The Gantour Phosphatic Basin (GPB) is formed by a sedimentary series of Maastrichtian to the Eocene age, which consists of alternating phosphate layers and sterile levels. This series outcrops in the northern part of the basin, where it is exploited in open-pit mines. The exploration methodology employed by the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) group to investigate the GPB is based on direct recognition with boreholes drilled on a 500 × 500 m grid. This research is concerned with the compilation and analysis of data collected during several drilling campaigns conducted on the central segment of the GPB, namely the Louta deposit. This research also includes acquiring, processing, and interpreting new geophysical and hydrogeological data. Its main objective is to provide a better understanding of the deep structure of the phosphatic series. Therefore, the present study was carried out according to a multidisciplinary approach that comprises three parts. (i) The first one involves geological modeling of the exploration borehole data using Datamine Studio RM software (version 1.4), developed by Datamine Corporate Ltd., (Bristol, United Kingdom). It results in establishing a series of geological cross-sections that display a detailed view of the deep structure of the phosphatic series and its lateral variations. (ii) The second part is related to the hydrogeological study, whose purpose was to elaborate on an accurate and updated piezometric map of the study area. The new map helps understand the groundwater flow in the Louta deposit. Furthermore, the superimposition of the piezometric level with the geological sections throws light on the flooded volume of phosphate in this deposit. (iii) The third part of the study focuses on implementing the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) method. The interpretation of the recorded geoelectrical data not only highlights the main features controlling the mode and the proportion of the phosphate series deepening under the Plio-Quaternary cover but also confirms the evolution of the overall structure of the studied area. The obtained 2D ERT models generally corroborate the cross-sections produced by geological modeling. They also correlate with the information provided by the hydrogeological study. Such information will help guide future hydrogeological and mining extraction planning in the studied area.

In the digital era, highlighting the heritage resources of a mountainous region involves describing and advertising them to promote their visibility and attractiveness. Previous studies mainly assess the natural resources of such regions through a multi-indicator descriptive evaluation. This study aims to develop an effective evaluation of such indicators along the main tourist route of the M’Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, located in the central High Atlas of Morocco. The implementation of an experiential method to assess the tourism characteristics of this region is a notable aspect of our study. It includes analyzing the criteria for choosing this destination by segmenting tourists’ consumption experiences. Statistical data analysis has identified five dimensions of destination choice and four visitor groups. Additionally, we created an interactive map and made it accessible online to promote the natural geoheritage of this region. This article proposes to discuss the findings of this research and their applicability in terms of tourism destination management and decision-making, which can assist local governments in allocating tourism resources and land use rationally.

Charbaoui A.(1*), Jaffal M.(1,2), Kchikach A.(1,2), Eljabbar B.(1), Bodinier J,L.(1,3), Rochdane S.(1), Khadiri O.(4), Jourani E.(4) (1) Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Geology and Sustainable Mining (GSM), Benguerir, Morocco(2) Cadi Ayyad University, Georessources, Geoenvironment & Civil Engineering Laboratory, Marrakech, Morocco(3) University of Montpellier & CNRS, Geosciences Montpellier, Montpellier, France. (4) OCP Group, Casablanca, Morocco*Email: anas.charbaoui@um6p.ma Abstract Seismic reflection is extensively used in petroleum exploration because it is recognized as an excellent tool of geological imaging, especially for sedimentary basins. In recent years, a variant of this method, namely the high-resolution seismic reflection (HRS) has experienced a rapid development due its implementation in many shallow geophysical investigations including studies in geotechnics, hydrogeology, structural geology, seismic hazard estimation, etc. This method can provide continuous coverage of the underground in two-dimensional 2-D, as well as in three-dimensional 3-D spaces. The HRS method has a lot of successful applications in shallow underground prospecting for various purposes (Tallini et al. 2020, Ahokangas et al. 2020).The present project is concerned with the study of the Bahira basin, which hosts some of the most important phosphate deposits of Morocco. Its main objective is to provide a detailed seismic imaging of the phosphatic series, particularly in the area where it is hidden by a plio-quaternary cover. The Bahira phosphatic series is made of a Maastrichtian to Ypresian regular intercalation of phosphate beds and sterile layers.The studies planned in order to reach this objective include first and foremost, the knowledge of the different terms of phosphatic series through (i) the analysis the available boreholes data, so as to gather information about the thickness of the layers, their lithological lateral change, etc., and (ii) the measurement of the rock properties necessary for the seismic modelling. The next step is to carry out numerical simulations that would help establish the expected seismic response of the phosphatic series. This also would aid to determine the appropriate parameters of the subsequent data acquisition. The third step is to perform HRS survey on the areas of interest. This will includes 2D surface seismic profiling and borehole vertical profiling (VSP). The projected studies also include performing measurements of Electrical Resistivity Tomography along the same survey profiles as the HRS. This would help realize a joint inversion of the two type of data and contribute to a better understanding the phosphatic series deep structure. References:[1] Tallini M., Spadi M., Cosentino D., Nocentini M., Cavuoto G., Di Fiore V., 2020. High-resolution seismic reflection exploration for evaluating the seismic hazard in a Plio-Quaternary intermontane basin (L'Aquila downtown, central Italy). Quaternary Iternational (In press)[2] Ahokangas E., Mäkinen J., Artimo A., Pasanen A., Vanhala H., 2020. Reflection method with landstreamer in SW Finland, Journal of Applied Geophysics 177, 104014Keywords: Phosphatic series, high-resolution seismic imaging, numerical simulations, Joint inversion, Bahira basin, Morocco.

In the digital era, enhancing the heritage resources of a tourist route means describing and networking them to promote their visibility and attractiveness. Prior studies mainly assess mountainous region’s natural resources through multi-indicator descriptive evaluation. This study aims to develop a comprehensive measurement of indicator’s value while assessing the tourism development potential of mountainous rural area. It concerns the main tourist route of the UNESCO M'Goun Geopark, located in the central High Atlas of Morocco. It also involves analyzing the criteria for choosing this destination by segmenting tourists' consumption experiences. Statistical analysis of the collected data reveals five dimensions of destination choice and four visitor groups. This article proposes to discuss findings and their applicability in terms of tourism destination management and decision-making, which can help local governments to rationally allocate tourism resources and land use.