Fig. 1.
Geographical location of Ait Attab syncline (study area).
Fig. 2.
a) Geological map of Ait Attab syncline (Extract from the geological map of Morocco at 1/100 000, Afourer sheet, modified); b) Simplified lithostratigraphic log of study area (Haddoumi, 2010 modified): Ceno-Tur: Cenomano-Turonian; Baj-Bat : Bajocian-Bathonian; Toar-Aale: Toarcian-Aalenian.
Table 1.
Some methodologies used to evaluate geoheritage sites.
| Publication | Scientific | Additional | Use | Use and management | Use and protection | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural | Economic | Aesthetic | Educational | |||||
| Grandgirard (1999) | * | |||||||
| Bruschi and Cendréro (2005) | * | * | * | |||||
| Serrano and González-Trueba (2005) | * | * | * | |||||
| Coratza and Giusti (2005) | * | * | ||||||
| Pralong (2006) | * | * | * | * | * | |||
| Zouros (2005, 2007) | * | * | ||||||
| Reynard et al. (2017) | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||
| Pereira et al. (2007) | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||
| Comanescu et al. (2011) | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Pereira and Pereira (2010) | * | * | * | * | * | |||
| Bosson and Reynard (2012) | * | * | * | |||||
| Comanescu et al. (2012) | * | * | * | * | * | |||
| Del Monte et al. (2013) | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||
| Grangier (2013) | * | * | * | * | * | |||
| Stevanovic (2015) | * | * | * | * | * | |||
| Reynard et al. (2016) | * | * | * | * | * | |||
| Kubalíková and Kirchner (2016) | * | * | * | |||||
| Pica et al. (2017) | * | * | * | * | ||||
| Niculiţă and Mărgărint (2017) | * | * | * | * | * | |||
Table 2.
Assessment criteria used to evaluate geosites and geodiversity sites (Brilha 2016).
| Scientific value (SV) | Potential value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Educational (PEU) | Touristic (PTU) | |||||
| Criteria | Weights [%] | Weights [%] | Criteria | Weights [%] | ||
| Representativeness (Rp) | 30 | 10 | Vulnerability (V) | 10 | ||
| Key locality (Kl) | 20 | 10 | Accessibility (A) | 10 | ||
| Scientific knowledge (Sn) | 5 | 5 | Use limit (Ul) | 5 | ||
| Integrity (I) | 15 | 10 | Security (S) | 10 | ||
| Geological diversity (Gd) | 5 | 5 | Logistics (L) | 5 | ||
| Rarity (R) | 15 | 5 | Density of populations (Dp) | 5 | ||
| Use limit (Ul) | 10 | 5 | Association with other values (Av) | 5 | ||
| 5 | Scenery (Se) | 15 | ||||
| Degradation risks (DR) | 5 | Uniqueness (U) | 10 | |||
| Criteria | Weights [%] | 10 | Observation conditions (Oc) | 5 | ||
| Deterioration of geological elements (Dg) | 35 | 20 | Didactic potential (Dp) | Interpretive potential (Ip) | 10 | |
| Proximity activities cause degradation (Pa) | 20 | 10 | Geological diversity (Gd) | Economic level (El) | 5 | |
| Legal protection (Lp) | 20 | Proximity to recreational areas (Pa) | 5 | |||
| Accessibility (Ac) | 15 | |||||
| Density of populations (Dp) | 10 | |||||
Fig. 3.
Mapping of geotrails with inventoried geosites and geodiversity sites as well as the tourist infrastructure of the Ait Attab syncline.
Table 3.
Brief characterisation of geotours, geosites (GS) and geodiversity (GD) sites of the Ait Attab syncline.
| Geotrail | No | Name | Code | Coordinates | GS GD | Scientific interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beni Ayyat – Ayt Bouyqben | 1 | Panoramic view of overturned bar of Iferghas | Stra01 | X = 387858 Y = 179058 | GS | Stratigraphic, structural |
| 2 | Karst cliff of Ighir-n-Oumejjad | Kar02 | X = 384756 Y = 177043 | GD | Karstic, geomorphological | |
| 3 | Panoramic view of the Ait Attab syncline | Stra03 | X = 382007 Y =174573 | GS | Stratigraphic, structural, scenic | |
| 4 | The tectonic deformations of Jbel Hassan | Stru04 | X = 382025 Y = 173773 | GD | Structural | |
| 5 | The ruiniform limestones with ammonite of the Ben Cherrou Formation | Pal05 | X = 377397 Y = 186281 | GS | Palaeontological, karstic | |
| 6 | Panoramic view of the Cretaceous cuestas | Geom06 | X = 778875 Y = 166099 | GS | Geomorphological | |
| 7 | The bad land of Ait Ouabit | Flu07 | X = 379108 Y = 165506 | GD | Fluvial | |
| 8 | Gorges of Ait Ouabit | Geom08 | X = 379104 Y = 163634 | GD | Geomorphological | |
| 9 | Conglomerate terraces of Oued El Abid | Stra9 | X = 381055 Y = 165129 | GD | Stratigraphic, fluvial | |
| 10 | The footprints of sauropod dinosaurs of Ayt Bouiqban | Pal10 | X = 382226 Y = 164873 | GS | Palaeontological, scenic | |
| 11 | Lower limit of the basaltic flow B2 | Stra11 | X = 377188 Y = 166975 | GS | Stratigraphic, magmatic | |
| Afourer – Taounza | 12 | Jurassic-Cretaceous unconformity and volcanic activities | Stra12 | X = 391673 Y = 170160 | GS | Stratigraphic, magmatic |
| 13 | Bioclastic limestone with ammonite of the Bine El Ouidane BIII Formation | Pal13 | X = 391105 Y = 169708 | GD | Palaeontological | |
| 14 | Panoramic view of Oued El Abid from the old Caida of Taounza | Flu14 | X = 387128 Y = 166982 | GD | Fluvial, scenic | |
| Tisqi – Ouled Ayyad | 15 | Caves of cats and the spring of Tisqui | Spel15 | X = 371295 Y =168639 | GD | Speleological |
| 16 | Bioclastic marly limestone of Ait Tafelt Formation | Pal16 | X = 375908 Y = 170508 | GD | Palaeontological | |
| 17 | Eroded sandstone of Jbel Ilaghmane | Geom17 | X = 374969 Y = 171017 | GD | Geomorphological, scenic | |
| 18 | Panoramic view of the red formations separated by the BI and BII magmatic events | Stra18 | X =374470 Y = 371140 | GS | Stratigraphic | |
| 19 | Ruiniform reliefs of Jbel Al Maqçoura | Kar19 | X = 369907 Y = 174781 | GD | Karstic |
Fig. 4.
a) Overlap of the Jurassic on the Cretaceous; b) N’Ait Belhaj Community Granary; c) tectonic deformations (fold and faults) which affected the Lower Lias.
Fig. 5.
Northern panoramic view of the Attab syncline.
Fig. 6.
a-b) Lower limit of the basalt flow B2. Fm: formation; c) Basalt B2 with porphyry texture. Ol: olivine; Pl: plagioclase ; Op: ferrotinasated oxide (Guezzal 2017).
Fig. 7.
Jurassic-Cretaceous discordance.
Fig. 8.
Simplified geological map of the Ait Attab syncline (Rolley, 1978); b) red layers in the northern flank of the syncline; c) panoramic view of the red layers separated by the B1 and B2 magmatic events.
Fig. 9.
a) Ruiniform reliefs of Ben Cherrou formation; b) Bioclastic limestone with gastropods and lamellibranchs; c) Bioclastic limestone with ammonite fossils.
Fig. 10.
a) Panoramic view of the dolomitic limestone of Iouaridene formation containing sauropod dinosaur footprints; b–c) Sauropod dinosaur footprints.
Fig. 11.
Google earth image (a) and photo (b) showing the Cretaceous cuestas of Ait Attab syncline.
Fig. 12.
a) Karstic cliff of Ighir-n-Oumejjad; b) Tectonic deformations of Jbel Hassan mountain; c) Panoramic view of Oued El Abid from the ancient Caida of Taounza; d) Conglomerate terraces of Oued El Abid ; e) The gorges of Ait Ouabit ; f) Panoramic view of the eroded sandstones of Jbel Iloghman with oblique stratifications; g) Bioclastic marl of the Ait Tafelt formation; h) Bioclastic ammonite limestone of the Bine El Ouidane formation BIII; i) Cave of cats (Ghiran Lemchach).
Fig. 13.
a) The adobe granary of El Had douar; b) The fortified granary of Ait Sri; c) The gate of the Ismaili kasbah of Seddat douar; d) Moulay Aissa Ben Driss’s Mosaule; e) The old Jewish quarter (Mellah); f) The folkloric singing group (Abidat Rma); g) The Tborida (Fantasia) team participating in a compitition.
Table 4.
Quantitative assessment of the scientific value (SV) of the selected geosites and geodiversity sites in the Ait Attab syncline.
| Code | Name | Criteria of scientific value | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representa-tiveness | Key locality | Scientific knowledge | Integrity | Geological diversity | Rarity | Use limit | |||
| Stra01 | Panoramic view of overturned bar of Iferghas | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 320 |
| Kar02 | Karst cliff of Ighir-n-Oumejjad | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 220 |
| Stra03 | Panoramic view of the Ait Attab syncline | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 350 |
| Stru04 | The tectonic deformations of Jbel Hassan | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 295 |
| Pal05 | The ruiniform limestones with ammonite of the Ben Cherrou Formation | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 320 |
| Geom06 | Panoramic view of the Cretaceous cuestas | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 300 |
| Flu07 | The bad land of Ait Ouabit | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 195 |
| Geom08 | Gorges of Ait Ouabit | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 285 |
| Stra9 | Conglomerate terraces of Oued El Abid | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 290 |
| Pal10 | The footprints of sauropod dinosaurs of Ayt Bouiqban | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 325 |
| Stra11 | Lower limit of the basaltic flow B2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 320 |
| Stra12 | Jurassic-Cretaceous unconformity and volcanic activities | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 325 |
| Pal13 | Bioclastic limestone with ammonite of the Bine El Ouidane BIII Formation | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 280 |
| Flu14 | Panoramic view of Oued El Abid from the old Caida of Taounza | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 195 |
| Spel15 | Caves of cats and the spring of Tisqui | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 275 |
| Pal16 | Bioclastic marly limestone of Ait Tafelt Formation | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 270 |
| Geom17 | Eroded sandstone of Jbel Ilaghmane | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 265 |
| Stra18 | Panoramic view of the red formations separated by the BI and BII magmatic events | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 315 |
| Kar19 | Ruiniform reliefs of Jbel Al Maqçoura | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 200 |
Table 5.
Quantitative assessment of potential educational uses of selected geosites and geodiversity sites in the Ait Attab syncline.
| Code | Name | Criteria for potential educational use | Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulnerability | Accessibility | Use limit | Security | Logistics | Density of populations | Association with other values | Scenery | Uniqueness | Observation conditions | Didactic potential | Geological diversity | |||
| Stra01 | Panoramic view of overturned bar of Iferghas | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 330 |
| Kar02 | Karst cliff of Ighir-n-Oumejjad | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 330 |
| Stra03 | Panoramic view of the Ait Attab syncline | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 345 |
| Stru04 | The tectonic deformations of Jbel Hassan | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 305 |
| Pal05 | The ruiniform limestones with ammonite of the Ben Cherrou Formation | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 310 |
| GeomO6 | Panoramic view of the Cretaceous cuestas | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 320 |
| Flu07 | The bad land of Ait Ouabit | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 305 |
| Geom08 | Gorges of Ait Ouabit | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 325 |
| Stra9 | Conglomerate terraces of Oued El Abid | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 310 |
| Pal10 | The footprints of sauropod dinosaurs of Ayt Bouiqban | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 305 |
| Stra11 | Lower limit of the basaltic flow B2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 335 |
| Stra12 | Jurassic-Cretaceous unconformity and volcanic activities | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 330 |
| Pal13 | Bioclastic limestone with ammonite of the Bine El Ouidane BIII Formation | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 300 |
| Flu14 | Panoramic view of Oued El Abid from the old Caida of Taounza | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 290 |
| Spel15 | Caves of cats and the spring of Tisqui | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 285 |
| Pal16 | Bioclastic marly limestone of Ait Tafelt Formation | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 310 |
| Geom17 | Eroded sandstone of Jbel Ilaghmane | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 320 |
| Stra18 | Panoramic view of the red formations separated by the BI and BII magmatic events | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 345 |
| Kar19 | Ruiniform reliefs of Jbel Al Maqçoura | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 290 |
Table 6.
Quantitative assessment of potential tourist use of selected geosites and geodiversity sites in the Ait Attab syncline.
| Code | Name | Criteria for tourism potential use | Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vulnerability | Accessibility | Use limit | Security | Logistics | Density of populations | Association with other values | Scenery | Uniqueness | Observation conditions | Interpretive potential | Economic level | Proximity to recreational areas | |||
| Stra01 | Panoramic view of overturned bar of Iferghas | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 305 |
| Kar02 | Karst cliff of Ighir-n-Oumejjad | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 305 |
| Stra03 | Panoramic view of the Ait Attab syncline | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 305 |
| Stru04 | The tectonic deformations of Jbel Hassan | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 250 |
| Pal05 | The ruiniform limestones with ammonite of the Ben Cherrou Formation | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 290 |
| Geom06 | Panoramic view of the Cretaceous cuestas | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 280 |
| Flu07 | The bad land of Ait Ouabit | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 250 |
| Geom08 | Gorges of Ait Ouabit | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 305 |
| Stra9 | Conglomerate terraces of Oued El Abid | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 255 |
| Pal10 | The footprints of sauropod dinosaurs of Ayt Bouiqban | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 250 |
| Stra11 | Lower limit of the basaltic flow B2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 285 |
| Stra12 | Jurassic-Cretaceous unconformity and volcanic activities | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 285 |
| Pal13 | Bioclastic limestone with ammonite of the Bine El Ouidane BIII Formation | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 275 |
| Flu14 | Panoramic view of Oued El Abid from the old Caida of Taounza | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 315 |
| Spel15 | Caves of cats and the spring of Tisqui | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 305 |
| Pal16 | Bioclastic marly limestone of Ait Tafelt Formation | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 250 |
| Geom17 | Eroded sandstone of Jbel Ilaghmane | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 240 |
| Stra18 | Panoramic view of the red formations separated by the BI and BII magmatic events | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 305 |
| Kar19 | Ruiniform reliefs of Jbel Al Maqçoura | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 305 |
Table 7.
Quantitative assessment of degradation risks (DR) of selected geosites and geodiversity sites in the Ait Attab syncline and required protections.
| Code | Name | Degradation risks | Total | Required protection | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deterioration of geological elements | Proximity activities cause degradation | Legal protection | Accessibility | Density of populations | ||||
| Stra01 | Panoramic view of overturned bar of Iferghas | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 235 | Medium |
| Kar02 | Karst cliff of Ighir-n-Oumejjad | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 225 | Medium |
| Stra03 | Panoramic view of the Ait Attab syncline | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 260 | Medium |
| Stru04 | The tectonic deformations of Jbel Hassan | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 280 | Medium |
| Pal05 | The ruiniform limestones with ammonite of the Ben Cherrou Formation | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 300 | High |
| Geom06 | Panoramic view of the Cretaceous cuestas | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 265 | Medium |
| Flu07 | The bad land of Ait Ouabit | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 315 | High |
| Geom08 | Gorges of Ait Ouabit | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 260 | Medium |
| Stra9 | Conglomerate terraces of Oued El Abid | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 265 | Medium |
| Pal10 | The footprints of sauropod dinosaurs of Ayt Bouiqban | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 300 | High |
| Stra11 | Lower limit of the basaltic flow B2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 315 | High |
| Stra12 | Jurassic-Cretaceous unconformity and volcanic activities | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 330 | High |
| Pal13 | Bioclastic limestone with ammonite of the Bine El Ouidane BIII Formation | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 315 | High |
| Flu14 | Panoramic view of Oued El Abid from the old Caida of Taounza | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 285 | Medium |
| Spel15 | Caves of cats and the spring of Tisqui | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 335 | High |
| Pal16 | Bioclastic marly limestone of Ait Tafelt Formation | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 335 | High |
| Geom17 | Eroded sandstone of Jbel Ilaghmane | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 300 | High |
| Stra18 | Panoramic view of the red formations separated by the BI and BII magmatic events | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 295 | Medium |
| Kar19 | Ruiniform reliefs of Jbel Al Maqçoura | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 260 | Medium |