Aeolianite and barrier dune construction spanning the last two glacial?interglacial cycles from the southern Cape coast, South Africa

Submerged shorelines and landscape features offshore of Mossel Bay, South Africa

“…This complex interplay of processes has led to the preservation of offshore features that are expected to be dominated by aeolianite and back-barrier sediments. Numerous subaerially exposed superimposed retrogressive barrier systems have been described along the wave-dominated south coast (Bateman et al 2004(Bateman et al , 2011Carr et al 2010), offshore on the east coast (Bosman et al 2005;Cawthra et al 2012;Green et al 2012) and, recently, off the south coast in this study. The morphology and relief of the shelf banks/shoals on the shelf of Mossel Bay (Fig.…”

“…The Wilderness Embayment back-barrier lagoons are bounded by mid-to late Pleistocene barriers (Bateman et al 2004(Bateman et al , 2011. In Still Bay, the present coastal plain is characterized by a comparable model of sedimentation, although the barriers are volumetrically smaller and the lagoons are absent (Roberts et al 2008).…”

“…Prior to our study, no recent high-resolution and non-commercial continental shelf studies had been conducted offshore of this region despite numerous studies of the Cenozoic geology of the coastal plain of the South Coast (Malan 1987;Bateman et al 2004Bateman et al , 2011Carr et al 2007;Roberts et al 2008) and several continental shelf investigations (Birch et al 1978;Flemming et al 1983). Geomorphological, stratigraphic and sedimentological models of the shelf therefore remained relatively poorly advanced.…”

Ant assemblages at three potential breeding sites for the Brenton blue butterfly, Orachrysops niobe (Trimen)

“…Topography varies from flat in the north to a 1 in 3 south-facing slope in the south, and the site has a total area of 9550 m². The BBBR and Uitzicht sites have similar geology, with Pleistocene aeolianite palaeodune cordons running parallel to the coast, overlain in places by Holocene sand dunes and an immature soil layer (0.5-2 m) comprising sand with a low occurrence of fines (Illenberger 1996;Bateman et al 2004). The NVFR site has less extensive late Pleistocene aeolianite dune structures overlying Bokkeveld shale and sandstone of the Cape system (Lubke et al 2003).…”

Aeolianite

“…Malan, 1987;Illenberger, 1996) and the Wahiba Sands in Oman (Gardner, 1988;Glennie and Singhvi, 2002;Preusser et al, 2002). South Africa, Bateman et al, 2004). The total thickness of aeolianite deposits varies between < 1 m to in excess of 100 m (e.g.…”