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An electrical prospecting survey is conducted in the Rharb basin, a semi-arid region in the southern part of the Rifean Cordillera (Morocco) to delineate characteristics of the aquifer and the groundwater affected by the marine intrusion related to Atlantic Ocean. Analysis and interpretations of electrical soundings, bi-logarithmic diagrams and the geoelectrical sections highlight a monolayer aquifer in the southern part, a multilayer system in the northern part of the Rharb basin and lenticular semi-permeable formations. Several electrical layers have been deduced from the analysis of bi-logarithmic diagrams: resistant superficial level (R(0)), conducting superficial level (C(0)), resistant level (R), intermediary resistant level (R’), conducting level (Cp) and intermediary layer of resistivity (AT). Spatial distribution of the resistivity deduced from the interpretation of apparent resistivity maps (AB = 400 and 1000 m) and the decreasing of resistivity values (35-10 Omega m), in particular in the coastal zone show that this heterogeneity is related to several anomalies identified in the coastal area, which result from hydraulic and geological processes: (i) heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity in particular in the southern part of the Rharb; (ii) lateral facies and synsedimentary faulting and (iii) the relationship between the electrical conductivity and chloride concentration of groundwater shows that salinity is the most important factor controlling resistivity. The distribution of fresh/salt-water zones and their variations in space along geoelectrical sections are established through converting subsurface depth-resistivity models. Copyright (C) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.