Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
barrage Oued Mellegue et la mine Jebel Jerissa, le site pal
é
olithique inf
é
rieur de Sidi Zine et
les grottes n
é
olithiques de Sidi Mansour. Cet inventaire pr
é
liminaire des g
é
osites vise
à
é
é
é
'
é
sensibiliser les populations locales et les d
cideurs sur la n
cessit
d
inventorier, de prot
ger et
de promouvoir les sites d
'
importance g
é
opatrimoniale pour un d
é
veloppement local durable.
*
(
,
*
(
'
%
$
.
#
"
!
-
9
8
0
%
7
6
.
%
$
4
$
-
$
5
)
4
0
$
*
-
3
2
1
0
/
.
-
@
>
B
.
>
)
9
0
A
!
5
)
)
%
@
?
$
0
-
(
!
>
0
245
=
)
5
<
;
0
:
%
A
.
)
%
*
-
،
=
E
5
D
B
،
)
4
.
!
$
@
%
A
"
:
4
5
<
;
،
“
%
،
M
“
K
2
،
7
%
“
%
E
4
،
-
"
J
I
%
(
>
G
=
*
4
.
7
,
$
+
%
O
)
:
0
:
'
%
O
C
;
.
،
:
%
-
“
F
'
4
”
P
L
“
O
*
4
)
،
D
N
-
“
G
)
@
J
4
0
C
+
:
:
C
R
B
.
0
4
8
#
Q
E
)
$
5
;
O
)
:
3
%
C
O
C
;
.
.
)
:
0
C
F
H
$
.
%
4
%
2
4
*
-
7
5
&
5
Keywords
El kef
Tunisia
Geoheritage
Mots-clés
El kef
Tunisie
G
é
opatrimoine
'
,
+
&
(
-
1
Introduction
El Kef region is a zone where forests prevail on the
heights (suber oak, and pine of Aleppo) and there is thick
undergrowth (cistus, rosemary, green oak and heather). Most
of the economy is based on agricultural activity centred on
cereal and pasture-lands.
El Kef Governorate presents great diversity in landscapes
and varied natural housing environments. It has two natural
national reserves; the most important one being the reserve
of Jebel Seddine located 20 km in the South of El Kef city.
This contribution aims to highlight the natural and cul-
tural richness of El Kef region and to raise awareness about
the necessity for the protection and the valorization of its
geoheritage values which are of international importance.
The study area, situated around El Kef city in the gover-
norate of Kef, is located in the northwestern part of Tunisia,
close to the eastern Algerian border (Fig.
1
a). Covering more
than 4,965 km
2
, it belongs to the High-Tell between the
Ouargha massif to the north and the Tajerouine plateau to
the south. It is divided into two natural regions, to the west
and north, a hilly landscape region with the Dyr El Kef
(1,084 m) as the highest point and the Jugurtha Table
(1,271 m) in the southeast. The region is crossed from the
SW to the NE by tributaries of the Medjerda and Mellegue
rivers. To the southeast, it has a less prominent landscape
comprised of plateaux and low hills between the valleys of
the Oued Medjerda and those of its tributaries (Mellegue,
Sarrath, Rmel). The altitude of the region varies from 300 to
1,271 m above sea level, with very distinct seasons and very
variable precipitation during the year. The governorate of
Kef is characterized by a continental climate. Winter has low
temperatures, among the lowest in Tunisia, and there is a
frequent and regular snowfall on the hills.
Although, relatively more populated in the past, the
region today presents a negative growth because of the rural
exodus. The population comprises 58,000 inhabitants
(13,000 in rural areas and 45,000 in El Kef city). The pop-
ulation density is about 51 inhabitants per km
2
.
2
Geological Setting
The geological outcrops in the study area are relatively
easily accessible. Consequently, during the 19th century, the
region attracted numerous geological researchers and
acquired international importance for its richness in palae-
ontology and mineralogy.
The geology of the area includes 245 Ma of the Earth
s
history (from the Triassic to the present) and it shows a
contrast between an area of mountainous and hilly land-
scapes in the north, belonging to the Cretaceous base of the
'
