World Geomorphological Landscapes
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
World Geomorphological Landscapes Series editor Piotr Migoń, Wrocław, Poland For further volumes: http://www.springer.com/series/10852 Stefan Grab • Jasper Knight Editors Landscapes and Landforms of South Africa 123 Editors Stefan Grab Jasper Knight School of Geography, Archaeology School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies and Environmental Studies University of the Witwatersrand University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Johannesburg South Africa South Africa ISSN 2213-2090 ISSN 2213-2104 (electronic) World Geomorphological Landscapes ISBN 978-3-319-03559-8 ISBN 978-3-319-03560-4 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-03560-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015931450 Springer Cham Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Printed on acid-free paper Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Series Editor Preface Landforms and landscapes vary enormously across the Earth, from high mountains to endless plains. At a smaller scale, nature often surprises us creating shapes which look improbable. Many physical landscapes are so immensely beautiful that they received the highest possible recognition—they hold the status of World Heritage Sites. Apart from often being immensely scenic, landscapes tell stories which not uncommonly can be traced back in time for tens of million years and include unique geological events such as meteorite impacts. In addition, many landscapes owe their appearance and harmony not solely to the natural forces. For centuries, and even millennia, they have been shaped by humans who have modified hill- slopes, river courses, and coastlines, and erected structures which often blend with the natural landforms to form inseparable entities. These landscapes are studied by geomorphology—‘the science of scenery’—a part of Earth Sciences that focuses on landforms, their assemblages, surface, and subsurface processes that molded them in the past and that change them today. To show the importance of geomorphology in understanding the landscape, and to present the beauty and diversity of the geomorphological sceneries across the world, we have launched a book series World Geomorphological Landscapes. It aims to be a scientific library of monographs that present and explain physical landscapes, focusing on both representative and uniquely spectacular examples. Each book will contain details on geomorphology of a particular country or a geographically coherent region. This volume presents the geomorphology of South Africa—a country that not only hosts superb and highly diverse landforms and landscapes—basaltic plateaus, imposing escarpments, inselbergs, intriguing sandstone formations, waterfalls, pans, and dunes, but can also be considered as one of the inspirations for modern geomorphological studies, especially that focus on long-term landform evolution. Landscape evolution models associated with workers such as Lester King, which profoundly influenced the thinking of many mid-twentieth century geomorphologists, have been developed in South Africa. In more recent times, since the 1990s, it was South Africa where their reappraisal has been attempted through cosmogenic dating. The World Geomorphological Landscapes series is produced under the scientific patronage of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG)—a society that brings together geomorphologists from around the world. The IAG was established in 1989 and is an inde- pendent scientific association affiliated with the International Geographical Union (IGU) and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Among its main aims are to promote geomorphology and to foster dissemination of geomorphological knowledge. I believe that this lavishly illustrated series, which keeps to the scientific rigor, is the most appropriate means to fulfill these aims and to serve the geoscientific community. To this end, my great thanks go to Profs. Stefan Grab and Jasper Knight for adding this book to their agenda, successfully v vi Series Editor Preface coordinating the large team of authors, and delivering such an exciting illustrated story to read and admire. I hope they are as pleased with the final outcome as I am. I also acknowledge the excellent work of all individual authors who accepted to share their expert knowledge of the country with the global geomorphological community. I once happened to spend a day at the foot of the Drakensberg Escarpment, which was an unforgettable experience. Now I have nearly 20 other places in South Africa to visit. I am sure readers of this volume will be equally tempted to see these marvels for themselves. Piotr Migoń Preface The landforms and landscapes of South Africa present a long and diverse geological history and have been of interest to geologists and geomorphologists since Charles Darwin’s visit to the Western Cape region in the 1830s. Later, the discovery and then exploitation of many meta- liferous and mineral deposits including gold, platinum, and diamonds brought geologists and engineers who, as a result of mining activities, have transformed landscapes in many parts of the country but also inspired much scientific investigation, creating a geomorphological legacy that is still present today. Much work on the landforms and landscapes of South Africa has thus been achieved by incomers from Europe; here, we intend to showcase South African geo- morphology to the world and provide the context for inspiring, empowering, and training a new generation of South African students and scientists to make such studies their own—an aim we try to set forth in our own research and teaching at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. South Africa’s landscapes are very diverse, not only in their geological history, but in terms of geomorphological processes, ecosystems, land use, and relationships to cultural patterns. These relationships are explored in many chapters in this book, and are explicit in the inscription of many South African landscapes as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (inscribed 2003), Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (2007), and Maloti-Drakensberg Park (2000). We describe the relationships between different landscape components, and the context of different chapters in this book, in our introductory Chap. 1, to which readers are referred. We thank all of the chapter authors and peer-reviewers of these chapters for their hard work and excellent contributions. We also thank series editor Piotr Migoń for his encouragement and rigor, Wendy Phillips for drawing many maps, and the National Research Foundation (South Africa) for supporting our South African geomorphological research. Stefan Grab Jasper Knight vii Contents 1 Landscapes and Landforms of South Africa—An Overview ............ 1 Stefan Grab and Jasper Knight 2 Sandstone Landforms of the Karoo Basin: Naturally Sculpted Rock ...... 11 Stefan Grab 3 The Mpumalanga/Limpopo Escarpment: Geology and Fluvial Landforms ................................................ 23 Morris Viljoen 4 Landscape and Landforms of the Vredefort Dome: Exposing an Old Wound ............................................. 31 Roger L. Gibson and W. Uwe Reimold 5 Geomorphological Evolution of the Pilanesberg ..................... 39 R. Grant Cawthorn, Jasper Knight, and Terence S. McCarthy 6 The Drakensberg Escarpment: Mountain Processes at the Edge ......... 47 Jasper Knight and Stefan Grab 7 Rocky Shorelines of the Wild Coast.............................. 57 Jasper Knight and Stefan Grab 8 The Augrabies Falls Region: A Fluvial Landscape Divided in Flow but Magnificent in Spectacle ................................... 65 Stephen Tooth 9 The Richtersveld: An Ancient Rocky Wilderness .................... 75 David L. Reid 10 The Cederberg: A Rugged Sandstone Topography ................... 85 Lynne J. Quick and Frank D. Eckardt 11 Table Mountain: Wonder of Nature at the Foot of Africa.............. 95 Michael E. Meadows and John S. Compton 12 The Cape Winelands......................................... 103 Michael E. Meadows 13 The Kruger National Park: Geology and Geomorphology of the Wilderness ........................................... 111 Morris Viljoen ix x Contents 14 The Maputaland Corridor: A Coastal Geomorphological Treasure ....... 121 Greg Botha 15 Of Dunes, Depressions and Dry Valleys: The Arid Landscapes of