Analyse du transport solide en suspension dans le bassin versant de l'Oued El Hammam (Algérie du Nord)

Résumé

Dans les régions semi-arides et arides, caractérisées par des précipitations relativement faibles et souvent à caractère torrentiel, les facteurs climatiques jouent un rôle primordial dans l'érosion des sols à l'échelle des versants. La majeure partie de l'exportation des matériaux solides est effectuée par les cours d'eau lors des crues. La présente étude traite de l'évaluation et de la quantification du transport solide dans le bassin versant de l'Oued El Hammam, un sous-bassin important de la Macta caractérisé par une forte érosion hydrique. La sensibilité des roches à l'érosion, l'intensité des précipitations et les perturbations du régime d'écoulement font que le flux des matières en suspension (MES) transportées par l'Oued El Hammam atteint des valeurs très importantes. L'analyse du bilan qui règle le processus pluie–ruissellement–transport solide montre de bonnes relations, notamment entre la lame d'eau écoulée et la quantité de charge solide transportée. Nous présentons des modèles statistiques permettant de reproduire les flux de MES. Après calage et validation des modèles sur les chroniques mesurées, ils sont utilisés afin de reconstituer des chroniques de flux de MES non mesurées, à partir de données historiques de débit et de pluie. L'étude de la relation C–Q à l'échelle de la crue a été modélisée par une fonction puissance Y = aX^b ; une analyse statistique de la constante a et de l'exposant b a été menée afin d'expliquer le comportement de ces deux paramètres et de mieux comprendre l'aspect aussi bien pratique que théorique des processus.

Citation El Mahi, A., Meddi, M., et Bravard, J.-P., 2012. Analyse du transport solide en suspension dans le bassin versant de l'Oued El Hammam (Algérie du Nord). Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (8), 1642–1661.     

Molecular composition and organic petrographic characterization of Madbi source rocks from the Kharir Oilfield of the Masila Basin (Yemen): palaeoenvironmental and maturity interpretation

The upper part of Madbi Formation organic-rich shale is considered an important regional source rock in the Masila Basin, Yemen. Ten cutting samples from this Upper Jurassic organic-rich shale were collected from wells drilled in the Kharir Oilfield, Masila Basin in order to geochemically assess the type of organic matter, thermal maturity and depositional environment conditions. Results reveal that Upper Jurassic organic-rich shale samples contain high organic matter more than 2.0 wt.% TOC and have very good to excellent hydrocarbon potential. Marine algae organic matter is the main source input for the Upper Jurassic shale sequence studied. This has been identified from organic petrographic characteristics and from the n-alkane distributions, which dominated by n-C₁₄-n-C₂₀ alkanes. This is supported by the high value of the biomarker sterane/hopane ratio that approaches unity, as well as the relatively high C₂₇ sterane concentrations. A mainly suboxic depositional environment is inferred from pr/ph ratios (1.75–2.38). This is further supported by relatively high homohopane value, which is dominated by low carbon numbers and decrease towards the C₃₅ homohopane. The concentrations of C₃₅ homohopane are very low. The depositional environment conditions are confirmed by some petrographic characteristics (e.g. palynofacies). Detailed palynofacies analysis of Madbi shales shows that the Madbi shale formation is characterised by a mix of amorphous organic matter, dinoflagellates cysts and phytoclasts, representing a suboxic, open marine setting. The Upper Jurassic marine shale sequence in the Masila Basin is thermally mature for hydrocarbon generation as indicated by biomarker thermal maturity parameters. The 22 S/22 S + 22R C₃₂ homohopane has reached equilibrium, with values range from 0.58 to 0.62 which suggest that the Upper Jurassic shales are thermally mature and that the oil window has been reached. 20 S/(20 S + 20R) and ββ/(ββ + αα) C₂₉ sterane ratios suggest a similar interpretation, as do the moretane/hopane ratio. This is supported by vitrinite reflectance data ranging from 0.74% to 0.90%Ro and thermal alteration of pollen and spore. The thermal alteration index value is around 2.6–3.0, corresponding to a palaeotemperature range of 60–120°C. These are the optimum oil-generating strata. On the basis of this study, the Madbi source rock was deposited under suboxic conditions in an open marine environment and this source rock is still within the oil window maturity range.     

Paleozoic alkaline volcanism: geochemistry and petrogenesis of Um Khors and Um Shaghir trachytes of the central Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Um Khors and Um Shaghir trachyte (UKT and UST) plugs and sheets represent two conspicuous outcrops of Paleozoic alkaline volcanism in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The trachyte magmatisms erupted along the Pan-African NW-trending shear zone (302?±?15 and 273?±?15?Ma, respectively) and intruded the Late Proterozoic rocks of the studied area. The trachyte rocks consist mainly of sanidine, anorthoclase, albite, and quartz with a noticeable amount of aegirine?Caugite, aegirine, hedenbergite, and arvedsonite. The studied trachytes are moderately evolved in composition (with 62?C67.5?wt.% SiO₂) and exhibit a limited compositional range in most of the major elements. They are alkaline in nature and considered as silica-oversaturated rocks. The rare earth elements (REE) patterns are somewhat uniform and highly fractionated, being enriched in light REE over heavy REE and show prominent negative Eu anomalies. The UKT and UST are enriched in high field strength elements Nb, Zr, and Y, consistent with typical within-plate alkaline magmatisms of extensional tectonic regimes. They were generated through the fractional crystallization of mantle-derived magmas. Although the UST is younger than the UKT, they show approximately similar chemical compositional ranges of the most major and trace elements, with somewhat higher MgO, Cr, Ni, and Ba contents in the former. This may argue against the evolution of the UST via a continuous fractional crystallization of the residual magmatic melt of the UKT. Thus, the UKT and UST are genetically related but could be emplaced through two various magmatic pulses of the same parent source (i.e., asthenospheric mantle source) at different times. The ascending magmatisms were subjected to variable significant degrees of crustal contamination during their generation.     

Characteristic features of salt tectonics offshore North Sinai, Egypt

Salt tectonic along offshore North Sinai was studied using seismic reflection data. The study revealed and identified various types of salt tectonics and structures in the study area. The triggering mechanism of salt tectonics was attributed to the pressure regime initiated from overloading sediments on the Messinian evaporites. The sediment load of 3,000?m exceeds the critical load (more than 1,000?m) and hence creates a pressure zone. The salt-generated structures resulted from thin-skinned extension that is driven by gravity gliding of the overloading sediments above the Messinian evaporite boundary, which acts as a detachment layer. These structures comprise normal growth faults and keystone grabens, trending roughly perpendicular to the slope of the continental margin. Salt tectonics in the study area were also triggered by the deformation of the movement of evaporite layer that causes stretching and fragmentation of the evaporite layer. Moving salt layer took place laterally and vertically, causing lateral and vertical pressures inside the Pliocene sediments. These movements of sediments led to the formation of salt rollers, salt weld, salt diapirs, rollover structures, and fault blocks. The interpretation of seismic data illustrates that the evaporite layer was switched off between the famous reflector M at its top and another reflector N at its base. M reflector is present and can be traced across the whole study area, while the N reflector pinched out in some parts of the study area.     

Interpretation of aeromagnetic and gravity data in East Qattara Depression, North Western Desert, Egypt

The study area lies to the east of Qattara Depression at the north of the Western Desert, Egypt. It is bounded by latitudes 29°00?? and 30°00?? N and longitudes 28°00?? and 29°30?? E, including Abu Gharadig basin, which is the most petroliferous basin in the Egyptian Western Desert. Numerous exploratory wells show that the area is characterized by a thick sedimentary section, unconformably overlying the basement rocks. The main objective of the present study is to outline the structural parameters controlling the area under consideration. Aeromagnetic and gravity data were subjected to the analytic signal, 3D Euler deconvolution and edge enhancement techniques. The Analytic signal and 3D Euler deconvolution were utilized mainly to locate the main subsurface contact zones and to determine the depth and structural indices of the expected causative subsurface structural elements. However, the edge enhancement technique was used with various windows to enhance the edges of subsurface structures. The structural indices were estimated to be ranging between 0.16 and 0.26, indicating that the area is mainly controlled by faults. The depth of these structural elements was also estimated to be ranging between <1.37 and 5.29?km. It has been shown that the structural elements of the study area have different directions, trending E-W, ENE, NW, and N-S.     

Filtering of the gravimetric anomalies to the study of the geological structures of Oued Zarga (Septentrional Tunisia): structural implications

Gravity data were analysed in the Northern Tunisian Atlas (case study of Oued Zarga area) to better understand the organization of its underlying structures. The gravity data analysis included the construction of a gravity anomaly maps and two and a half dimensional gravity model. The qualitative analysis of gravimetric maps served for the foundation of a new structural map of the study region that constitutes a new contribution of the gravimetry in this present work. In addition, the complete Bouguer and residual gravity anomaly maps indicate a negative gravity anomaly over the Triassic evaporitic outcrops of Jebel Guerouaou and prominent NE?CSW-trending features associated with the boundary of the Triassic rocks and surrounded layers. A NW?CSE-trending gravity model that crosses the Triassic evaporitic outcrop at Jebel Guerouaou can be explained by a deep-rooted salt diapir.     

Early Berriasian ammonites from Shal, Talesh region (NW Alborz Mountains, Iran)

An early Berriasian (Berriasella jacobi Zone) ammonite fauna is described for the first time from the Alborz Mountains in northwest Iran. It has been collected from a section located near the village of Shal (Talesh region); in addition to rare phylloceratids, lytoceratids and Neolissoceras, the majority of ammonites belong to the neocomitid subfamily Berriasellinae. With the exception of a new genus and species, Taleshites fuersichi, these taxa are common in European and North African Tethyan successions. Associated calpionellids confirm the early Berriasian age of the ammonite-bearing levels.     

Radioactivity and mineralogy of the altered granites of the Wadi Ghadir shear zone, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Quartz-diorite, gneissose granodiorites, two-mica granite and perthite leucogranie are the main rock units cropping out in the Wadi Ghadir area, South Eastern Desert of Egypt. Along the NNE-SSW mega-faults, a broad brittle shear zone is developed in the Ghadir two-mica granite. Brittle deformation is manifested by severe myloniti-zation and alteration of these granites. These sheared altered granites are characterized by the presence of radioactive mineralization, associated with alteration features such as silicification, hematization and kaolinitization. Radioelement measurements revealed that the unaltered and altered two-mica granites are considered as uraniferous granites. The average uranium and thorium contents in the unaltered two-mica granites are 12.29×10-6 and 19.81×10-6, respectively, and the average Th/U ratio is 1.62. The altered granites exhibit higher concentrations of U (averaging 97.949), but have lower Th and Th/U ratios (13.83 and 0.16, respectively), which indicates uranium enrichment in the granites. Binary relations of eTh/eU against either eU or eTh and eU with eTh in the studied gran-ites suggest that the distribution of radioactive elements not only magmatic (positive correlation between eU and eTh), but also due to hydrothermal redistribution of radioelements (weak correlation between eU and eTh/eU). The magmatic U and Th are indicated by the presence of uraninite, thorite, zircon and monazite whereas the evidence of hydrothermal mineralization is the alteration of rock-forming minerals such as feldspar and the forma-tion of secondary minerals such as uranophane and pyrite. Microscopic, XRD and scanning electron microscopic studies revealed the presence of uraninite, uranophane, thorite, Ce-monazite and zircon, in addition to phlogopite-fluor mica in the studied altered granites of the Wadi Ghadir shear zone.