Boom & Bust in the Namib Desert Namibia is mostly desert. Like its neighbour South Africa, the country was gifted with diamond-bearing Kimberlites. The Sperrgebiet (or “forbidden territory”), where the diamonds are concentrated, is strictly off-limits to the public. Namibia’s natural resources have played an important role in shaping the development of this inhospitable …[Read More]
Namibia
Friday Photo (80): Wildlife in the Field – Lizard on Dolomite
A lizard basks on top of a very uncomfortable looking dolomitised grainstone. This dolomitised layer is part of a sequence of platform carbonates that formed 550 million years ago. Only some of the layers are dolomitised, and it is unclear whether the dolomite is primary, or formed secondarily, possibly as a result of Mg-rich fluids …[Read More]
Friday Photo (79): Wildlife in the Field – the Underside of a Cricket
The underside of a cricket in focus against a blurred carbonate ramp succession in the background. Taken in Namibia in 2012. Send us your favourite photos of wild encounters whilst out in the field! Blog[at]gfgd.org (c) Geology for Global Development 2013
Friday Photo (78): Wildlife in the Field – Baboons Clinging to Carbonates
Baboons cling onto a steep cliff face on the Hoogland member, Nama group, southern Namibia. Our new Friday Photo series will take a look at some of the wildlife you’ve come across whilst out in the field. Submit your favourite photos, along with a sentence or two about the photo, to blog@gfgd.org (c) Geology for …[Read More]
Natural Resources: A Natural Hazard?
In this post I explore some of the issues that can arise when an economy is dominated by the oil or mining industry. I discuss some of the inherent problems with the nature of the extraction industry. In next week’s blog post, I will move on to talking about how we can manage the extraction …[Read More]