Relationship between geo-structural evolution and development of karstic systems in the culminating area of Ouarsenis (West Algeria)

The Ouarsenis area is one of the most developed karstic systems of Algeria. It is a karst reservoir drinking water with a population of more than 50,000 people taking fully benefit from it. To understand the development of this karstic system, the local tectonic history of the four main mountain ranges of this culminating area (Ouarsenis) has been analyzed. Although previously identified primarily Cenozoic tectonic activities have been observed, a set of NW-SE joints intersecting the Jurassic limestone has been associated to a post-nappes tectonic events. Moreover, numerous joint sets oriented NNE/SSW have been identified almost over the entire culminating area. These joints are the direct consequence of the following stress history: (i) a NW/SE shortening responsible for a major overlap and the first fold (P1) phase, (ii) a second NNE/SSW shortening stage responsible for the second folding (P2) phase associated with 70° N sinistral strike-slip trend, (iii) a WNW/ESE extension phase resulting from the change of σ ₃ stress vertical axis, and (iv) a shearing stress creating a 120° N sinistral strike-slip fault. Only the late phases are responsible of the development of joints, which have been karstified later on. Indeed, significant families of karstified joints, i.e., 20° and 70° N have been found. These joints are related to the extensional and shearing modes, respectively, and linked to a particular in situ karstogenesis. Moreover, this study suggests an ancient establishment of the karstic systems in the Ouarsenis region in at least two stages: pre-figured and activated behaviors during the Cenozoic.     

Planning and systematic management of water resources by the WEAP model,case of the Mabtouh watershed (northwestern Algeria)

Water management remains a complex task due to the multiplicity of users-consumers, which necessitates the use of planning tools and decision support in a rigorous manner. The objective of the present study is to find an alternative solution to the water use conflict applied to a scale of a hydrographic unit. Our choice focused on the Mebtouh River watershed (1306 km²), where there is a chronic water shortage. With an irrigated perimeter of 8200 ha and an urban area with a regional dimension, the hydraulic system is based on a Dam (Cheurfa) with a capacity of 83 hm³ and diversions by pumping over the river. The methodology adopted is the application of the WEAP software, with a view to constructing a water resource allocation model by 2050. The data set consists of the physical parameters of the study area, hydroclimatic records for the reference year (2015), and the estimation of urban and agricultural water demand sites. The results obtained by the WEAP model applied to our study area confirm the validation of the data used. Therefore, it is timely to develop a water resources management tool to reduce user-consumer tensions at the planned planning timeline.     

Clay minerals in fluvial shaley sandstone of upper Triassic reservoir (TAGS)—Toual field SE Algeria: identification from wireline logs and core data

The creep property of rock under cyclic loading is very important in civil engineering. In order to establish a novel constitutive equation for rock under cyclic loading, a fractional-order viscoplastic body under cyclic loading was constructed based on fractional-order viscous element. A fractional-order visco-elastoplastic model (FVEPM) for rock was established by connecting constructed fractional-order viscoplastic body with Burgers model. The model was a Burgers model when the maximum value of cyclic loading was less than the critical strength of rock; otherwise, it was a FVEPM which can be used to reflect the transient, steady-state, and tertiary creep phases of rock. The cyclic loading was decomposed into a static load and a cyclic loading with a zero average stress. According to rheological mechanics theory, the rheology constitutive equation of rock under the static load can be derived. According to viscoelastic mechanics theory, the constitutive equation under cyclic loading with a zero average stress was established by introducing the variation parameters of energy storage and energy dissipation compliance caused by rock damage and fracture. Finally, a new dynamic constitutive equation of rock cyclic loading can be obtained by superimposing the constitutive equation under static load and cyclic loading with a zero average stress. Compared with existing test results of rock under cyclic loading, the proposed constitutive model can be used to describe the creep characteristics of rock under cyclic loading and reflect the presented fluctuation of strain curve of rock under cyclic loading.