Creative:
The Platberg Sonnet for Geologist's
Point two billion years back Gondwana was one
All around the wind swept desert making the Clarence formation.
At this time the ledge of land did become undone,
That break away rift became the Astrid-Antarctic creation.
The shifting plates, and thin surface crust
Offered boiling rock a subterrain avenue of escape.
Magma, super plume flowing, uplifting, and must
Through rising dykes and sills, a range of mountains make.
The Karoo covered Clarence was covered once more,
A dark dolomite spread over every part of the land.
Gravity wind and weather moved the surface to the shore
'Till all land was lowered except where Platberg did stand.
And thus the mesa that has towered over time
Remains an inselberg reflecting geology most fine.
Rational:
What It Means
With the Gondwala split, the outer mantle thinned. Molten rock forced up by pressure from inner core below, finds passage in fissures in sub terrain Earth, allowing vast body of magma, or PLUME to travel Westward arcing Southern tip, as well as laterally up the length, of the landmass that we now call Africa. This displaces surface, causing upliftment, and the Drakensburg is created. Volcanic debris deposited over all. At this time, the Monocline, or tilting of the plate due to pressure of the seperation, resulted in rapid run off toward the point of the break ( what is now called the Indian Ocean.)
Extreme erosion, but here at Platberg, as at several sites along Eastern Africa, the hardened metamorphic rock atop the Clarence formation sediment, proved to be impervious to the decaying action of erosion.
And this enthusiastic island of mountain relic
Awaits your enthusiastic attention.
Credits:
50 Must See Geological sites in Southern Africa by Gavin Whitfield Pub. Struik Nature 2015
Geography of KwaZulu Natal – Kzn Tourism Handout dated 2016
Gondwala From Top to Base in Space and Time, by Trond H. Torsvic & L.Robin M.Cocks;
Elesevier Journal date 17 July 2013
Activity:
As this is an Earth Cache, you are asked to respond to a few Tasks. You may send such responses to the CO by way of the Message service within the app. You can claim the find provided your responses are received within 7 days of having claimed the find. Failure to comply could result in your Found It log being deleted without notice. Tasks labeled Optional are not mandatory – you do not have to respond to them unless you feel you would like to. Here are the Tasks:
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In your own words, describe briefly how you understand this unusual mountain came to be. (Please not more than one or two paragraphs)
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- On Site Verification Task -
At the GZ, there are a few manufactured structures. What, in your opinion, is the primary material used in such constructions?
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- Optional – You might want to compose the lyrics of a poem or a song referring to this Geological example. You may even wish to include such in your log.
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As always, you may want to include a picture of your team at the GZ in your log. (Make sure you avoid revealing Task 2 if you do so !!!)
Remember to send your responses to the CO.