Geochemical Elements of Continental and Marine Surface Sediments in Southern Morocco as an Indicator of Environmental and Climate Change

Like other regions of Morocco, southern Morocco is presently subject to severe drought, desertification and socio-economic stress. Studies on climate change, landscape and vegetation have mainly focused on north of the country. In contrast, climatic and environmental history in the south of the country is largely unknown. In this study, we have chosen the characterization of southern Morocco based on geochemical parameters (trace and major elements). Marine and continental samples are collected along the south of Morocco (~31°N and 29°N). The concentrations of chemical elements are obtained by XRF (X-ray fluorescence scanning) with the aim of defining the effects of climate change and rainfall on the local environment and natural resources. The integration of the different results has allowed us to reconstruct climate, ocean and environmental changes. That has enabled us to provide data for land–ocean correlations.