Uploads from Marie-Marthe Gagnon, tagged geoafrica

Desert - Sand Dune in Africa - Sossusvlei, Namibia - Dune 45

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:36:01 -0700

Sossusvlei National Park, Namibia

Taken in March 2010, after a rainy few weeks in Namibia. The desert has green plants and some flowers.

Dead Valley, Sossusvlei, Namibia

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:37:51 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Sossusvlei National Park, Namibia

Taken in March 2010, after a rainy few weeks in Namibia. The desert has green plants and some flowers.

One Man & 2 Trees, Sossusvlei, Namibia, Africa !!!

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:30:34 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Sossusvlei National Park, Namibia

Taken in March 2010, after a rainy few weeks in Namibia. The desert has green plants and some flowers.

Early Morning Light, Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:37:03 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

The farmer started a fire just before the sunrise. I wonder what's cooking.

************

The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Dutch: Drakensbergen, "the Dragon Mountains") is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to 3,482 metres (11,424 ft) in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba ("barrier of spears"), and in Sesotho as Maluti (also spelled Maloti). Its geological history lends it a distinctive character amongst the mountain ranges of the world. Geologically, the range resembles the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.
During the Pre-Cambrian Era, volcanic eruptions in the area resulted in lava covering large sections of the Southern African sub-continent. In the Palaeozoic Era, wind and water deposited thick layers of shale, mudstone and sandstone, now known as the Karoo Supergroup, over the ancient primary rock. When Gondwanaland began to break up 200 million years ago, the resultant forces caused the extrusion of magma, known as Drakensberg lava, through fissures and cracks in the Earth's surface. In the Drakensberg region it capped the sedimentary rock formations with layers of solid basalt up to 1400 m thick. Weathering reduced the range's size, and caused the plateau to recede. In modern times, continued erosion has exposed some of the underlying sediment.
Appearance
The mountains are capped by a layer of basalt approximately 1,400 meters thick, with sandstone lower down, resulting in a combination of steep-sided blocks and pinnacles.

Composition
The majority of the range is basalt, as a result of continental upheaval and volcanic activity in the Pre-Cambrian era. Many of the lava flows are characterized by amygdaloidal zones. Many of the primary minerals within the basalts have been subjected to varying degrees of deuteric alteration which has led to the formation of clay, as well as chlorite and zeolite to a lesser extent. Some interstitial glass has also broken down to form clay. These secondary minerals, together with zeolites which occur notably as amygdaloidal fillings, mean that many of the basalts break down rapidly on exposure. The breakdown results from the expansion which occurs when the clay minerals swell on absorption of water.

Highest peaks
The highest peak is Thabana Ntlenyana, at 3,482 metres (11,424 ft). Other notable peaks include Mafadi at 3,450 m, Makoaneng at 3,416 m, Njesuthi at 3,408 m, Champagne Castle at 3,377 m, Giant's Castle at 3,315 m, Ben Macdhui at 3,001 m, and Popple Peak at 3331m, all of these are in the area bordering on Lesotho. Another popular area for hikers is Cathedral Peak. North of Lesotho the range becomes lower and less rugged until entering Mpumalanga where the quartzite mountains of the Transvaal Drakensberg are loftier and more broken and form the eastern rim of the Transvaal Basin, the Blyde River Canyon lying within this stretch. The geology of this section is the same as and continuous with that of the Magaliesberg.
Ecology
Little Saddle
The high treeless peaks of the Drakensberg (from 2,500 m upwards) have been described by the World Wildlife Fund as the Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands ecoregion. These steep slopes are the most southerly high mountains in Africa, and being further from the equator provide cooler habitats at lower elevations than most mountain ranges on the continent. The high rainfall generates many mountain streams and rivers, including the sources of the Orange River, southern Africa's longest, and the Tugela River. These mountains also have the world's second-highest waterfall, the Tugela Falls (Thukela Falls), which has a total drop of 947 metres. The rivers that run from the Drakensberg are an essential resource for South Africa's economy, providing water for the industrial provinces of Mpumalanga and Gauteng, which contains the city of Johannesburg. The climate is wet and cool at the high altitudes, which experience snowfall in winter.
Meanwhile the grassy lower slopes (from 1,800 to 2,500 m) of the Drakensberg in Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho constitute the Drakensberg Montane Grassland, Woodland, and Forest.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Scenic Cape Town, South Africa

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:35:02 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Dutch: Drakensbergen, "the Dragon Mountains") is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to 3,482 metres (11,424 ft) in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba ("barrier of spears"), and in Sesotho as Maluti (also spelled Maloti). Its geological history lends it a distinctive character amongst the mountain ranges of the world. Geologically, the range resembles the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.
During the Pre-Cambrian Era, volcanic eruptions in the area resulted in lava covering large sections of the Southern African sub-continent. In the Palaeozoic Era, wind and water deposited thick layers of shale, mudstone and sandstone, now known as the Karoo Supergroup, over the ancient primary rock. When Gondwanaland began to break up 200 million years ago, the resultant forces caused the extrusion of magma, known as Drakensberg lava, through fissures and cracks in the Earth's surface. In the Drakensberg region it capped the sedimentary rock formations with layers of solid basalt up to 1400 m thick. Weathering reduced the range's size, and caused the plateau to recede. In modern times, continued erosion has exposed some of the underlying sediment.
Appearance
The mountains are capped by a layer of basalt approximately 1,400 meters thick, with sandstone lower down, resulting in a combination of steep-sided blocks and pinnacles.

Composition
The majority of the range is basalt, as a result of continental upheaval and volcanic activity in the Pre-Cambrian era. Many of the lava flows are characterized by amygdaloidal zones. Many of the primary minerals within the basalts have been subjected to varying degrees of deuteric alteration which has led to the formation of clay, as well as chlorite and zeolite to a lesser extent. Some interstitial glass has also broken down to form clay. These secondary minerals, together with zeolites which occur notably as amygdaloidal fillings, mean that many of the basalts break down rapidly on exposure. The breakdown results from the expansion which occurs when the clay minerals swell on absorption of water.

Highest peaks
The highest peak is Thabana Ntlenyana, at 3,482 metres (11,424 ft). Other notable peaks include Mafadi at 3,450 m, Makoaneng at 3,416 m, Njesuthi at 3,408 m, Champagne Castle at 3,377 m, Giant's Castle at 3,315 m, Ben Macdhui at 3,001 m, and Popple Peak at 3331m, all of these are in the area bordering on Lesotho. Another popular area for hikers is Cathedral Peak. North of Lesotho the range becomes lower and less rugged until entering Mpumalanga where the quartzite mountains of the Transvaal Drakensberg are loftier and more broken and form the eastern rim of the Transvaal Basin, the Blyde River Canyon lying within this stretch. The geology of this section is the same as and continuous with that of the Magaliesberg.
Ecology
Little Saddle
The high treeless peaks of the Drakensberg (from 2,500 m upwards) have been described by the World Wildlife Fund as the Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands ecoregion. These steep slopes are the most southerly high mountains in Africa, and being further from the equator provide cooler habitats at lower elevations than most mountain ranges on the continent. The high rainfall generates many mountain streams and rivers, including the sources of the Orange River, southern Africa's longest, and the Tugela River. These mountains also have the world's second-highest waterfall, the Tugela Falls (Thukela Falls), which has a total drop of 947 metres. The rivers that run from the Drakensberg are an essential resource for South Africa's economy, providing water for the industrial provinces of Mpumalanga and Gauteng, which contains the city of Johannesburg. The climate is wet and cool at the high altitudes, which experience snowfall in winter.
Meanwhile the grassy lower slopes (from 1,800 to 2,500 m) of the Drakensberg in Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho constitute the Drakensberg Montane Grassland, Woodland, and Forest.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Walking on Dune # 45 at Sunrise, Namibia

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:52:14 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Park in Cape Town (please see it in large format)

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:19:46 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

The sheep walk in the Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:06:30 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

The Botanists, Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:05:45 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Mountain Dogs, Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho, Africa

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:03:03 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

They are not wild, they are guarding the sheeps.

*********************

The Drakensberg (Afrikaans: Drakensberge, Dutch: Drakensbergen, "the Dragon Mountains") is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to 3,482 metres (11,424 ft) in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba ("barrier of spears"), and in Sesotho as Maluti (also spelled Maloti). Its geological history lends it a distinctive character amongst the mountain ranges of the world. Geologically, the range resembles the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia.
During the Pre-Cambrian Era, volcanic eruptions in the area resulted in lava covering large sections of the Southern African sub-continent. In the Palaeozoic Era, wind and water deposited thick layers of shale, mudstone and sandstone, now known as the Karoo Supergroup, over the ancient primary rock. When Gondwanaland began to break up 200 million years ago, the resultant forces caused the extrusion of magma, known as Drakensberg lava, through fissures and cracks in the Earth's surface. In the Drakensberg region it capped the sedimentary rock formations with layers of solid basalt up to 1400 m thick. Weathering reduced the range's size, and caused the plateau to recede. In modern times, continued erosion has exposed some of the underlying sediment.
Appearance
The mountains are capped by a layer of basalt approximately 1,400 meters thick, with sandstone lower down, resulting in a combination of steep-sided blocks and pinnacles.

Composition
The majority of the range is basalt, as a result of continental upheaval and volcanic activity in the Pre-Cambrian era. Many of the lava flows are characterized by amygdaloidal zones. Many of the primary minerals within the basalts have been subjected to varying degrees of deuteric alteration which has led to the formation of clay, as well as chlorite and zeolite to a lesser extent. Some interstitial glass has also broken down to form clay. These secondary minerals, together with zeolites which occur notably as amygdaloidal fillings, mean that many of the basalts break down rapidly on exposure. The breakdown results from the expansion which occurs when the clay minerals swell on absorption of water.

Highest peaks
The highest peak is Thabana Ntlenyana, at 3,482 metres (11,424 ft). Other notable peaks include Mafadi at 3,450 m, Makoaneng at 3,416 m, Njesuthi at 3,408 m, Champagne Castle at 3,377 m, Giant's Castle at 3,315 m, Ben Macdhui at 3,001 m, and Popple Peak at 3331m, all of these are in the area bordering on Lesotho. Another popular area for hikers is Cathedral Peak. North of Lesotho the range becomes lower and less rugged until entering Mpumalanga where the quartzite mountains of the Transvaal Drakensberg are loftier and more broken and form the eastern rim of the Transvaal Basin, the Blyde River Canyon lying within this stretch. The geology of this section is the same as and continuous with that of the Magaliesberg.
Ecology
Little Saddle
The high treeless peaks of the Drakensberg (from 2,500 m upwards) have been described by the World Wildlife Fund as the Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands ecoregion. These steep slopes are the most southerly high mountains in Africa, and being further from the equator provide cooler habitats at lower elevations than most mountain ranges on the continent. The high rainfall generates many mountain streams and rivers, including the sources of the Orange River, southern Africa's longest, and the Tugela River. These mountains also have the world's second-highest waterfall, the Tugela Falls (Thukela Falls), which has a total drop of 947 metres. The rivers that run from the Drakensberg are an essential resource for South Africa's economy, providing water for the industrial provinces of Mpumalanga and Gauteng, which contains the city of Johannesburg. The climate is wet and cool at the high altitudes, which experience snowfall in winter.
Meanwhile the grassy lower slopes (from 1,800 to 2,500 m) of the Drakensberg in Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho constitute the Drakensberg Montane Grassland, Woodland, and Forest.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

Shepherd's dog, Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:04:49 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Sharp Turns in Sani Pass, Lesotho

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:06:20 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Red Sun Screen, Kingdom in the Sky, Lesotho

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:06:41 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

She covers her face with a red mud mix to protect her skin from the sun.

Cargo Shipping Cape Town

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:17:53 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

The clouds gave way and let the sun shins on this ship. Cape Town, South Africa

More Tourists on Dune 45, Namibia

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:20:00 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Sossusvlei National Park, Namibia

Taken in March 2010, after a rainy few weeks in Namibia. The desert has green plants and some flowers.

SOLITUDE, Drakensberg Mountains, Nation Park trail, South Africa

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:21:32 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Natal National Park
Tugela
Mont-Aux-Sources

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) Wiki

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:19:26 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Dreaming Field, South Africa

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:19:36 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Flowers at the Horizon, Namibia

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:36:03 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

The rain season changed the desert. Grass was growing on the sand dunes, as well as a few flowers!

Sossusvlei National Park, Namibia

Taken in March 2010, after a rainy few weeks in Namibia. The desert has green plants and some flowers.

Lonely, Namibia

nobody@flickr.com (Marie-Marthe Gagnon) — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:35:28 -0700

Marie-Marthe Gagnon posted a photo:

Sossusvlei National Park, Namibia

Taken in March 2010, after a rainy few weeks in Namibia. The desert has green plants and some flowers.