Geology, Geohydrology and Development

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Geology, Geohydrology and Development Geology, geohydrology and Development Potential Zonation of the uThukela District Municipality; specialist contribution towards the Environmental Management Framework Client: Nemai Consulting Consultants: G.A. Botha (PhD, Pr.Sci.Nat), R. Singh (MSc, Pr.Sci.Nat) Council for Geoscience, P.O. Box 900, Pietermaritzburg, 3200 Council for Geoscience report: 2012-0224 November 2012 Copyright © Council for Geoscience, 2012 DRAFT Confidential Table of Contents 1. Geology, lithostratigraphy and terrain morphology ............................................................. 3 1.2 Beaufort Group ............................................................................................................ 5 1.2.1 Normandien Formation ......................................................................................... 5 1.2.2 Tarkastad Subgroup .............................................................................................. 8 1.3 Molteno Formation ...................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Elliot Formation (formerly Red Beds) .......................................................................... 9 1.5 Clarens Formation (formerly Cave Sandstone) ............................................................. 9 1.6 Drakensberg Group lavas ............................................................................................10 1.7 Mesozoic to Quaternary erosion and deposition...........................................................12 1.8 Quaternary deposits, geomorphology and drainage development .................................12 1.8.1 Masotcheni Formation and alluvium ....................................................................13 1.9 Structure and faulting ..................................................................................................13 1.10 Terrain morphology .................................................................................................14 2. Geohydrology ....................................................................................................................15 3. Development Potential Zonation (DPZ) .............................................................................18 3.1 Low Development Potential Zones ..............................................................................19 3.2 Medium Development Zones ......................................................................................25 3.3 High Development Potential Zones .............................................................................28 4. References .........................................................................................................................30 List of Figures Fig. 1 Geological map of the uThukela District Municipality region. Fig. 2 Typical terrain expression of the upper Karoo Supergroup rocks in the uKhahlamba- Drakensberg park area of uThukela District Municipality (after Botha, 2000). Fig. 3 Typical topography of the western boundary of uThukela District Municipality showing the ‘Little ‘Berg” escarpment in the foreground and the main Drakensberg escarpment. In these areas very steep slopes, slope instability due to mass movement and flood risk in steep gradient streams is the most significant environmental and cost risk to development. Fig. 4 Hydrogeological map of the uThukela municipality (after DWA, 1998 and 2000) Fig. 5 Development Potential Zonation (DPZ) map of the uThukela District Municipality region. Fig. 6 Upper Karoo Supergroup rocks forming unstable slopes in the “Landslide” and “Trail” zones. Fig. 7 Slope class map showing the distribution of zones of high slope instability (>18o) and the irregular topography created by dolerite and sandstone hills (12-18o) as well as extensive low gradient areas. Fig. 8 Development close to the boundary of the “Trail” zone, Cathkin Park. 1 Fig. 9 Very steep slopes defining the Thukela valley east of Colenso. Vryheid Formation and dolerite sills create the irregular topography where very steep slopes and slope instability through high mass movement potential constrain development. Photo source, GA Botha. Fig. 10 View of the DPZ 5 terrain east of Estcourt showing dolerite hills and low gradient slopes underlain by Normandien Formation argillites. Masotcheni Formation colluvium on lower slopes and valley bottom alluvium is eroded to form gullies. Photo source; GA Botha. Fig. 11 Municipal area map showing channel, floodplain and dam inundations zones as well as the distribution of wetlands. Large areas of low gradient slopes <2o also pose a risk of sheet flooding after high intensity rainfall. Fig. 12 Aerial view over the Drakensberg foothills in the Bell Park Dam area, Cathkin showing the typical DPZ 6, low gradient, undulating topography underlain by Normandien Formation. Photo source; GA Botha. List of Tables Table 1 Geotechnical factors associated with Development Potential Zones (X = critical geotechnical factor, x = subcritical geotechnical factors). 2 Geology, geohydrology and Development Potential Zonation of the uThukela District Municipality; specialist contribution towards the Environmental Management Framework G.A. Botha (PhD, Pr.Sci.Nat.) and R.G. Singh (MSc, Pr.Sci.Nat.) Council for Geoscience, KwaZulu-Natal unit, P.O. Box 900, Pietermaritzburg, 3200. 1. Geology, lithostratigraphy and terrain morphology The uThukela District Municipal area includes the headwaters of the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg escarpment from Giants Castle to the Biggarsberg in the north. The headwaters of the Thukela River and its tributaries have incised deep valleys that expose the upper units of the Karoo Supergroup. The strong lithological and structural control of this succession influences the typical topographic expression of the lithostratigraphic sequence of the upper Karoo Supergroup in the UDP, shown in Fig. 1. The Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park (UDP), World Heritage Site preserves outstanding examples of long, relatively continuous periods of geological history during which there is abundant fossil faunal material and a rock record which preserves evidence of evolutionary processes in response to dramatic climatic changes during the Triassic and Jurassic. This description of the geological history and lithostratigraphy of the municipal region is based on the report by Botha (2000). The geological map (Fig. 1) is based on parts of the published 1:250,000 geological series maps 2828 Harrismith (Council for Geoscience, 1998), 2830 Dundee (Geological Survey, 1988) and 2928 Drakensberg (Geological Survey, 1981). The Drakensberg foothills record life after the mass global extinction at the Permian-Triassic boundary. The floral diversity during Late Permian (260 - 251 Ma) in the Normandien Formation and Late Triassic during Molteno Formation is preserved at sites in the municipal area. This report provides background information concerning the diverse geological units, their stratigraphic relationships, evidence of palaeoenvironmental change and interprets their characteristics in the landscape in the context of financial and environmental constraints to development. The Molteno-Elliot-Clarens transition gives very good insight into a palaeoclimatic transformation during the latter part of a ~150 million year latitudinal drift from a subpolar position in the Carboniferous towards the current subtropical location. From cool upland conditions inferred for the Molteno distal fans and fluvial braidplains, passing through the semi-arid Elliot Formation conditions with fluvial activity in the south and ephemeral, fluvially reworked loessic deposits in the north. This succession is unique in that it preserves an almost complete fossilized record of reptile 3 evolution (MacRae, 1999). The limit of public access roads to many resorts and the eastern boundaries of the ‘Park are situated around the 1 600 m asl elevation on the upper part of the Triassic Tarkastad Subgroup, part of the Beaufort Group succession deposited after 258 Ma (million years ago). During a subsequent tectonic event dated at 230 Ma sediment was deposited on a broad fluvial braidplain represented by the Molteno Formation. The overlying Elliot Formation represents reduced fluvial energy and comprises “red bed” floodplain argillites and minor channel-fill sands. Progressive aridification is represented by deposition of the predominantly aeolian Clarens Formation after 215 Ma. The Karoo succession culminated in a trans-supercontinental scale desert which was buried by continental flood basalts which heralded an extinction event before the breakup and dispersal of remnants of the supercontinent Gondwana. The sharp contact with the overlying Drakensberg Group lavas defines a pronounced topographic break along the entire Ukhahlamba Drakensberg mountain watershed. Further east the Ecca Group rocks are exposed in the deeply incised valleys of the Thukela River and its tributaries. 1.1 Ecca Group 1.1.1 Vryheid Formation The Vryheid Formation is exposed by the deeply incised Thukela River valley east of Colenso where it is intruded by numerous dolerite sills. Upthrown along the Tugela Fault in this zone, the Estcourt/Normandien Formation contact with the underlying Vryheid Formation has been downthrown some 300m south of the Thukela River and is exposed in the Bushman’s River gorge on Darkest Africa, about 25 km to the east near Weenen. The Vryheid Formation comprises thick coarse-grained sandstone beds and carbonaceous shale with thin coal seams in the Colenso area. 1.1.2 Volksrust Formation
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