Digital mapping and spatial analysis of quarries using GIS – A case study of Settat Province, Morocco

Abstract

The province of Settat plays a key role in supplying the building materials that meet the needs of the province as well as the provincial construction and public work sectors. Indeed, the province is full of natural potential in raw materials and counts more than 109 quarries. This study aimed to build a quarrying database in the province of Settat to both characterize the materials mined and map the quarries through the Geographic Information System (GIS). This mapping allowed conducting the geographical distribution analysis of quarries by territorial unit and type of materials. The results revealed a predominance of carbonate quarries, especially in the Ben Ahmed circle. This distribution can be explained by natural, economic, and logistical factors characterizing the study area.