Distribution d'un horizon à forte cohésion au sein d'une couverture de sol aride du Nord-Cameroun : apport d'une prospection électrique (Distribution of hardpan in soil cover of arid zones. Data from a geoelectrical survey in northern Cameroon)

Mathieu Lamotte (1) , Ary Bruand (2, 3) , Michel Dabas (4) , Paul Donfack (5) , Germina Gabalda , Albert Hesse (4) , François Xavier Humbel (6) , Henri Robain (1)

1 Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération
2 ISTO - Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans
3 INRA Ardon
4 Centre de Recherches Géophysiques
5 INRA Cameroun
6 Orstom Bondy

A study of arid-soil cover was carried out by resistivity survey and morphological observations. The main differentiation concerns a sandy hardpan that has a low resistivity. Its distribution is closely associated with differences in vegetation: it is (i) present and continuous at shallow depth (<1.5 m) in bare or herbaceous zones and (ii) deeper than 1.5 m or absent in arboreous zones. It is also suggested that the presence of hardpan is related to a clayey substratum, whereas its absence or deepening is related to a sandy substratum

Domains: Continental interfaces, environment

Mathieu Lamotte, Ary Bruand, Michel Dabas, Paul Donfack, Germina Gabalda, et al.. Distribution d'un horizon à forte cohésion au sein d'une couverture de sol aride du Nord-Cameroun : apport d'une prospection électrique (Distribution of hardpan in soil cover of arid zones. Data from a geoelectrical survey in northern Cameroon). Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences Serie II, 1994, 318, pp.961-968. ⟨hal-00122538⟩