vagabonds tramping through geology africa the country of south africa session 6 the orange and vaal...
TRANSCRIPT
Vagabonds tramping through Geology Africa
The Country of South Africa
Session 6
The Orange and Vaal Rivers
Focus on the Destruction of Gondwana
Egypt and South Africa: why so different?
Geology in the News
More on the Bakkan Oil Shale from the Wall Street Journal, Feb. 26. 1010
Bakkan oil more difficult of extract than gas from the Barnett Shale
Bakkan estimated reserves 4.5 rather than 20 + billion barrels
Bakkan economics requires $50.00/bbl rather then $16.00/bbl
Now to the huge oil discovery in the deep Atlantic of Brazil
Email commentary:“Obama under writes offshore oil drilling in Brazil”signed an executive order to loan $2 billion of our taxpayers dollars
The oil that comes from this operation is for the sole purpose and use of China and NOT THE USA!
We have absolutely no gain from this transaction whatsoever!
the largest individual stockholder of this Brazilian Oil Company and who would benefit most from this? It is American BILLIONAIRE, George Soros, who was one of President Obama's most generous financial supporter during his campaign.
Massive deep-water oil find in Brazil challenges technology
http://www.rbpierce.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=78:us-promotes-offshore-drilling-in-brazil&catid=35:uncategorized&Itemid=54
Pundits recently criticized the Obama administration for a $2 billion deal with Petrobras, the oil giant owned by the Brazilian government. The money will help finance oil exploration... off the coast of Brazil. You think the real truth about the deal couldn't be stranger than the truth we see on the face of it? Think again.The deal is part of a financing package arranged The deal is part of a financing package arranged by the Export-Import Bank of the United Statesby the Export-Import Bank of the United States, an arm of the federal government. it's not a gift as has been erroneously reported and repeated. It is financing provided to purchase equipment It is financing provided to purchase equipment and services from American companies that will and services from American companies that will help Brazil find oil off their coasthelp Brazil find oil off their coast
Back to southern Africa and the country of South Africa
Today, three questions:1. Did the red, iron color of the sand dunes of Namibia come
from the Orange River drainage system?
2. Why did South Africa fail to develop an early civilization like its mirror image, Egypt?
South Africa is in the Temperate climate zoneIt has a significant river drainage all in the Temperate ZoneIt is about the same distance as Egypt from the Cradle of the advent of humansIt has copper and tin which Egypt does not haveIt has iron and coal while Egypt has only iron
3. Can South Africa become a world “power” since it seems to have all the required natural resources?
Egypt and South Africa
NileRiver
OrangeRiver
Two Lands
Two RiversTwo Oceans
TropicsWhat’s different between the Nile and the Orange rivers?
What’s different between the Nile and the Orange rivers?
Low land withflood plain
High land with no flood plain
Gateway to the whole world!
End of the world!
A melting pot of peoples
Isolated hill country people
Natural Resources
Flood plainIron
Copper & TinIron & CoalMany other metals
Are the resources of South Africa sufficient to build a major player on the world stage?
Critical Natural Resources Southern Africa
The Central Rift Fault AreaStudy Area #1
Central Rift Fault Area; Study Area 1 Summary
1. Pre-Cambrian: grazing2. Centered in Tanzania3. Cu and Sn ores4. headwaters of Nile, Congo, and Zambezi rivers5. no major flood plains
Conclusions:Area unfavorable for early
major civilizationsNo obvious modern expectations
Next: Study Area # 2Focus: South Africa
The Highlands of Southern Africa
South Africa
Tropics
Study Area #2
The regional geological location of the country of South Africa
Topography of SouthernAfrica
ZaireBasin
Study Area #2
South Africa
The Regional Setting of the Country of South Africa
A basin much older than others in study area #2
Karoo Basin
The Karoo Basin: the drainage area of the Orange and Vaal rivers
Rivers of Africa
NigerRiver
NileRiver
CongoRiver
ZambeziRiver
LimpopoRiver
Orange-Vaalrivers
Drainage Area: Orange & Vaal Rivers
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-470/OF97-470A/AFRICA.pdf
Pre
-Cam
bri
anY
ou
ng
erR
ock
s Drainage Area: Orange & Vaal Rivers
Tanzania
Botswana
KarooBasin
Cubango River
Zambezi River
Limpopo River
Orange River
The Rivers of Area #2
Next: South Africa: Its Rivers, Geology, & Resources
Vaal River
KarooBasin
Rivers of South Africa
River drainage areas are outlined in white
LimpopoRiver
Karoo Basin
Do any of these rivers provide favorable areas for farming?
Orange River drainage area
Let’s look at the geology of the rocks of the Karoo Basin & see what type of soils are being produced by weathering
Geologic Map of South Africa
Geologic Map close-up
Pre-Cambria
n
Permian
Triassi
c
Mz
Igneous
South Africa: Geologic Map & Two Major Rivers
Vaal
River
Orange River
Devonian Sil-Ord
Pre-C
amb
rian
Folded Mountains
Pre
-Cam
bri
an T
ime
3.4
Bill
ion
yea
rs
GeologicTimeDiagram
“Po
st”-
Cam
bri
an
RocksIn theFoldedmountains
RocksIn theKarooBasin
Time of the break-up of Pangea
Sandstone
Shale
Geologic Rock Types in the Karoo Basin
Now the subdivisions of the rocks comprising the Karoo Basin
Pre-Cambria
n
Volcanic lavas
Now a North – South Cross Section across the Karoo Basin
RiverDebris
Lavas
Lavas
River S
ource
Names of Karoo Basin Rocks
Jurassic lavas 200 mm years old
15,
00
0 fe
et
Karoo Basin
Debris from a major river
In Permian & Triassic time
Deformation hereand lava flows heredocument continental break-up in Triassic and Jurassic time
Another view of the deformation of the south side of the Karoo Basin
D LCole - Inversion Tectonics of the Cape Fold Belt, Karoo and …, 1992 - books.google.comInversion Tectonics of the Cape Fold Belt,
Stormberg Group (including basalts)Beaufort Gp = terrestrialEcca Gp =Dwyka Gp = glacial marineCape Super Gp = late Ord to Carb
Karoo Basin
Basin rocks are folded and crushed on south side
When and how was this deformation done?
Karoo Basin Topography
Karoo Basin
Orange River
Karoo Basin: 250 mm year old sedimentary rocks remnants of old geosyncline river fill from ancestral Limpopo River? old geosyncline crushed & folded Orange-Vaal rivers formed basin uplifted by “rift” action? Orange river entrenched
Karoo Basin
The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin
The continental drift history of the Karoo Basin
http://www.scotese.com
A closer look
The continental drift historyof the Karoo Basin: 306 MYC
http://www.scotese.com
Africa
Shallow water ocean
Next: 50 million years later
SouthAmerica
Southern Africa about to collide with southern South America
The continental drift history of the Karoo Basin
http://www.scotese.com
Africa now all land area
And 25 million years later
Africa now part of super continent Pangea
The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin
Africa
Remember the Karoo Basin?
After http://www.scotese.com
A closer look
Karoo Basin
Early Triassic Time: 237 mm years ago
Africa
http://www.scotese.com
A closer look
Africa
The Continental Drift Historyof the Karoo Basin: 237 MYC
KarooBasin
And 40 million years later
Drakensberg lavasAfter http://www.scotese.com
The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin
A closer look
Drakensberg lavas
After http://www.scotese.com
The Continental drift historyof the Karoo Basin: 195 MYC
Africa beginning to break apart from South America and Antarctica
Karoo Basin deformed
40 million years later
http://www.scotese.com
The continental drift history of the Karoo Basin
The African break apart from South America and Antarctica continues and Africa rotates toward the equator where is lies today
60 million years later
http://www.scotese.com
The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin
The breakup and the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean
And 45 million years later
http://www.scotese.com
The Continental Rift History of the Karoo Basin
Central Africa on the equator
And 35 million years later
http://www.scotese.com
The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin
Central Africa on the equatorUplift of Rift Area and Namibia
Last, the recent ice age
http://www.scotese.com
The continental drift history of the Karoo Basin
The beginning of written human history
Back to the Karoo Basin, the Orange River, and the country of South Africa
OrangeRiver
VaalRiver
The Natural Resources of South Africa
Focus on the river resources
Temperate Zone
Grazing
Whea
t
Corn
Orange River
Vaal River
South Africa: Orange/Vaal River Flood Plain Farming
Flood PlainFarming area
Flood Plain Farming up close
Vaal R
iver
Vaal River:Flood Plain Farming
Mouth of the Orange River
Flood Plain at Mouth of Orange River No farming
Farming East of Cape Town
Farming East of Cape Town
Temperate Zone
Grazing
Whea
t
Corn
Junction of the Vaal and Orange Rivers
Source of the iron in the sand dunes of Namibia?
