You are browsing the archive for South Africa Archives - Page 3 of 12 - Georneys.
December 28, 2015
Monday Geology Picture: Aulacephalodon Selfie
This week’s Monday Geology Picture is an aulacephalodon selfie that I took with the aulacephalodon model that is on display in the Geology Department at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Try saying that three times fast: aulacephalodon selfie, aulocephalodon selfie, aulacephalodon selfie! Can you say it without stumbling? I certainly can’t! So, what is an aulacephalodon? Here’s a description from the information sign next to the sculpture: Aulacephalodon was a relatively …
November 30, 2015
Monday Geology Picture(s): Granite and Penguins at Boulders Beach, Simonstown
Last week I shared a few pictures from beautiful Boulders Beach just down the road in Simonstown, South Africa. This week I thought I’d share some more pictures of granite – and penguins! – at Boulders Beach. In the close-up shots, note gorgeous the potassium feldspar megacrysts in the granite. Most visitors to the beach focus on the penguins, but the granites are quite spectacular, too! Enjoy!
November 23, 2015
Monday Geology Picture(s): Boulders Beach, Simonstown, South Africa
Just down the road from where I live there is a fantastic place to observe gigantic granite boulders: Boulders Beach in Simonstown. Actually, you can see granite boulders on many beaches in the greater Cape Town area. These granites are part of the regional Cape Granite Suite and are roughly 550 million years old. However, Boulders Beach is special because it has a particularly good collection of large boulders… and …
November 16, 2015
Monday Geology Picture: Fresh and Fading Footprints, Noordhoek Beach, South Africa
This past Saturday my husband and I went for a long walk along Noordhoek Beach with some friends. The beach is over 8 km long, and we walked about 2/3 of it… and back! As we walked, I enjoyed the beautiful, panoramic views of the mountains on one side and the sea on the other side. In addition, I periodically found myself enjoying the view at my feet (as geologists often …
November 2, 2015
International Geological Congress 2016: Come Visit Cape Town!
I recently registered to attend the International Geological Congress, a big geological conference that is held every four years in different locations around the globe. Next year, the 35th International Geological Congress is being held in Cape Town, South Africa, the beautiful city that I currently call home! The conference is being held August 27th to September 4th 2016, and there are a number of exciting field trips being held …
Monday Geology Picture: Pleistocene Bones, West Coast Fossil Park, South Africa
For this week’s “Monday Geology Picture” I’m sharing a picture of some bones from a Pleistocene age fossil site located about an hour’s drive from Cape Town, South Africa. I took this picture last year during a visit to the West Coast Fossil Park. If you ever find yourself in the Cape Town area, I highly recommend a visit to the fossil site. You can tour the dig site, and there’s …
October 6, 2015
More Pictures of Dinosaur Sculptures Amongst the Cycads in Kirstenbosch Gardens
For my “Monday Geology Picture” post yesterday I shared a picture of a dinosaur sculpture that is currently on display at Kirstenbosch Gardens here in Cape Town, South Africa. This sculpture is one of several dinosaur sculptures on display in the gardens. Today, as I promised, I’m sharing a few more pictures of the sculptures. These large metal dinosaurs were installed in the gardens in 2015 to raise awareness about cycads, which are plants …
April 27, 2015
Monday Geology Picture: South African Wind Farm
South Africa is currently facing a significant shortage of electricity. Recently, there have been regular periods of “load shedding” or planned power outages. Basically, there is often not enough power to go around, so the power is purposely turned off on a rotating schedule. In the neighborhood where I live and work in Cape Town, the power is regularly turned off for two hours a day or sometimes for four or more …
April 25, 2015
Red Conglomerate Hills Near Oudtshoorn, South Africa
On Monday I shared a picture of a pretty conglomerate that I recently walked across. Today I thought that I would share a few more pictures of this conglomerate formation and also tell you a little more about it. Although in Monday’s picture the conglomerate looks somewhat dull-colored, the conglomerate formation is actually impressively red in color in many places, so much so that hills made of the conglomerate are …
April 20, 2015
Monday Geology Picture: Conglomerate Near Oudtshoorn, South Africa
A couple of weeks ago I spent part of a weekend staying near Oudtshoorn, South Africa. During a hike, I walked by and, at times, across a beautiful Cretaceous age conglomerate. Here’s one image of the conglomerate, taken when I hiked across it. I’ll share some more pictures in another post.