Search

The Mediterranean coast stretching from Tangier to Ksar Sghir within the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region represents a crucial coastal area. This region's coastal environment faces multiple challenges, including demographic pressures and the evolving impacts of climate change which result in sea-level rise. Our research takes a comprehensive approach, integrating sedimentary and mineralogical analysis, along with the application of GIS tools for data processing and visualization. Through this research, we aim to identify vulnerable coastal areas, particularly those susceptible to erosion, and assess the effects of climate change, specifically focusing on rising sea levels. This study's findings shed light on the dynamic coastal landscape and provide valuable insights for sustainable coastal management in the face of environmental change. Our study shows that the studied region suffers from significant losses in the surface area of sand on some beaches due to the phenomenon of erosion. At the same time, some beaches knew a set back the shoreline by several metres, and others knew to advance the shoreline by several metres. In this way, it constitutes a continuation of a development that began several centuries ago, and which has been observed in the Mediterranean coast between Tangier and Ksar Sghir coastlines in the context of a rapid rise in sea level.

The water erosion of soil in northern Morocco raises significant concerns due to its potential impact on the sustainability and productivity of the land. The objective of our study is to evaluate water erosion by utilizing magnetic susceptibility of soil particles in the watershed of the Oued Ghiss Dam. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were taken on 25cm deep profiles collected from six distinct areas, distributed based on pedology, slope, and land use. The results reveal significant variations in susceptibility. Transects 5 and 6 stand out with significantly higher magnetic susceptibility values compared to other transects, indicating relative soil stability under dense forest cover. Transect 2 also exhibits a range of magnetic susceptibility from 21.05 to 51.67 x 10-8 m³/kg, suggesting relative stability despite slight changes in magnetic susceptibility due to vegetation density and morphometric characteristics. Transects 1, 3, and 4 display lower magnetic susceptibility ranges, indicating signs of active erosion in bare soils. Magnetic signatures of soil particles provide crucial insights into soil dynamics in the Central Rif region of Morocco, emphasizing the impact of geodynamic factors and land use on the degree of evolution and degradation.

The objective of this work is the pedological characterization of soils in the watersheds of Oueds Nekôr and Ghiss. Several profiles were identified and sampled for Physico-chemical and sedimentological analyses (color index, magnetic susceptibility, pH, granulometry, water content, organic matter, and carbonates). The watersheds in question are roughly characterized by a soft and diversified lithology, a sparse vegetation cover, and a semi-arid Mediterranean climate. The soils in the Oued Nekôr watershed are of the silty type (> 50%), not very developed and relatively well-drained, and become well-drained stony in the steep and eroded areas. Soil pH varies between 7 and 8, reflecting low alkaline to alkaline soils. In the Oued Ghiss watershed, the sandstone-limestone or marl-schist soils are poorly differentiated in the steep slopes. The well-drained soils are gravelly, relatively alkaline, and show the beginning of rubefaction. Very locally on wooded flats, the soil profiles can become deep and well-differentiated due to colluvial accumulation. The dark brown eluvial A horizon is relatively rich in organic matter (3.6%). The well individualized illuvial B horizon has strongly rubbed concretions and is richer in organic matter (4.6%). The light beige C horizon corresponds to the strongly altered marl and limestone parent rock with low organic matter content (1.3%) and very low magnetic susceptibility values.