Isotopic Characterization of Rainwater for the Development of a Local Meteoric Water Line in an Arid Climate: The Case of the Wadi Ziz Watershed (South-Eastern Morocco)
For any hydrological or hydrogeological system, the arrival of new rains is the input signal to the system. This isotopic signature of precipitation is of major interest in understanding the recharge processes of the aquifer system. On the scale of a given basin, staged stations at different altitud...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-03-01
|
| Series: | Water |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/5/779 |
| _version_ | 1797473423537995776 |
|---|---|
| author | Anas El Ouali Allal Roubil Abderrahim Lahrach Jacques Mudry Tibari El Ghali Mohamed Qurtobi Mohammed El Hafyani Abdennabi Alitane Abdellah El Hmaidi Ali Essahlaoui Anton Van Rompaey |
| author_facet | Anas El Ouali Allal Roubil Abderrahim Lahrach Jacques Mudry Tibari El Ghali Mohamed Qurtobi Mohammed El Hafyani Abdennabi Alitane Abdellah El Hmaidi Ali Essahlaoui Anton Van Rompaey |
| author_sort | Anas El Ouali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For any hydrological or hydrogeological system, the arrival of new rains is the input signal to the system. This isotopic signature of precipitation is of major interest in understanding the recharge processes of the aquifer system. On the scale of a given basin, staged stations at different altitudes and spread out in space allow this input signal to be well characterized and to draw the local meteoric water line. In south-eastern Morocco, specifically, in the Errachidia region, several chemical and isotopic studies of the waters of the various aquifers have been carried out. In the absence of a local meteoric water line, these studies were based on the use of the global meteoric water line (GMWL). Thus, the objective of this work is the isotopic characterization and the elaboration of the local meteoric water line of the rainwater of the Ziz watershed. This characterization of the input signal in the study area is based on 41 measurements of stable isotopes (δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>2</sup>H) relating to the precipitations collected during the period from December 2019 to November 2020 in four staged stations at different altitudes and spread over the space from upstream to downstream of the watershed. The linear relationship of δ<sup>2</sup>H as a function of δ<sup>18</sup>O describes the local meteoric water line (LMWL) by equation δ<sup>2</sup>H = 7.5 ± 0.3 δ<sup>18</sup>O + 4.6 ± 1.7; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.93. This equation displays evaporation confirmed by the arrival of continental currents in an arid environment. The variation in precipitation δ<sup>18</sup>O as a function of the sampling altitudes for the rains highlighted the relationship δ<sup>18</sup>O = −0.0026 ∗ Z − 1.67, with R<sup>2</sup> = 0.93, which means an altitudinal gradient of −0.26‰ per 100 m of altitude. In this regard, the development of the local meteoric water line and the determination of the altitudinal gradient for the first time in this arid to semi-arid region of the watershed will be of great use to researchers and water resource managers; for example, to help determine the groundwater recharge areas, determine the exchanges between surface water and groundwater, and analyze many other hydrological problems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:14:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e35263566b54d68bd75e1c012940c1f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T20:14:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e35263566b54d68bd75e1c012940c1f2023-11-24T00:03:06ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-03-0114577910.3390/w14050779Isotopic Characterization of Rainwater for the Development of a Local Meteoric Water Line in an Arid Climate: The Case of the Wadi Ziz Watershed (South-Eastern Morocco)Anas El Ouali0Allal Roubil1Abderrahim Lahrach2Jacques Mudry3Tibari El Ghali4Mohamed Qurtobi5Mohammed El Hafyani6Abdennabi Alitane7Abdellah El Hmaidi8Ali Essahlaoui9Anton Van Rompaey10Functional Ecology and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, BP Imouzer Road, Fez 30500, MoroccoResearch Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, MoroccoFunctional Ecology and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, BP Imouzer Road, Fez 30500, MoroccoUMR 6249 Chrono-Environment, University of Burgundy-Franche-Comté, 16 Route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, FranceLaboratory of Structural and Isotopic Analyzes, National Center for Energy, Science and Nuclear Techniques, Rabat 10001, MoroccoLaboratory of Structural and Isotopic Analyzes, National Center for Energy, Science and Nuclear Techniques, Rabat 10001, MoroccoResearch Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, MoroccoResearch Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, MoroccoResearch Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, MoroccoResearch Group “Water Sciences and Environment Engineering”, Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, B.P. 11201 Zitoune, Meknes 50000, MoroccoGeography and Tourism Research Group, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Heverlee, BelgiumFor any hydrological or hydrogeological system, the arrival of new rains is the input signal to the system. This isotopic signature of precipitation is of major interest in understanding the recharge processes of the aquifer system. On the scale of a given basin, staged stations at different altitudes and spread out in space allow this input signal to be well characterized and to draw the local meteoric water line. In south-eastern Morocco, specifically, in the Errachidia region, several chemical and isotopic studies of the waters of the various aquifers have been carried out. In the absence of a local meteoric water line, these studies were based on the use of the global meteoric water line (GMWL). Thus, the objective of this work is the isotopic characterization and the elaboration of the local meteoric water line of the rainwater of the Ziz watershed. This characterization of the input signal in the study area is based on 41 measurements of stable isotopes (δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>2</sup>H) relating to the precipitations collected during the period from December 2019 to November 2020 in four staged stations at different altitudes and spread over the space from upstream to downstream of the watershed. The linear relationship of δ<sup>2</sup>H as a function of δ<sup>18</sup>O describes the local meteoric water line (LMWL) by equation δ<sup>2</sup>H = 7.5 ± 0.3 δ<sup>18</sup>O + 4.6 ± 1.7; R<sup>2</sup> = 0.93. This equation displays evaporation confirmed by the arrival of continental currents in an arid environment. The variation in precipitation δ<sup>18</sup>O as a function of the sampling altitudes for the rains highlighted the relationship δ<sup>18</sup>O = −0.0026 ∗ Z − 1.67, with R<sup>2</sup> = 0.93, which means an altitudinal gradient of −0.26‰ per 100 m of altitude. In this regard, the development of the local meteoric water line and the determination of the altitudinal gradient for the first time in this arid to semi-arid region of the watershed will be of great use to researchers and water resource managers; for example, to help determine the groundwater recharge areas, determine the exchanges between surface water and groundwater, and analyze many other hydrological problems.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/5/779characterizationisotopemeteoric linerainZiz watershed |
| spellingShingle | Anas El Ouali Allal Roubil Abderrahim Lahrach Jacques Mudry Tibari El Ghali Mohamed Qurtobi Mohammed El Hafyani Abdennabi Alitane Abdellah El Hmaidi Ali Essahlaoui Anton Van Rompaey Isotopic Characterization of Rainwater for the Development of a Local Meteoric Water Line in an Arid Climate: The Case of the Wadi Ziz Watershed (South-Eastern Morocco) Water characterization isotope meteoric line rain Ziz watershed |
| title | Isotopic Characterization of Rainwater for the Development of a Local Meteoric Water Line in an Arid Climate: The Case of the Wadi Ziz Watershed (South-Eastern Morocco) |
| title_full | Isotopic Characterization of Rainwater for the Development of a Local Meteoric Water Line in an Arid Climate: The Case of the Wadi Ziz Watershed (South-Eastern Morocco) |
| title_fullStr | Isotopic Characterization of Rainwater for the Development of a Local Meteoric Water Line in an Arid Climate: The Case of the Wadi Ziz Watershed (South-Eastern Morocco) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Isotopic Characterization of Rainwater for the Development of a Local Meteoric Water Line in an Arid Climate: The Case of the Wadi Ziz Watershed (South-Eastern Morocco) |
| title_short | Isotopic Characterization of Rainwater for the Development of a Local Meteoric Water Line in an Arid Climate: The Case of the Wadi Ziz Watershed (South-Eastern Morocco) |
| title_sort | isotopic characterization of rainwater for the development of a local meteoric water line in an arid climate the case of the wadi ziz watershed south eastern morocco |
| topic | characterization isotope meteoric line rain Ziz watershed |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/5/779 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anaselouali isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT allalroubil isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT abderrahimlahrach isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT jacquesmudry isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT tibarielghali isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT mohamedqurtobi isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT mohammedelhafyani isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT abdennabialitane isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT abdellahelhmaidi isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT aliessahlaoui isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco AT antonvanrompaey isotopiccharacterizationofrainwaterforthedevelopmentofalocalmeteoricwaterlineinanaridclimatethecaseofthewadizizwatershedsoutheasternmorocco |