Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the Dassieboskloof River, Wuppertal, Southwestern Cape

The unique and well preserved fluvial sequences within the valleys of the Cederberg Mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa, provide the opportunity for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction which will add to the sparse evidence from across southern Africa. The location of the study site at the edg...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Shaw, Arabel C
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Environmental and Geographical Science 2024
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613158643859456
access_status_str Open Access
author Shaw, Arabel C
author_browse Shaw, Arabel C
author_facet Shaw, Arabel C
author_sort Shaw, Arabel C
collection Thesis
description The unique and well preserved fluvial sequences within the valleys of the Cederberg Mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa, provide the opportunity for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction which will add to the sparse evidence from across southern Africa. The location of the study site at the edge of two physio-climatic zones provides insight into the controversy surrounding the characteristics of Late Quaternary environments in this semi-arid winter rainfall region. It is already accepted that the southwestern Cape behaved out of phase with the rest of southern Africa during Quaternary climatic fluctuations and resulted in significantly different environmental conditions. The discovery of an extensive sedimentary sequence south of Wuppertal in the northern Cederberg on the Dassiebosldoof River provides colluvium package overlain by a laminated and interbedded fluvial sedimentary package approximately eight metres thick, demonstrating a change in conditions from deposition to incision ( cut-and-fill). Physical, geochemical and mineralogical analysis is used to characterise the sediments as well as mapping and ground trothing of the contemporary fluvial dynamics across a portion of the Moordenaarsgat River and eastward draining Tra-Tra River; a detailed investigation of the depositional environment will expand the palaeoenvironmental record for the region, and the two adjacent climatic zones (Cederberg and arid Karoo). This research will contribute to a more detailed understanding of geomorphology in the northern Cederberg and the driving mechanisms, which are extremely significant when assessing and managing potential future aridification and its impact on this fragile landscape.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39960
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:41.113Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
publisherStr Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39960 Alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the Dassieboskloof River, Wuppertal, Southwestern Cape Shaw, Arabel C Environmental and Geographical Science The unique and well preserved fluvial sequences within the valleys of the Cederberg Mountains of the Western Cape, South Africa, provide the opportunity for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction which will add to the sparse evidence from across southern Africa. The location of the study site at the edge of two physio-climatic zones provides insight into the controversy surrounding the characteristics of Late Quaternary environments in this semi-arid winter rainfall region. It is already accepted that the southwestern Cape behaved out of phase with the rest of southern Africa during Quaternary climatic fluctuations and resulted in significantly different environmental conditions. The discovery of an extensive sedimentary sequence south of Wuppertal in the northern Cederberg on the Dassiebosldoof River provides colluvium package overlain by a laminated and interbedded fluvial sedimentary package approximately eight metres thick, demonstrating a change in conditions from deposition to incision ( cut-and-fill). Physical, geochemical and mineralogical analysis is used to characterise the sediments as well as mapping and ground trothing of the contemporary fluvial dynamics across a portion of the Moordenaarsgat River and eastward draining Tra-Tra River; a detailed investigation of the depositional environment will expand the palaeoenvironmental record for the region, and the two adjacent climatic zones (Cederberg and arid Karoo). This research will contribute to a more detailed understanding of geomorphology in the northern Cederberg and the driving mechanisms, which are extremely significant when assessing and managing potential future aridification and its impact on this fragile landscape. 2024-06-19T08:57:14Z 2024-06-19T08:57:14Z 2007 2024-06-19T08:50:53Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39960 eng application/pdf Department of Environmental and Geographical Science Faculty of Science
spellingShingle Environmental and Geographical Science
Shaw, Arabel C
Alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the Dassieboskloof River, Wuppertal, Southwestern Cape
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the Dassieboskloof River, Wuppertal, Southwestern Cape
title_full Alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the Dassieboskloof River, Wuppertal, Southwestern Cape
title_fullStr Alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the Dassieboskloof River, Wuppertal, Southwestern Cape
title_full_unstemmed Alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the Dassieboskloof River, Wuppertal, Southwestern Cape
title_short Alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the Dassieboskloof River, Wuppertal, Southwestern Cape
title_sort alluvial sedimentology and geomorphology of a cut and fill sequence on the dassieboskloof river wuppertal southwestern cape
topic Environmental and Geographical Science
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39960
work_keys_str_mv AT shawarabelc alluvialsedimentologyandgeomorphologyofacutandfillsequenceonthedassieboskloofriverwuppertalsouthwesterncape