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Life Long Learning: Fall 2012
Vagabonds Tramp Eastern Africa
Session One
“Vagabonds Tramp through Eastern Africa: where the
unique geology of the East African Rifts produced the
advent of the human species and the Nile flood plain
shaped the beginning of human history”
The countries of Africa
But first something to ponder
The mind seems to grow giddy by looking
so far into the abyss of time
Jay Playfair, 1805
Science:
Natural facts discovered by experiment
and the testing of hypotheses
2
Humans are creatures who comprehend
things they cannot see and
believe in things they can not comprehend
William Howells
What will we find today?
3
What will we find today?
Tales of Narnia: C. S. Lewis
The countries of Africa
but first a word from Peanuts
4
How to get in touch with us
May your rock collection never turn to stone!
How to contact us:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Geology & history, Un of Penn paper,
http://sino-platonic.org/complete/spp203_geology_human_history.pdf
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/video/did-climate-change-shape-humanevolution
And now, let’s get ready to tramp the countries of Africa
Grab your mental climbing gear and
let’s scale the heights of Africa
Course Outline
Vagabonds Tramp Eastern Africa: Course Outline
VAGABONDS TRAMP THE EAST AFRICA RIFT ZONE
NOVA & SENIOR UNIVERSITY
FALL 2012
Week 1 – Overview
 Geology (Don)
 Geologic overview
- plate tectonics forming Africa
- geology & geography of east Africa today
Vagabond travels in east Africa (Sandi)
 Vagabond life
 Living in Luanda Angola & South Africa
 Overview of traveling in East Africa
 Statistical comparison (Angola, South Africa, USA)
Week 2 – Rivers
 Geology (Don)
 1st Homo Sapien Sapiens – why east Africa?
 Influence of rivers/river deltas to emerging civilizations
 Developing civilizations – Africa, worldwide (6 early civilizations)
Vagabonds in Zimbabwe (Rocky)
 Zimbabwe statistics & comparison
 Huange Nat’l Park (The Hide)
 Victoria Falls
 Zambezi River
Week 3 – Savanahs & mountains
 Geology: (Don)
 Geologic processes of mountain building
 Presence/absence of minerals/metals in east Africa
 Vagabonds in Tanzania (Sandi)
 Tanzania statistics & comparison
 Mt Kilomanjaro
 Lake Mangara
 Ngorongora Crater
 Serengeti
 Leaky archeological site
Week 4 – Lakes
 Geology (Don)
 Influence of minerals/metals/gems on early civilizations (into the Hills)
 Vagabonds in Tanzania (Rocky)
 Lake Tanganika
 Searching for Chimpanzees
Week 5 – Great Rift Valley
 Geology (Don)
 Minerals/metals of east Africa today: oil exploration in East Africa
 Vagabonds in Kenya (Sandi)
The countries of Africa
The countries of Africa
Course
definition
of eastern
Africa
How does Africa fit in world geology,
but first, Geology in the News
Geology in the News
News items involving geology from:
The New York Times
AnThe
update
on Arctic
Drilling
Austin American
Statesman
The Williamson Country Sun
Items sent to askthegeologist by you
Geology in the News
From the New York Times, June, 24, 2012
Did
Interesting trend: each ellipse about equal-distant apart
Focus on the Chukchi Sea Leases
Focus on the Chukchi Sea Leases & Shell Drilling
Next, the Geology of Northern Alaska,
the Chukchi Sea, and Shell Leases
The Geology of Northern Alaska,
the Chukchi Sea, and Shell Drill Site (star)
Next, the Geology of Northern Alaska
The Geology of Northern Alaska & Shells Drilling
in the Chukchi & Beaufort Seas in the Summer 2012
Next, focus on the geology of the Shell 2012
test well in the Beaufort Sea
Shell test well 2012: Beaufort Sea
Conclusions:
Either
one of 2012
Shell’s
wells plans
could
The latest word
on Shell’s
drilling
find new areas of very large oil & gas reserves
but would be very expensive and require new
and innovative engineering to get to market.
Interior approves Noble drilling rig Discoverer to drill & set surface casing
to 1400 feet well above any high pressure zones that might cause a
BP-type blow-out.
Shell is waiting on Interior approval of the Arctic Response well control shi
Challenger being outfitted in Seattle expected in the Arctic soon.
The Arctic Challenger
at the Port of Bellingham
in Washington on Monday
Failed to meet Federal
tests!
Now a word from David Brooks of the NY Times
The facts according to DFB are that we are all claiming our entitlements
as citizens of the greatest nation on earth by living a lavish life style
that is depleting the vary natural resources that made us the greatest
nation. So, in 50 years our grandchildren and great grandchildren
will inherit depleted natural resources of Iron, Coal, and Petroleum
that will be insufficient for them to be living in a world power!!!!
Now on a brighter note: exciting,
new educational options
Can’t leave Geology in the News
without going to the Arctic Sea ice
Arctic Sea Ice Melting
2002
Using the scientific method
1979
What do you see that’s unexpected?
The Scientific Method
Good Old Common Sense
1. Observe and Record Information
2. Imagine an Explanation(s)
3. Test our Explanation(s)
4. Peers review our Conclusion(s)
Now back to the Arctic Sea Ice Melting
Russia has more
then all the others
of us combined!!
Oh, yes, back to the Arctic Sea Ice melting
Arctic Ocean Ownership Areas
Arctic Sea Ice melting
What do you see that’s unexpected?
ice mass is
this?
Last, What
from Sunday’s
Statesman.
And the answer is this?
Greenland
China continues to try to find oil & gas reserves
Eagle Ford shale fracking
Eagle Ford shale fracking
Eagle Ford Gas & Oil Shale Fracking
A word or two on possible geology field trips
The “M” Countries of Africa
Eastern Africa
Another view
Remember the “M” countries in Africa:
Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Mozambique, Madagascar, & Mauritius
The “M” Countries of Africa
How does
Africa
fit inthe
the global
pattern
of the earth’s
Can
you
find
“M”
countries?
rocky crustal plates?
Crustal Plates: Both Oceanic & Continental
The Earth’s rocky crust is broken into the major plates shown here
Indian plate under Asian plate = mountain building
Combination
Oceanic
Combination
Combination
Combination
What rocks comprise the earth’s rocky crust?
A Model of the Solid Earth
Continental
Crust
20 to 50
Miles thick
Oceanic
Crust
5 miles thick
The Earth’s
Rocky Crust
Focus on Africa
Oceanic
How
thick is continental crist
Crust
Continental
Crust
Oceanic
Oceanic crust:
discovered in the
Crust
last half of the 20th century
Oceanic crust: one of five amazing geological
discoveries in the last half of the 20th century
Earth Cartoon Cross Section
8000 miles
4000 miles = radius
How thick is
a continent?
How thick is
a continent?
2000 miles
How thick is
a continent?
1000 miles
How thick is
a continent?
500 miles
How thick is
a continent?
100 miles thick
500
1000
2000
Continental crust is one half to one quarter as thick as this orange line
4000
8000
How thick is oceanic crust?
About one tenth of the orange line, too thin to show here!
How far does Africa extend?
North
Pole
Cut the earth
in half through
Africa
the poles
Center of
the earth
Equator
West
Conclusion:
continents are a thin
veneer on the surface of our earth
Yet they move as “plates” over
South Africa
the face of the earth
through time
South
Pole
The Earth’s Crustal Plates Today
Crustal plates move during geologic time
North American
Plate
Pacific
Plate
Eurasian PlateRecent earthquake
African Plate
Evidence of plate motion
Plate motion in geologic time:
1. moves continents into different climate zones and
E. A. Keller, 1996, Environmental Geology
2. creates mountains whenFrom
the
plates collide
Earthquake Epicenters: 25 years
Focus on Africa
Earthquake Epicenters: 25 years
Focus on Africa
Nature and age of oceanic crust
Life Long Learning: Fall 2012
Vagabonds Tramp Eastern Africa
Session Two
“Vagabonds Tramp through Eastern Africa: where the
unique geology of the East African Rifts produced the
advent of the human species and the Nile flood plain
shaped the beginning of human history”
Where we left the geology last week
“That light we see is burning in my hall.
How far that little candle throws his beams!”
Portia, The Merchant of Venice, Act V, Scene 1
Come join me, and let’s travel together
and see what four geological discoveries
made in the last half of the 20th Century
will tell sell us about human history;
both past, present, and future
If you want to travel fast, travel alone
If you want to travel far, travel together
But first, geology in the News
Geology in the News
Full page Chevron ad in NYT
Next, asteroids and meteors in our solar system
Responsible hydro-fracking
Orbits of Asteroids and Comets circling our Sun
Locations of Asteroid & Comet
Impacts in the Western Hemisphere
Find the two big ones (red)
Locations of Asteroid & Comet
Impacts in the Eastern Hemisphere
Amazing Geological Discoveries
of the Second Half of the 20th Century
Findthe one big one (red)
Five Amazing Geological Discoveries
of the Second Half of the 20th Century
Last week we mentioned the discovery of
Oceanic Crust which is one of five amazing
geological discoveries in the last half of the
20th century
1. Oceanic Crust
2. Continental Drift
3. Absolute Age Dating
4. Paleo-magnetics
5. Plate Tectonics
Mid Ocean “ridge”
Continental Crust
African Plate:
African Continental crust
plus surrounding oceanic crust
Oceanic Crust
The Earth’s Crustal Plates Today
Crustal plates move during geologic time;
Note the red arrows showing plate motion
North American
Plate
Pacific
Plate
Eurasian Plate
African Plate
Plates are the drifting entities but paleo-reconstructions show
only the drift of the continents through geologic time. Why?
From E. A. Keller, 1996, Environmental Geology
Present Day
Present Day Plate Drift
Plate Drift:
Last 250 million years
Continental Drift:
Last 250 million years
“Plate Drift is too complicated to be
defined”. Quote: Scotese & Blakey
Present Day
Plates shown
Note:
no plates shown
Now a second amazing geological discovery
of the second half of the 20th Century:
Note: no plates shown
Absolute Age Dating of Rocks
Conclusion: PlateNote:
driftnois
yet shown
to be worked out.
plates
We’ll have to work with continental crust drift maps
250 million yearsuntil
ago plate drift is defined
Ages of Oceanic Crust:
Gray – Continental Crust
Red = modern:
Orange, Yellow, & Green progressively older
Blue = 250 million years ago
Focus on Africa
African Plate: Age of Oceanic Crust
Red = modern: Blue = oldest 250 million years ago
What process creates the different
ages of oceanic crust?
New oceanic crust is constantly being
formed by molten rock extruded in
the deep oceans along the oceanic ridges
Ocean 3 miles deep
A cross section view
Ocean 3 miles deep
New Oceanic Crust
being formed
Another view
Old Oceanic Crust
being destroyed (melted)
Notice the convection cells in the mantle
Mantle Convection Cells
Moving Crustal Plates
Heated
Mantle convection cells in 3-D
Complex Shape of Mantle Convection Cells
Can you find Africa in the top panel?
Crustal Plates & Mantle Convection Cells
Oceanic Crust
Ocean
Plate tectonics;
a.k.a. plate deformation
What is a fourth amazing geological discovery
in the second half of the 20th century?
Plate tectonics;
a.k.a. continental crust deformation
Types:
Mountain building
Warping
Up “swelling” over a hot spot
Plate tectonics affecting Africa;
a.k.a. continental crust deformation
Mountain building
Warping
Up ‘swelling”
East African
Rift valleys &
the advent of
humans
Two additional amazing geological developments in the 2nd half
of the 20th century brought geology from largely a descriptive to
a quantitative science like Biology, Chemistry, & Physics
The New Quantitative Geology
of the 21st Century
3-D digital reflection geophysics defines the
configuration and fluid content of the
subsurface rocks prior to drilling
And, this is leading to an appreciation
of
how
the
geology
of
the
rocky
crust
Let’s summarize what we’ll be discussing
hasin
shaped
human
history
for
the
detail in our next 4 sessions
last 50,000,000
yearsthick rock
Deep oil exploration
drilling finds
layers that have resulted in widespread
mountain building for the last 2 billion years
Summary of what we’ll be discussing
in detail in our next 4 sessions
Continental Drift positions the continents so that the plate
tectonic warping of the Northern Temperate Zone of Eurasia
is the unique location for the creation of the 6 earliest civilizations
Tigris
Euphrates
The six Early Major Civilizations:
In the Six Major River Flood Plains
located in the southern half of the
Northern Temperate Climate Zone
Yellow
Yangtze
Indus
Nile Nile
Ganges
From: Hammond Atlas, 1972
What we’ll try to get you to believe in the next 4 weeks
Conclusions on what is required for a land to become a world power
What
we’ll try todrift
getand
youplate
to believe
in the
nextin5the
weeks
1. Continental
tectonic put
Eurasia
ideal
location for early farming empires
2. Plate tectonics (mountain building) exposed Fe and Coal in
hill lands initiating conflict with farming empires (except in China)
3. No world powers or sustainable religions have or will be
developed in the tropics or the southern in the sourthern temperate zone
Northern Temperate Zone
Now it’s time to apply what we’ve learned
Tropics
to a country we’ll visit in Eastern Africa
Southern Temperate Zone
First Empires (farming major river flood plains)
Green hills lands with Fe and Coal (invade farming lands)