Expedition Name (& Club): Morocco: exploring the Atlas-Sahara boundary

Destination country: Morocco
Region:

Lat: 30.9199 Long: -6.8935 Elevation: m
MEF funding: none

Leader: Julia Barrott

Brief Expedition objectives:

List a short summary of the main Expedition objectives.

Extending the exploration, surveying and monitoring of caves in a karst area in the Anti- Atlas Mountains SW of Ouarzazate and of a large cave just north of Er-Rachidia, previously visited in 2010 as part of a research trip.

How can the GPF support your Expedition?:

Please explain the aspects of the trip which make it eligible for Ghar Parau funding.

This trip will enable us to fully characterise the caves that are currently the subject of palaeoclimate research, thus aiding the interpretation of past climate records which can be used to ground-proof climate models and also to assess the relationship of past climate and prehistoric populations (please see http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/REST.html for further details; please note that although we may contribute to this project we see none of the funding). This work is desperately needed in Morocco as there is currently a paucity of terrestrial climate records that are needed for reconstructing climate at the spatial and temporal resolution required for assessing climate models and implications for prehistoric populations. The research project to which this trip will contribute has the potential to yield high-impact publications; for instance a sample from the site near Er-Rachidia dates back to 375 Ka, making it the longest speleothem record in North Africa; it provides important insight into climate in this currently hyper-arid region through glacial-interglacial periods. Further monitoring and study of the cave sites will provide greater confidence in the interpretation of such records. [Please note we take cave conservation very seriously]. Moreover we hope to be of benefit to the local people through enhanced knowledge of the local hydrology and perhaps also by stimulating other people to carefully visit these stunning caves within these remote but incredibly friendly communities. Please find attached example photographs by Ben Lovett taken on the 2010 trip.

Detailed description of objectives:

Give a more detailed account of the purpose of the trip, including any particular known caves you intend to visit, specific areas where you will explore for new cave, and scientific experiments you will attempt.

To fully explore and survey a cave found in 2010 to the north of Er-Rachidia, residing between the High Atlas Mountains and the northern fringe of the Sahara, which is currently a subject of palaeoclimate research. We plan to collect water samples for stable isotope analysis as part of the ongoing palaeoclimate research but will not be removing solid samples. A single piece of rudimentary monitoring equipment is in place which needs to be downloaded and re-deployed; funding permitted we hope to emplace further monitoring equipment to support the ongoing research. It is hoped that further exploration and surveying will also provide insight into the past hydrology of the area. Importantly, although this cave has been visited before, no documentation exists for this extensive and highly decorated site which evidently hosted a military garrison in the last century. In this respect we feel that the site has not received the attention it deserves and in this instance hope to extend our study and reporting beyond the boundaries of science.

We also plan to fully explore and survey two caves (previously visited) in the Anti-Atlas and to explore further caves and a sub-terranean river in this extensive karst area in order to build of picture of the regional hydrology. The main motivation for this again stems from the use of these caves for palaeoclimate research (again we will not be collecting speleothem samples on this occasion), but understanding the regional hydrology is also of great importance for the local population who currently rely on groundwater reserves. In terms of exploration, although we know from our previous visit that a couple of groups have preceded us, the only documentation found relating to these caves came from a inventory of Moroccan caves collated back in the 1980s which included approximate co-ordinates and one incomplete survey, so we hope to improve on this through publications in speleological journals. Water samples will be sought and further monitoring equipment deployed. One of the group is an experienced caver, surveyor and photographer, so all exploration will be well-documented both technically and visually.

Previous work in this area:

Give details of any previous work in this area by your own and other teams. Include references to reports and articles published on the area, and the names of any local cavers or academics with whom you have discussed the Expedition.

In 2010 this group visited the aforementioned cave north of Er-Rachidia but despite the obvious importance of the site were unable to complete it's exploration and surveying due to time constraints. We did however strike a very good relationship with the local people and would likely be well-supported on our return. Very rough co-ordinates for the "unexplored" site were found in an inventory of Moroccan caves by Camous & Lamouroux, 1981; the local people speak of a couple of French cavers who visited a few years ago but there are no reports. We also visited 3 caves in the Anti-Atlas area and know the local people very well. 2 of these caves are those we wish to explore further alongside exploration of the subterranean river and potentially other caves in the area. Camous & Lamouroux, 1981, provide a brief description and incomplete survey of one of these caves and co-ordinates of others, and mention the subterranean river. A Spanish group visited the area a number of years ago but again no substantial report has been published.