Abstract In this paper, we present an integrated landform-regolith mapping protocol/chart for West Africa developed using a case from Central Burkina Faso. The chart accounts for (i) the specificities of the ubiquitous, duricrust-capped remnants of the regional paleolandsurfaces - particularly the residual or detrital character of the Fe duricrusts – and (ii) the diversity of the remaining, non-duricrusted portions of the landscape, with an emphasis on the pitfalls encountered in determining the in-situ or transported character of the regolith. The paper also provides field identification criteria and illustrations of the typical West African landform-regolith associations. The landform-regolith mapping chart is integrated into a prospectivity chart, which is used to define exploration guides: (ii) defining sampling strategies, (ii) interpreting potential geochemical anomalies and (iii) targeting lateral extensions of known bedrock mineralizations. The mapping protocol further allows for the definition of a class of landform-regolith associations propitious to supergene mineral concentrations. The mapping protocol is shown to be transposable to wetter contexts and, more generally, to other tropical shield provinces.

中文翻译：

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西非背景下的地貌-风化层测绘

摘要 在本文中，我们提出了一个使用布基纳法索中部的案例开发的西非综合地貌-风化层绘图协议/图表。该图表说明了 (i) 区域古地表普遍存在的、覆盖着硬壳的残余物的特性——特别是铁硬壳的残余或碎屑特征——以及 (ii) 景观中剩余的、非硬壳部分的多样性，重点是在确定风化层的原位或运输特征时遇到的陷阱。该论文还提供了典型的西非地貌-风化层组合的现场识别标准和插图。地貌-风化层映射图被整合到远景图中，用于定义勘探指南：(ii) 定义采样策略，(ii) 解释潜在的地球化学异常和 (iii) 以已知基岩矿化的横向扩展为目标。绘图协议进一步允许定义一类有利于表生矿物浓度的地貌-风化层组合。映射协议被证明可以转置到更潮湿的环境中，更一般地说，可以转置到其他热带盾牌省份。