Structural modeling of the Paleozoic basement and hydrogeological study: contribution of geology and aeromagnetic data of the Eastern High Atlas (Morocco)

By exploring hydrogeological, geophysical, and geological data in a GIS environment, this study examines the efficiency of the aeromagnetic modeling in analyzing the High Guir Basin’s deep aquifers and Paleozoic basement structure. In fact, several filtering techniques have been applied to the aeromagnetic map, such as reduction to the pole (RTP), vertical and horizontal derivatives, and upward continuation. Results show that the Paleozoic basement, which extends across a substantial area and is concealed by the Eastern High Atlas’ Jurassic cover, outcrops at the level of the Mouguer and Boudhar Inliers via the deep faults. The developed structural model also indicates numerous long faults that are linked to Variscan and Atlas–Alpine tectonics. These faults trend in one of the three directions: NW–SE, E–W, NE–SW, and reach substantial depths of up to 7000 m. Moreover, significant spatial coherence between the aquifer’s fractures and compartments was found through statistical analysis. Because of this, creating this structural model, which illustrates how the Paleozoic basement is structured, will frequently serve as the basis for conducting the next hydrogeological research in this area and significantly advance our understanding of the structure of the Jurassic aquifers.