Cartographie de corps stériles sous couverture quaternaire par méthode de résistivités électriques dans le gisement phosphaté de Sidi Chennane (Maroc)Sterile bodies mapping under Quaternary cover using resistivity-sounding method in the phosphatic bearing of Sidi Chennane (Morocco)

In the Ouled Abdoun sedimentary basin (Morocco), the phosphatic series is composed of regular interbedded phosphatic and marly limestone layers. Some phosphatic deposits in this basin show sterile bodies causing two kinds of problems: (1) as they are hard, compact and masked by a Quaternary cover, they disturb the exploitation in some yards and give bad reserve calculations; (2) even the use of wells and mechanical boreholes did not evidence their delimitation. Therefore, electric prospecting method has been used to evidence their geometrical shape. Petrographical and geometrical studies on these sterile bodies allowed us to choose the appropriate geophysical method to map them. The electrical resistivity survey that we used in the Sidi Chennane area shows that this technique is a good tool to contour these sterile bodies. This method is now considered as useful to the mining engineers to get round them during the exploitation. To cite this article: A. Kchikach et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 379–386.     

Nutrient fluxes from deep sediment support nutrient budget in the oligotrophic waters of the Gulf of Aqaba

The role of deep sediment in supporting nutrient budget in the Gulf of Aqaba has been investigated by estimating the flux of inorganic nitrogen, phosphate and silicate. Fluxes were calculated directly by pore water profiles and indirectly by chamber incubations carried out onboard the RV Meteor cruise. The results showed that maximum potential fluxes calculated by chamber incubations were higher than those calculated by porewater profiles for all nutrients (6.4–28.5 fold). This has been attributed to the additional flux due to bioturbation and flux from advective porewater exchange in the case of chamber incubation, while porewater fluxes represent diffusive ones. Using a rough estimation considering flux results in addition to the sediment area and water mass of the Gulf of Aqaba, we estimate that 3.3 × 10⁵, 6.4 × 10⁴ and 6.5 × 10⁶ kg year⁻¹ of inorganic nitrogen, phosphate and silicate respectively are effused from deep sediments to the water column. This quanitity would certainly support the primary productivity in the oligotrophic water in the Gulf of Aqaba.     

Longitudinal variability of soils and structural response of sewer networks

A simple model which describes the soil–pipe interaction and accounts for the longitudinal soil variation has been developed. It is used for the analysis of the static response of a section of a buried sewer. A probabilistic analysis (Monte-Carlo method) enabling to quantify the influence of spatial variability of the geomechanical characteristics of the soil makes possible to study the parameters which can influence and drive the longitudinal response of a section of sewer. The system response is complex, soil–structure interaction depending on three different stiffnesses: soil stiffness, pipe components stiffness and joints stiffness. Various analyses have been performed to identify the parameters whose influence is the larger. A specific attention has been devoted to the fluctuation scale of the soil properties and to the stiffness of joints.     

Evaluation of Sand Dunes Stabilization Techniques in Baiji District, Iraq

INTRODUCTIONAsandduneisanyaccumulationofsand grainsshapedintoamoundorridgebythewindunderthein fluenceofgravity .Sanddunesarecomparabletootherformsthatappearwhenafluidmovesoveraloosebed .Dunesarefoundwhereverloosesandiswindblown(Bagnold ,196 0 ) .MostofIraqianlandsareaffectedbywinderosion ,theformationandmovementofsanddunes ,particularlyinthemiddleandsouthofIraq .Thetotalareacoveredbysanddunesisapproximately 2mil lionshectares ,andthreatensmanyothermillionshectares (DougramejiandKaul,197…     

Le graben de l'Anti-Atlas occidental (Maroc) : contrôle tectonique de la paléogéographie et des séquences au Cambrien inférieur

In the Moroccan western Anti-Atlas, the combined extensive tectonic events with a long-term sea-level rise is the main factor on building vertical stacking transgressive–regressive sequences. In the Ait Abdallah-Boussafene axis, the subsidence processes, relayed by a brutal platform tilting generated an elongated NE–SW graben. This is an evidence of the persistence of the Anti-Atlasic rifting process during the last part of the Lower-Cambrian succession.     

Holocene climate phases from buried soils in Tigray (northern Ethiopia): comparison with lake level fluctuations in the Main Ethiopian Rift

Stratigraphic analysis of alluvial/colluvial sequences and ¹⁴C dating have been used as proxies for Holocene climate changes in the highlands of Tigray (northern Ethiopia). The studied records show alternations of buried soils and peaty–clayey sediments, pointing to wet, stabilization phases, and organic-free colluvium layers resulting from the abrupt occurrence of dry-climate episodes. The ¹⁴C dates, mostly unpublished, cluster in the 11,090–9915, 9465–9135, 8450–7330, 6720–3635, 2710–2345, and 1265–790 cal yr B.P. time spans. Evidence of subsequent pedogenesis is lacking in the area, apart from a buried humified horizon dated at 300 ± 60 ¹⁴C yr B.P. (460–295 cal yr B.P.). Both the timing and the pattern of Tigray paleoclimatic events fit the corresponding framework, based on lake level changes, previously implemented for the Main Rift Valley. These findings give further support for arguing that the forcing mechanisms of the wet/dry fluctuations during the Holocene were effective over a large scale.     

Photometric Imaging with Distributive Solar Analogy

The multicolor light curves (UBVRI) of HU Vir have been analyzed to study starspots for epochs 1987 and 1989. The term 'photometric imaging' has been used for predicting cool surface spots by photometric data. Assuming the number of spots and the area are about the same for the two hemispheres, the distributive solar analogy is introduced as a tool to constrain free values of spot parameters into unique values. Therefore, final fitting parameters are claimed unique in a sense that they are independent of free initial guesses. The light and color variations of HU Vir are better explained without polar spots. Finally, the spots are found to be ∼ 1600 K cooler than the T∼ 5000 K of this cool subgiant and cover ∼ %13.9 of the total surface at ±8.0 degrees from the equator for the epoch 1987. The spots at the epoch 1989 are found to be ∼ 2040 K cooler covering ∼ % 12.7 area at ± 27°.7 latitudes. Problems of photometric imaging and possible solutions with distributive solar analogy have been discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cosmological Axially-Symmetric Viscous Fluid Interacting with the Gravitational Field

The problem of cosmological axially-symmetric viscous fluid interacting with the gravitational field has been investigated. Exact solution have been obtained for the pressure and density of the fluid. Physical interpretation of the solutions regarding the expansion factor, acceleration components and reality condition have been made. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Facies and sequence stratigraphy of a Late Barremian wave-dominated deltaic deposit, Agadir Basin, Morocco

The late Barremian succession in the Agadir Basin of the Moroccan Western High Atlas represents wave-dominated deltaic deposits. The succession is represented by stacked thickening and coarsening upwards parasequences 5–15 m thick formed during fifth- or fourth-order regression and building a third-order highstand systems tract. Vertical facies transitions in parasequences reflect flooding followed by shoaling of diverse shelf environments ranging from offshore transition interbedded mudstones, siltstones and thin sandstones, lower shoreface/lower delta front hummocky bedforms to upper shoreface/upper delta front cross-bedded sandstones. The regional configuration reflects the progradation of wave-dominated deltas over an offshore setting. The maximum sea-level fall led to the development of a sequence boundary that is an unconformity. The subsequent early Aptian relative sea-level rise contributes to the development of an extensive conglomerate lagged transgressive surface of erosion. The latter and the sequence boundary are amalgamated forming a composite surface.