that does not meet the bacteriological and physico-chemical quality standards defined by national and international regulations could be the cause of various diseases and health problems The objective of this study is to study the blood balance of people consuming water stored in traditional reservoirs "matfia». The study was carried out on 30 patients hospitalized in the medical unit at Tiznit hospital coming from rural areas and who confirmed the consumption of water from "Matfia". According to the results, the patients were hospitalized for gastrology,diabetes, cardiorespiratory and dermatological problems. The study of blood tests performed for patients during their stay in the medical unit shows hemoglobin is lower than normal in 30% of women and 60% of men. For the renal check-up, uremia is above normal in 45% of cases and creatinemia in 30% of women and 50% of men. For kalemia (potassium) and natraemia (sodium) they are normal. As for the hepatic check, In 30% of cases the values of the transaminases ALAT & ASAT are higher than the norm. Through these results, the people who consume the water of the "matfia" show the same affections and disturbances found in case of consumption of polluted water (biological and/or chemical pollution)

Rock Art Conservation and Geotourism: A practical example from Foum Chenna engravings site, Morocco

The rock engravings, the subject of this article, are artistic representations made by people from cultural communities who no longer exist. The rock art was a way of expressing their thoughts, culture and beliefs, before the invention of writing. The engravings represent an archive of an ancient civilization which developed over thousands of years throughout North Africa, from the Atlantic to Egypt and from the Atlas Mountains to the Sahel. Morocco has more than 300 listed rock art sites, scattered throughout the country. Foum Chenna is a major site in the Anti-Atlas Mountains of southern Morocco. The engravings were predominantly made by pecking out images of human figures, animals and patterns, and the area today is the center of interest for the recently-formed Association of Rock Art Heritage of Southern Morocco, based in Zagora. Foum Chenna is a place of primary importance with more than 800 schematic engravings made using the pecked technique, a characteristic of this period. The majority of engravings which depict riders associated with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic representations, also, importantly, the numerous rock inscriptions recounting a scriptural tradition and reflecting the historical beginnings of Libyan writing, were today revitalized to transcribe the Tamazight language. The need to study and protect this heritage should not be limited to the preserve of just a few specialists. Knowledge of it can be used, with care, for sustainable human development. The rock art and other featuresmay make the region worthy of international recognition by UNESCO. In this paper, we look at Foum Chenna site from the perspective of geotourism and importance of the site for geoeducation, and the value of Foum Chenna site as geosite. Besides, soils, considered as some of the extraordinary manifestations of the culture of the Foum Chenna, are of huge scientific importance