Isotopic and hydrochemical approach to the functioning of an aquifer system in the region of Marrakech (Morocco).

A geochemical and isotopic (water and dissolved sulphate) study was performed on groundwater in the region of Marrakech, Morocco, with the aim of better understanding the regional hydrogeological system in order to improve water resources management. Significant differences in stable isotope contents and chemical compositions were observed between groundwater collected in the northern part of the region (Jbilets massif), where the basement schists outcrop, and that sampled in the southern part (Haouz basin), where the basement schists are overlaid by Plio-Quaternary deposits. The stable isotope composition of the groundwater showed that in the southern part the aquifer is mainly recharged from high-altitude precipitation over the High-Atlas Mountains, which may reach 600 mm per year or more, whereas, in the northern part, it is only recharged by lower-altitude local precipitation, which does not exceed 240 mm per year.