Abstract
Landscape distribution, macroscopic, microscopic, mineral and geochemical characterizations were conducted on the Doumbouo-Fokoué bauxite ore deposit in order to estimate bauxites potential and its implication to general lowering of the relief. Fourteen bauxitic plateaus covering a surface area of 5.7 km2 were identified. Bauxitic pedons show deep weathered profiles (10.0 - 12.0 m) with thick bauxitic mantle (4.0 - 8.0 m). Saprolite and pisolith bauxitic facies own high aluminium (47.5% - 49.5% Al2O3), relatively low iron (20.0% - 22.0% Fe2O3) and low silica contents (1.8% - 7.6% SiO2). Gibbsite is the dominant mineral (49% - 68% of minerals detected by X-ray); meanwhile hematite, goethite and kaolinite occur in small amounts. Bauxitization corresponds to intense allitization with abundant accumulation of gibbsite and development of lateritic iron bearing ortho-bauxites. Bauxite ores yielded bauxite reserves of 9.2 million tons. They occur as old and residual bauxitic mantles representing remnants of the Miocene residual lateritic deposits in West Cameroon referring to the African surface of Valeton [1]. Its mean altitude (1532 - 1590 m als) below the African surface reveals general lowering of the relief.
Highlights
IntroductionBauxites are residual (lateritic bauxites) or sedimentary (karsts bauxites) rocks with more than 40% of Al2O3 and less than 8% of SiO2 [2] known as the main provider of aluminium
Bauxites are residual or sedimentary rocks with more than 40% of Al2O3 and less than 8% of SiO2 [2] known as the main provider of aluminium
The main objective of this study is to characterize the bauxitic facies of Doumbouo-Fokoué at different scales in order (i) to estimate the bauxites potential in this area and (ii) to correlate bauxites landscape distribution and evolution in this region with the general lowering of the relief in the West Cameroon Highlands
Summary
Bauxites are residual (lateritic bauxites) or sedimentary (karsts bauxites) rocks with more than 40% of Al2O3 and less than 8% of SiO2 [2] known as the main provider of aluminium. In Cameroon, works on laterites in general, and lateritic bauxites in particular, started at the b eginning of the 20th century [5,6,7,8,9,10,11] The majority of these studies were focussed on the characterization and the evaluation of the well known bauxites ores deposits in MinimMartap and Ngaoundal-Ngaoundouro in the Adamaoua region and Fongo-Tongo and Bagam in the West region. They noted that Cameroon has the 6th world bauxite reserves with approximately 1.5 billion tons. Results may contribute to increase the Cameroon bauxite reserves, examine in detail bauxitization process in the West Cameroon Highlands and correlate these bauxite ore deposits to the well known bauxites ore deposits in Cameroon and Africa
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