MISE EN PLACE D’UN MODÈLE QUALITATIF POUR LA CARTOGRAPHIE DES ZONES À RISQUE D'ÉROSION HYDRIQUE DANS LA CHAÎNE ATLASIQUE: CAS DU BASSIN VERSANT DE LA TESSAOUTE AMONT. (HAUT ATLAS CENTRAL, MAROC)

The catchment areas of the Atlas chain are threatened by water erosion phenomena that can degrade soil quality and cause siltation of potential dams. The objective of this current study is to develop a methodology using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). This serves to map areas at risk of water erosion in the watershed upstream Tessaoute (High Atlas of Morocco). In addition to produce potential erosion risk map that can be used as a tool for land planning. To conduct this study, we’ve chosen to apply on our watershed qualitative model, based on the model proposed by the Bissonnais (2002) and amended by Abaoui et al (2005), as it is applied in the region High Atlas by Bachaoui et al (2007) and Maimouni et al (2012). Through this model the sensitivity of land to erosion is assessed from the sum of the features attributed to classes of three parameters: the land, the friability of materials and the degree of slope. The methodology presented is to integrate in a GIS environment, the three main factors controlling the erosion which enables the establishment of a qualitative model for mapping soil sensitivity to water erosion. The potential erosion risk map derived therefrom shows four areas of vulnerability to water erosion: low, medium, high and very high

MISE EN PLACE D’UN MODÈLE QUALITATIF POUR LA CARTOGRAPHIE DES ZONES À RISQUE D'ÉROSION HYDRIQUE DANS LA CHAÎNE ATLASIQUE: CAS DU BASSIN VERSANT DE LA TESSAOUTE AMONT. (HAUT ATLAS CENTRAL, MAROC)

The catchment areas of the Atlas chain are threatened by water erosion phenomena that can degrade soil quality and cause siltation of potential dams. The objective of this current study is to develop a methodology using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS). This serves to map areas at risk of water erosion in the watershed upstream Tessaoute (High Atlas of Morocco). In addition to produce potential erosion risk map that can be used as a tool for land planning. To conduct this study, we’ve chosen to apply on our watershed qualitative model, based on the model proposed by the Bissonnais (2002) and amended by Abaoui et al (2005), as it is applied in the region High Atlas by Bachaoui et al (2007) and Maimouni et al (2012). Through this model the sensitivity of land to erosion is assessed from the sum of the features attributed to classes of three parameters: the land, the friability of materials and the degree of slope. The methodology presented is to integrate in a GIS environment, the three main factors controlling the erosion which enables the establishment of a qualitative model for mapping soil sensitivity to water erosion. The potential erosion risk map derived therefrom shows four areas of vulnerability to water erosion: low, medium, high and very high

Geothermal potential mapping of Northeast Morocco (Bekrane-Ahfir) using remote sensing data and GIS

Geothermal energy is part of the renewable energy mix. It is used for heating, air conditioning and sometimes even for the production of electricity. Prospecting for such a resource proves to be a difficult and capital-intensive task. To overcome this constraint, we have used remote sensing which is an adequate tool to guide the prospecting through the elaboration of hydrothermal resource potential maps at the level of zones that present a favorable potential for exploitation (hyper-tectonized sites, volcanic sites, faulted sites, sites with hot geological formations, seismic zones...). The objective of this work is to carry out a study on the North-East of Morocco (Berkane Province), in order to identify favorable sites for geothermal exploitation such as geologically and hydrogeologically active sites. The methodology adopted consists in processing the images of the OLI (Operational Land Imager) and TIRS (Thermal Infrared Sensor) sensors of the Landsat-8 satellite in order to extract spectral indices (Clay mineral Index and Ferrous mineral Index,) detecting a geothermal activity and the surface temperature map (LST) using muticriteria analysis method (MCA). ) in the north-eastern part of Morocco. The results obtained show an almost perfect concordance of the distribution of the above-mentioned indices, with the map of lineaments which are considered as heat drains from the depth to the surface. Moreover, a correct correlation was established during the validation of these results with the map of the inventory of hydrothermal springs identified in the study area

Mapping and Assessment of Geological Lineaments with the Contribution of Earth Observation Data: A Case Study of the Zaer Granite Massif, Western Moroccan Meseta

The Zaer granitic massif is one of the most important Variscan granitoids in the Central Zone of the Western Moroccan Meseta. It is characterized by a deformation which is manifested by a network of fractures of different scales. Thanks to the technology currently available, many geological studies rely heavily on the mapping of geological lineaments, especially in structural geology. This has become more reliable with access to earth observation data using optical and radar sensors as well as the various remote sensing techniques. Therefore, the objective of this work is to determine the potential of Landsat 8, ASTER, Sentinel 2 and radar Sentinel 1 datasets using the automatic method to extract lineaments. Furthermore, this work focuses on quantitative lineament analysis to determine lineament trends and subsequently compare them with global and regional tectonic movement trends. The lineaments obtained through different satellite images were validated by including the shaded relief maps, the slope map, the correlation with the pre-existing faults in the geological maps as well as the field investigation. Comparison of these results indicates that Sentinel 1 imagery provides a better correlation between automated extraction lineaments and major fault zones. Thus, Sentinel 1 data is more effective in mapping geological lineaments. The final lineament map obtained from the VH and VV polarizations shows two major fault systems, mainly oriented NE-SW and NW-SE to NNW-SSE

Mapping soil suitability using phenological information derived from MODIS time series data in a semi-arid region: A case study of Khouribga, Morocco

To address the increasing global demand for food, it is crucial to implement sustainable agricultural practices, which include effective soil management techniques for enhancing productivity and environmental conditions. In this regard, a study was conducted to assess the efficacy of utilizing phenological metrics derived from satellite data in order to map and identify suitable agricultural soil within a semi-arid region. Two distinct methodologies were compared: one based on physicochemical soil parameters and the other utilizing the phenological response of vegetation through the application of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) Modis-time series. The study findings indicated that the NDVI-based approach successfully identified a specific class of soil suitability for agriculture (referred to as S1) that could not be effectively mapped using the multi-criteria analysis (MCAD) method relying on soil physicochemical parameters. This S1 class of soil suitability accounted for approximately 5 % of the total study area. These outcomes suggest that phenological-based approaches offer greater potential for spatio-temporal monitoring of soil suitability status compared to MCAD, which heavily relies on discrete observations and necessitates frequent updates of soil parameters. The approach developed to map the soil-suitability is a valuable tool for sustainable agricultural development, and it can play an effective role in ensuring food security and conducting a land agriculture assessment