Transcript File
Vagabonds tramping through Geology Africa Session 6 The Country of South Africa Focus on the Destruction of Gondwana Egypt and South Africa: why so different? The Orange and Vaal Rivers 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 Nowthan to 20 the hugebarrels oil discovery rather + billion in the deep Atlantic of Brazil Bakkan economics requires $50.00/bbl rather then $16.00/bbl 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 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 by 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 and services from American companies that will help Brazil find oil off their coast Back to southern Africa and the country of South Africa http://www.rbpierce.com/index.php?option=com_content& view=article&id=78:us-promotes-offshore-drilling-inbrazil&catid=35:uncategorized&Itemid=54 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 zone It has a significant river drainage all in the Temperate Zone It is about the same distance as Egypt from the Cradle of the advent of humans It has copper and tin which Egypt does not have It 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 Two Lands Two Rivers Nile River Two Oceans Tropics What’s different between the Nile and the Orange rivers? Orange River Low land with flood plain What’s different between the Nile and the Orange rivers? High land with no flood plain A melting pot of peoples Gateway to the whole world! End of the Isolated hill country people world! Natural Resources Flood plain Iron Are the resources of South Africa sufficient to build a major player on the world stage? Copper & Tin Iron & Coal Many other metals Critical Natural Resources Southern Africa The Central Rift Fault Area Study Area #1 Central Rift Fault Area; Study Area 1 Summary 1. Pre-Cambrian: grazing 2. Centered in Tanzania 3. Cu and Sn ores 4. headwaters of Nile, Congo, and Zambezi rivers 5. no major flood plains Conclusions: Area unfavorable for early major civilizations No obvious modern expectations Next: Study Area # 2 Focus: South Africa The Highlands of Southern Africa The regional geological location of the country of South Africa Tropics Study Area #2 South Africa The Regional Setting of the Country of South Africa Zaire Basin The Karoo Basin: the drainage area Study of the Area Orange #2 and Vaal rivers Topography of Southern Africa South Africa Karoo Basin A basin much older than others in study area #2 Rivers of Africa Nile River Niger River Congo River Drainage Area: Orange & Vaal Rivers Zambezi River Orange-Vaal rivers Limpopo River Drainage Area: Orange & Vaal Rivers Pre-Cambrian Younger Rocks Tanzania Botswana Karoo Basin http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-470/OF97-470A/AFRICA.pdf The Rivers of Area #2 Zambezi River Limpopo River Vaal River Orange RiverKaroo Basin Next: South Africa: Its Rivers, Geology, & Resources Rivers of South Africa Orange River drainage area Limpopo River Let’s look at the geology of the rocks of the Karoo Basin & see what type of soils are being produced by weathering Karoo Basin Do any of these rivers provide River drainage areas outlined in white favorable areas forarefarming? Geologic Map of South Africa Geologic Map close-up South Africa: Geologic Map & Two Major Rivers Sil-Ord Folded Devonian Mountains “Post”- Cambrian Pre-Cambrian Time 3.4 Billion years Geologic Time Diagram Time of the break-up of Pangea Rocks In the Karoo Basin Rocks In the Folded mountains Geologic Rock Types in the Karoo Basin Volcanic lavas Now the subdivisions of the rocks comprising the Karoo Basin Lavas River Debris Names of Karoo Basin Rocks Lavas Now a North – South Cross Section across the Karoo Basin 15,000 feet Jurassic lavas 200 mm years old Deformation here and lava flows here document continental break-up in Triassic and Jurassic time Another view of the deformation of the south side of the Karoo Basin Stormberg Group (including basalts) Beaufort Gp = terrestrial Ecca Gp = Dwyka Gp = glacial marine Cape Super Gp = late Ord to Carb Basin rocks are folded and crushed on south side Karoo Basin When and how was this deformation done? D LCole - Inversion Tectonics of the Cape Fold Belt, Karoo and …, 1992 - books.google.com Inversion Tectonics of the Cape Fold Belt, Karoo Basin Topography 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 Orange River Karoo Basin The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin Karoo Basin The continental drift history of the Karoo Basin A closer look http://www.scotese.com The continental drift history of the Karoo Basin: 306 MYC Southern Africa about to collide with southern South America South America Africa Shallow water ocean Next: 50 million years later http://www.scotese.com The continental drift history of the Karoo Basin And 25 million years later Africa now all land area Africa now part of super continent Pangea http://www.scotese.com The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin A closer look Remember the Karoo Basin? Africa After http://www.scotese.com Early Triassic Time: 237 mm years ago Africa A closer look Karoo Basin http://www.scotese.com The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin: 237 MYC Africa Karoo Basin And 40 million years later The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin A closer look Drakensberg lavas After http://www.scotese.com The Continental drift history of the Karoo Basin: 195 MYC Africa beginning to break apart from South America and Antarctica Karoo Basin deformed Drakensberg lavas http://www.scotese.com 40 millionAfteryears later 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 http://www.scotese.com And 45 million years later The breakup and the beginning of the Atlantic Ocean The Continental Rift History of the Karoo Basin And 35 million years later Central Africa on the equator http://www.scotese.com The Continental Drift History of the Karoo Basin Last, the recent ice age Central Africa on the equator Uplift of Rift Area and Namibia http://www.scotese.com The continental drift history of the Karoo Basin Back to the Karoo Basin, the Orange River, and the country of South Africa The beginning of written human history http://www.scotese.com The Natural Resources of South Africa Vaal River Orange River Focus on the river resources Temperate Zone South Africa: Orange/Vaal River Flood Plain Farming Flood Plain Farming area Orange River Flood Plain Farming up close 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 Junction of the Vaal and Orange Rivers Source of the iron in the sand dunes of Namibia?