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Chapter 4 - Bedrock Geology: Volcanic Influences

from Part I - The Physical Cradle: Land Forms, Geology, Climate, Hydrology and Soils

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2021

Norman Owen-Smith
Norman Owen-Smith
Affiliation:
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
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Summary

This chapter describes how the geological firmament of Africa was formed and the contributions by volcanic intrusions. Eastern and southern Africa’s eroding surface exposing bedrock influences on soils. Mafic rocks generate fertile clay-rich soils, while felsic granite or sandstone produces sandy soils with lower nutrient-holding capacity. Volcanism is widespread through eastern Africa and persists in South Africa as dolerite feeders to the surface basalt eruptions associated with the breakup of Gondwana. Sediments accumulated in the Karoo and Kalahari basins.

Keywords

mafic rocksdoleritebasaltvolcanic eruptionsKaroo basinKalahari sand.
Type
Chapter
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Only in Africa
The Ecology of Human Evolution
 , pp. 39 - 48
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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References

Suggested Further Reading

McCarthy, T; Rubidge, BS. (2005) The Story of Earth and Life. A Southern African Perspective on a 4.6-Billion-Year Journey. Struik, Cape Town.Google Scholar

References

Furon, R. (1963) Geology of Africa. Oliver and Boyd, London.Google Scholar
Scoon, RN, et al. (2018) Geology of National Parks of Central/Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Springer, Cham.Google Scholar
Macgregor, D. (2015) History of the development of the East African Rift System: a series of interpreted maps through time. Journal of African Earth Sciences 101:232–252.Google Scholar
Partridge, TC. (2010) Tectonics and geomorphology of Africa during the Phanerozoic. In Werdelin, L; Sanders, WJ (eds) Cenozoic Mammals of Africa. University of California Press, Berkeley, pp. 3–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asrat, A. (2016) The Ethiopian highlands. In Viljoen, R (ed.) Africa’s Top Geological Sites. Struik, Cape Town, pp. 197–205.Google Scholar
Asrat, A. (2016) The Danakil depression of Ethiopia. In Viljoen, R (ed.) Africa’s Top Geological Sites. Struik, Cape Town, pp. 189–196.Google Scholar
Haddon, IG. (2004) The Sub-Kalahari Geology and Tectonic Evolution of The Kalahari Basin, Southern Africa. University of the Witwatersand, Johannesburg.Google Scholar

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