TITLE:
Deep Water Status in Southwestern Tunisia
AUTHORS:
Thouraya Zemni, Mohsen Ben Alaya, Fouad Zargouni, Lahmaidi Moumni
KEYWORDS:
Southwestern Tunisia, Barremian, Hauterivian, Aquifers, Salinity
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.8 No.6,
May
27,
2016
ABSTRACT: Due to the water demand growth in southwestern
Tunisia, particularly in Segui Gafsa-Tozeur area, the Tunisian Government
launched a research program for new water resources in the lower Cretaceous
layers within the Hauterivian and Barremian age. The present study highlights
the major results of this project and defines the ability of the Barremian and
Hauterivian series to be or not as good usable aquifers in this region. Seismic
data show that the studied levels are located in deep trough with a very high depth.
The water collected from the drilled wells in this region shows a very high
salinity (80 g/l to 130 g/l) with a very low water level (끪 m/TN). These
water levels are in hydrological isolation by faulting (faults trending NE-SW
and NW-SE) with the Jerid area, where these layers are good water bearing.
Thus, the studied series can't be considered as encouraging usable aquifers in
the future. These results are crucial to make a decision and represent the
guideline for research strategies in South-West Tunisia. Consequently, the
government focuses on water search within the Turonian level which showed much
more encouraging signs.