The Sidi Bou Othmane (SBO) pegmatite district is situated in the Central Jebilet massif, Western Meseta domain, Morocco. The SBO district is hosted essentially in a volcano-sedimentary series composed of Late-Devonian Sarhlef shales. Pegmatite bodies crop out as dykes, which are oriented from N-S to E-W and are generally variably deformed with ductile and/or brittle structures with ante, syn- or post-kinematic criteria. Petrographic observations of pegmatite dykes show that feldspars (i.e., albite, microcline) are the most abundant mineral phases, followed by quartz and micas, with tourmaline and accessory minerals such as garnet, and zircon also featuring heavily, as well as secondary minerals such as clinochlore, sericite, and illite. The geochemical study of the SBO pegmatites indicates that they have mainly S-type granitic compositions, which are peraluminous granites with calc-alkalic affinities. The study of trace elements indicates that SBO pegmatites were formed in post-orogenic syn-collision context during the Variscan orogeny by the partial melting of argilliferous sediment. They can be ascribed to the muscovite-bearing pegmatite; moreover, they have good potential regarding ceramics. They also contain minerals, such as feldspar, which have been recently assessed as critical raw materials by the European Union.

This research applies remote sensing methodologies for the first time to comprehensively explore the geological and mineralogical characteristics of the Jbel Bou Dahar region. An integrated approach with multi-sensor satellite images, including ASTER, Landsat-8, and Sentinel-2 was applied with the aim to discriminate the different lithological units in the study area. We implemented a suite of well-established image processing techniques, including Band Ratios, Principal Component Analysis, and Spectral Angle Mapper, to successfully identify, classify, and map the spatial distribution of carbonate minerals, OH-bearing minerals, and iron oxide minerals. Due to its high spectral resolution in the short-wave infrared region (SWIR), the ASTER sensor provided the most accurate results for mapping carbonate and OH-bearing minerals compared to the Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 sensors. Conversely, Sentinel-2 offers high spectral and spatial resolution in visible and near-infrared (VNIR) corresponding to the regions where iron oxide minerals exhibit their characteristic absorption peaks. The results confirm the advantages of remote sensing technologies in the geological and mineralogical exploration of the study area and the importance of selecting the appropriate sensors for specific mapping objectives.

This article is devoted to the synthesis of nano-silica from phosphate waste rocks as a promising route of recycling these silica-rich phosphate by-products. Furthermore, their reactivity potential will be investigated while incorporating them as nano-additive and as a partial replacement to cement in the conventionally used recipes of mortars. It has been shown that the synthesized nano-silica has a higher level of purity and a large specific surface area, which is about 8 times higher than the initial raw material. Various formulations of mortars were tested after adding different percentages of nano-silica to the ordinarily used recipe, at a constant water-to-cement ratio, and their microstructure, mineralogical composition, and mechanical properties were investigated. It was shown that compressive strength and flexural strength increased, and the fluidity of the mortars decreased when the ratio of nano-silica increased from 1% to 5%.

Sidi Bou Othmane region in the Central Jebilet is formed by a Devonian schistose series. The polyphase Hercynian deformation in this area is characterised by penetrative, subvertical, synmetamorphic schistosity (S1), accompanied by folding. Syntectonic granitic intrusions, hidden in the Sidi Bou Othmane region, is marked by a contact of metamorphism, which responsible for the replacement phenomena observed essentially in the limestones of the region which are transformed into graphitic Sn-W exoskarns. Syn-tectonic, skarnification is polyphase : (i) prograde stage (T= 500- 750°C) : with graphite, garnets, idocrase, pyroxene, wollastonite, quartz, scheelite and molybdenite, crossed by a network of successive veins (garnet, idocrase, wollastonite, quartz and calcite; (ii) retrograde stage (T= 400-500°C): with garnet, idocrase, pyroxene wollastonite, quartz, calcite, epidote scheelite and cassiterite; (iii) hydrothermal alteration stage (T ≤400°C) : with sericite and clay accompanied by abundant scheelite and cassiterite, favoured by the high oxidation rate. Therefore, they would have formed in a reduced environment, in relation to large batholiths or stocks of quartz diorites and/or granites in syn, late- to post-orogenic to anorogenic contexts, in the absence of any cogenetic volcanism. The economic mineralisation of graphite was formed mainly during prograde stage, under reducing conditions. It was formed by devolatilization of a bituminous origin linked to the reef limestones and organic matter, trapped in the shales according to the following reaction:

Groundwater has long been a reliable source of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use in the Eastern Haouz and upstream Tassaout, but the establishment of management program that integrates groundwater and surface water uses has been hampered by the lack of detailed informations. A geophysical study using the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has been established to get a better knowledge of both the geometry of the formations and the physical characteristics of the aquifer. The results of the ERT validated the authors hypotheses on the surface and groundwater divide line, the high salinity zone and the cause of Tassaout river's direction change. The ERT study has shown that the rise of the basement, east of the village of Tamelalet on the North of the plain, gave a surface and groundwater divide line. The zone of high mineralization is explained by the dissolution of the minerals present in the Triassic clayey formations, which later traps in shale fractures. The change in direction of the Tassaout river is due to a thick layer of conglomerate highly resistant to erosion by the water river.

The phosphate mining industry produces large amounts of waste rocks during the open-pit mining operation. In the present paper, phosphate waste rocks, abundant in different regions of Morocco, are investigated as a candidate material for partial/entire replacement of conventionally used industrial minerals. Several recipes for the production of tiles are tested, based on raw materials from five representative phosphate waste rocks mine sites and a raw clay from Safi's region in Morocco. The phosphate waste rocks are shown to be mainly composed of phyllosilicates (smectite, sepiolite, and palygorskite), carbonates (dolomite and calcite), and silica frameworks (quartz, tridymite, and cristobalite) as major phases. The raw samples and calcined mixtures were characterized by using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Properties analyses revealed that the produced ceramic tiles can be classified as porous bodies. The tiles based on 100% of phosphate waste rocks have shown excellent mechanical properties (similar to 55 MPa) in terms of compression and they can be used in the traditional wall tiles called "Zellige" in Morocco.

Large clayey sedimentary layers are extracted as waste rock material to reach the phosphate ores. Considered as mining wastes intimately mixed with other silicated and carbonated lithologies, they are stored as coarse waste rocks in large dumps nearby the phosphate mines; as it is the case of Gantour mine of OCP group (Morocco). These clay occurrences have been investigated as a raw material for the production of ceramics, especially fired clay bricks. In this paper, pressed and fired briquettes made of the isolated clayey lithology were manufactured. The clay material mineralogy include dolomite, quartz, palygorskite, and montmorillonite. The as-formed briquettes were oven dried at 105 degrees C then fired in the range 900-1100 degrees C. Both raw and sintered samples (at various temperature) were investigated by differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical and scanning electron microscope (OM-SEM) and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR). Main physical and mechanical properties were assessed and correlated to the microstructural changes. The obtained results revealed that sintering temperature increase led to dehydroxylation of clay minerals, persistence of quartz and neo-formation of diopside, anorthite, hematite and magnetite. SEM secondary electron images showed bricks vitrification together with micro-porosity formation during firing, which greatly influenced the mechanical properties. The elaborated bricks displayed acceptable water absorption capacity and firing shrinkage rate with good flexural strength, showing that they could be used in the bricks manufacturing. This clay lithology from phosphate mines should then be considered as a raw material to be valorized and reused. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Eastern Haouz in Morroco is an agricultural region in full demographic, economic, and touristic expansion. To meet the increasingly growing demand of water, this paper focuses on the geological modelling of the basin geometry and on understanding the groundwater circulation. This work presents a geological model of the study area by integrating geological and hydrogeological aspects. It aims to describe a natural complex object by simplifying it to a conceptual and a numerical model. This is aimed at providing a better understanding of the geometry and the characteristics of the reservoir. The cross-sections and the treatment of deep boreholes data confirmed the results of geological modeling. It, however, shows that the region is synclinal and surrounded by two outcrops: the Jebilet and the High Atlas mountains. At the South of the plain, the large thickness of the cover gives a good accumulation of water and ensures the reservoir supply. The rise European Scientific Journal August 2018 edition Vol.14, No.24 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431 54 of the basement in the north of the plain imposes a dividing line with two groundwater flow directions.

Very few cases of Cast Blasting use in phosphate mining are reported. However, in open-cast coal mining, Cast Blasting is a common practice. And yet, the geological structure of both types of deposits is similar. Accordingly, advantages for phosphate open-cast mines are manifest, especially as future conditions of phosphate deposits fit quite well with the approach. The perspectives in terms of increasing capacity and reducing cost of stripping are quite positive. The dragline market (backbone of open-cast mining) is currently dominated by few suppliers. Avoiding investment in these mining equipment would limit the risk of dependency and therefore provide a strategic advantage. Moreover, coping with the improvement of efficiency issues, transforming fixed costs into variable costs are a key measure. And this is something that could be achieved through Cast Blasting. Prior to the implementation of this method, a study was achieved to demonstrate profitability while specifying the conditions of optimal use. The study was based both on the use of numerical simulation and field trials. The presentation provides a summary of the geology, the blasting method and the findings of this study and highlights the side effects that should be fixed (mainly back break) in order to ensure the best result from the Cast Blasting method.

Very few cases of Cast Blasting use in phosphate mining are reported. However, in open-cast coal mining, Cast Blasting is a common practice. And yet, the geological structure of both types of deposits is similar. Accordingly, advantages for phosphate open-cast mines are manifest, especially as future conditions of phosphate deposits fit quite well with the approach.

Geological exploration of deposits leads to their geological modeling with estimation of resources and reserves of phosphate rock based on various criteria. This model is used for mine planning at different stages:The depletion planThe long term planThe strategic updated planThe business stearingThe open pit mining of phosphate deposits in the OCP consists of cutting the deposit in panels, the panel is cutting in trenches of 40m in large and the trenches are cut into block with 40mx100m. With the aim to allow the flexibility in the mine planning, the geologist must provide a chemical and physical characterization of each box with an estimation of the volumes of phosphate layers and sterile layers. At first, the characterization of blocks was done by the manual method based on maps of iso-values. As part of research for in geological modeling, we proceeded to the modeling blocks to replay to requirements of the production planning. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).