Geochemical and hydrogeological studies of a sodium sulphate deposits: the case of Sabkhet El Ghine Oum El Khialate, southeast Tunisia

• Autores: Mohamed Ali Tagorti, Rihab Guellala, Wissem Gallala, Elhoucine Essefi, Said Tlig
• Localización: Carbonates and Evaporites, ISSN 0891-2556, Vol. 29, Nº. 3, 2014, págs. 299-307
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The El Ghine-Oum El Khialate sebkha extends in southeast Tunisia on over than 75 km2. This depression is filled by recent Quaternary deposits containing a brines aquifer situated at a depth varying from 1 to 10 m. This aquifer is highly rich in sodium sulphate. At the surface, noticeable is the deposition of mirabilite and thenardite encrusting. To quantify the salt reserves for a rational exploitation, thirty dry cores (approximately 160 m of core) were carried out in the sebkha. They underwent integrated geological, geochemical and hydrogeological studies. The estimated reserves are in the range of 8.106 t: Na2SO4, 2.106 t NaCl and 1.106 t MgCl2. The extraction of these salts is restricted by the relatively poor hydrodynamic characteristics of the reservoir evaluated during pumping tests.