Download INKABA YE AFRICA

a joint initiative of the German and South African earth science communities
Co-ordinators :
University of Cape Town - Maarten de Wit: [email protected]
GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam - Brian Horsfield [email protected]
BREMERHAVEN
HANNOVER
Inkaba is a German-South Africa research initiative that
is both multidisciplinary and inter-institutional, dovetailing
a combined northern-southern hemisphere collaborative
venture with a strong training capacity-building
component that has been carefully aligned with the R&D
strategies of both nations. Three teams of German and
South African Earth scientists will survey a cone-shaped
sector of the Earth from core to space, encompassing
South Africa and the Southern Oceans. Their task: to track
Earth history 200 million years into the past to facilitate
better planning for the future.
Inkaba will provide concrete and far-reaching socialpolitical advances. It represents a unique opportunity to
train, in concert, a new generation of South African and
German post-graduates and post-doctoral researchers from
multicultural backgrounds in cutting edge Earth Science.
Inkaba is the catalyst for scientific and technological
advances with spinoffs that are truly integrated with the
socio-economic needs of the two respective democracies,
including resource exploitation, geospacial planning and
environmental development, and natural hazard prediction.
UNIV KIEL
UCT
WITS
UN
UPE
UDW
US
Why South Africa? Because it is, quite simply, the best
natural Earth System Science Laboratory in the world.
Starting in 2004, researchers from 15 universities and
research institutions will collaborate in this unique
initiative.
The cost, spread over 5 years, is 11,6 million Euros.
JENA
PA SA
2
1.0 Introduction
INKABA YE AFRICA
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
SA-German research cooperation
will lead to better understanding
of Interactive Earth Systems
Inkaba ye Africa, a joint research initiative of
the German and South African Earth science
communities, was in concept finalised at a
workshop in Potsdam, Germany, in March this
year. The aim of the initiative is to get a better
understanding of Earth Systems and their
interaction at different scales and rates.
According to the agreement, three teams of
German and South African Earth Scientists
will survey a cone-shaped sector of the Earth
from its core to space, enclosing South Africa
and the Southern Oceans at its solid surface.
They will track the history of its components
for at least 200 million years into the past.
Scientists believe climate change; biodiversity;
and natural resources and hazards of Africa
will be better understood once they have
differentiated and analysed the geodynamics of
the Earth's operating systems. Researchers
from 15 South African and German
universities, research councils and institutions
are taking part in the initiative.
The first meeting to explore the possibility of a
cooperative geosciences project between
Germany and South Africa was facilitated by
the NRF in Cape Town in November 2002. As
part of the bilateral research agreement, the
NRF has also been hosting the GFZ’s South
African Geodynamic Observatory, Sutherland
(Sagos) at its South African Astronomical
Observatory site in the Karoo since last year.
South Africa has been chosen as research site
since it is, according to the research team, quite
simply the best natural laboratory in the world.
Its geology retains the longest best-preserved
record of tectonic movements, volcanic events,
natural resource emplacement, geomagnetic
record, and climatic change extending back
more than 3000 million years. Southern Africa
is also at the current focus of dramatic changes
in the Earth’s magnetic field and is the cradle
of human culture.
Inkaba will also provide social-political gains
in the unique opportunity it presents to
encourage a new generation of South African
postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers
with multicultural backgrounds to explore
ways of integrating frontier geosciences with
the economic and social needs of their
developing nation, and continent; and learn to
integrate southern African datasets to develop
new global models.
The initiative has been divided into three main
research topics that are united by a common
goal of capacity building:

Heart of Africa, studying energy transfer
from core to space to forecast the growth
of the South Atlantic magnetic hole and its
effects; gain better insight into the
magnetic reversal process; to investigate
the feedback mechanisms between hot
upwelling mantle beneath southern Africa
and its present surface elevation; to derive
new paradigms linking rockbursts and
fracturing in deep gold mines to
earthquake prediction;

Margins of Africa, studying the causes,
mechanisms
and
consequences
of
continental break-up. One of the goals is to
establish a model for the break-up of
Gondwana and the changing ocean basins
that separate its fragments.

Living Africa, studying oceans, resources,
climate and biodiversity between and
around the margins of southern Africa,
South America and Antarctica.
Inkaba is a Xhosa word encapsulating a
sense of total interconnectivity. Literally it
means navel, the central point: a point
from which all energy, material and
knowledge emerges and is recycled.
Uniting this with ye Africa creates the
broader meaning Earth Systems (Science)
of Africa.
1.0 Introduction
6
Preamble
Inkaba is a Xhosa word that encapsulates a sense of total interconnectivity. Literally it means
Navel, the central point of everything: a point from which all energy, material and knowledge
emerges and is recycled. Uniting this with ye Africa creates the broader meaning Earth
Systems (Science) of Africa.
Earth Systems, including those of the solid Earth, interact at different scales and rates in ways
that we do not as yet fully understand. Three integrated German-South African teams of earth
scientists from 15 institutions, amalgamated as a holistic group, will survey a cone-shaped
sector of the Earth from its core to space, enclosing South Africa and the Southern Oceans at
its solid surface, and track the history of its components for at least 200 million years into the
past.
Inkaba ye Africa is not merely an academic exercise: climate change, biodiversity, natural
resources and hazards of Africa will be better understood once the geodynamics of the Earth's
operating systems are differentiated and analysed by the assembled leading scientific
institutions from the two countries.
South Africa is the best natural laboratory in the world. Its geology retains the longest and best
preserved record of tectonic movements, volcanic events, organic evolution, natural resource
emplacement and climatic change extending back more than 3500 million years. Southern
Africa is also the current focus of dramatic changes in the Earth’s magnetic field that may
become so distorted as the threatened life on Earth. Southern Africa is also the cradle of human
culture. Inkaba ye Africa will focus attention therefore on the fascinating and dynamic nature
of Planet Earth with the motto: understanding the past is the key to planning for the future.
South Africa is committed to African capacity building in Science and Technology. Inkaba
will take a central role via teaching and research initiatives. The programme will provide both
the initial impetus and a continuing stable vehicle for training young South Africans in holistic
Earth Science. The outlook is a foundation for modern university teaching and research which
is in tune with the economic and social needs of the developing nation.
Inkaba ye Africa has three large integrated multidisciplinary projects, each addressing a
fundamental aspect of South African Earth Science, and co-ordinated by a South Africanbased scientist. Component parts or sub-projects are run jointly by leading scientists from the
two countries, and staffed by postdoctoral scientists and postgraduate students. In this
proposal, milestones and deliverables are set out for the duration of the research. Teaching via
short-courses at introductory through advanced levels are highlighted where appropriate; and
a public outreach scheme is outlined. Funding requirements are summarised on the next page.
1.0 Introduction
7
Financial Summary (in Euros),
Inkaba ye Africa
Totals
2004
1860450
2005
2959115
2006
3254635
2007
2090630
2008
1392535
Total
11557365
Project 1: Heart of Africa: energy transfer from core to space
Sub-Project 1.1 Earth and Ocean Monitoring Network across Southern Africa (SADC): a
long-term regional project to support a multi-disciplinary earth science approach
Sub-Project 1.2 The Morphology of Geomagnetic Field Variations in the Southern African
Region and its Link to Global Geomagnetic Field Evolution
Sub-Project 1.3 Epeirogenic history of Southern Africa: tracking 200 Ma of uplift,
exhumation, erosion and influence on climate
Sub-Project 1.4 Rock bursts and earthquake hazards in deep gold mines
Project 1
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Totals
2004
228000
136200
99000
406000
857200
2005
274000
93700
78000
275500
716200
2006
287500
93700
98000
275500
752700
2007
278000
93700
58000
0
421700
2008
192500
93700
38000
0
322200
Total
1260000
511000
371000
957000
3070000
Project 2: Margins of Africa: continental breakup - causes and consequences
Sub-Project 2.1 The Western Margin of southern Africa
Sub-Project 2.2 Agulhas-Karoo Geoscience Transect: A land-sea deep crustal seismic, MT
and petrological transect across the Agulhas Plateau, the Agulhas Fracture Zone, the Agulhas
Bank, the Cape Fold Belt and into the Karoo Province
Sub-Project 2.3 South-East African coast geophysical and geological program
Sub-project 2.4 Dredge sampling of the Walvis Ridge, Meteor Rise – Shona Ridge,
Madagascar Ridge and Discovery Seamounts, South Atlantic
Project 2
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
Totals
2004
407500
163600
0
0
571100
2005
498500
1211000
165200
0
1874700
2006
336500
592200
1050900
81400
2061000
2007
0
286400
812900
246800
1346100
2008
0
128100
357700
338200
824000
Total
1242500
2381300
2386700
666400
6676900
1.0 Introduction
8
Project 3: Living Africa: Oceans, resources and climate
Sub-Project 3.1 Generation, migration and sequestration of natural gas during the postbreakup history of the South African continental margin
Sub-Project 3.2 Seismic stratigraphy of the South African margin: Clues to Neogene changes
in tectonics, ocean currents and sea level
Sub-Project 3.3 Neogene-Quaternary palaeoceanography from the geochemistry of
successions on the South African margin
Sub-Project 3.4 Past precipitation patterns in South Africa in relation to the Southern
Oscillation and the Antarctic Ice regime
Sub-Project 3.5 Evolution of Seawater Chemistry and the Southern Ocean Climate System:
the role of decreased hydrothermal fluxes
Project 3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
Totals
2004
45000
14400
127000
36000
164000
386400
2005
72500
98340
58000
28500
54000
311340
2006
92500
110060
80000
28500
81000
392060
2007
50000
108580
61000
0
54000
273580
2008
30000
88460
40000
0
54000
212460
Total
290000
419840
366000
93000
407000
1575840
2008
19875
Total
135625
2005
2006
2007
2008
12000
12000
12000
12000
12000
Totals
* Planned at the Hartbeeshoek Radio Astronomy Observatory, South Africa
Total
60000
Accelerated Development and Capacity Building Program
Totals
2004
16750
2005
34875
2006
34875
2007
29250
Annual Workshops
* 2004
1.0 Introduction
9
Introduction
In 1912, German scientist Alfred Wegener predicted that as the continents of Africa and
Antarctica emerged from their Gondwana supercontinental embryo, many side effects (such as
global climate change) would follow in the wake of their dispersal and the formation of the
southern oceans that now surround them. But, what Wegener then could not have predicted
from his displacement theory is how these horizontal movements of the continents also affect,
and are affected by, processes deep in the solid-earth, perhaps even 3000 km down to the
core-mantle boundary. More startling yet, processes that act across the core-mantle boundary
with potential influence on stability of Earth's magnetic field, may be involved too. Thus it is
possible that as continents move, the strength of Earth's magnetosphere may vary and become
so distorted as to threaten life on Earth. This is Earth system interaction at its grandest scale.
We should aim to understand it, for the resulting knowledge will serve us well in the future.
South Africa and its surrounding oceanic regions offer a globally unique laboratory in which
to study it and synthesize our findings.
It was South Africa's most famous geologist, Alex L. du Toit, who in 1937 dedicated his
magnum opus Our Wandering Continents to the memory of Alfred Wegener "for his
distinguished services in connection with the geological interpretation of our Earth".
Wegener's bold thinking in Germany, first published in The Origin of Continents and
Oceans, in 1912, stimulated du Toit's conviction that field observations in South Africa,
coupled to new measurements and calculations, were the key to testing Wegener's new way of
thinking about how the Earth works. History has vindicated the work of both these scientific
giants. In his book, Du Toit suggests that the "displacement hypothesis [of Wegener]
represents the “holistic” outlook in geology". From this, Earth Systems Science has emerged
as a new holistic way of integrating geosciences that now also provides clear links to societal
needs. And Wegener and du Toit established that South Africa and its adjacent oceans form a
globally unique Earth Systems laboratory from which to advance knowledge of how Earth
works and to predict its future ways.
A du Toit’s first
correlation map
between Africa and
South America
This figure is from
the proofs for his
book
Iraty
“Our Wandering
Continents”, 1937
A
The correlations
were based solely on
bio- and lithostratigraphy.
White band
B1b
Figure 1. (a) Modern reconstruction of the supercontinent Gondwana at about 200 million years ago, out of which Africa was
“born” 50 million years later. Earlier reconstructions of the southern continents (b), championed in the early 1900s by German
scientist Alfred Wegener and South African geologist Alex du Toit show that these two scientific giants were ahead of their time.
Vision: Built on the shoulders of giants like Alfred Wegener and Alex du Toit: by applying German precision
technology to the geological superlatives of South Africa, Inkaba ye Africa will significantly advance
1.0 Introduction
10
understanding of how the Earth works and thence make it work better for humanity. A new generation of young
German and African counterparts will be mentored to lead the way forward.
1.0 Introduction
11
WHY SOUTH AFRICA?
The southern sector of the African Plate is unique in a global perspective in at least 15
different ways:
First, South Africa’s lithosphere preserves a nearly un-interrupted geological history of more
than 3.5 billion years. This is the longest, best-preserved geological record of planet Earth.
Second, South Africa's continental lithosphere has been sampled across depths of over 250
km by natural deep-continental "drill-holes" in the form of more than 1000 kimberlites and
related igneous rocks that have brought to surface samples of the mantle (and crust) in the
form of xenoliths and xenocrysts (such as diamonds). South Africa has the world's best and
largest collection of "core" from these deep drill holes into the mantle.
Figure 2. 3-D Model of southern Africa, based on seismic tomography, showing the location of kimberlite pipes that
penetrate deeply into the southern African lithosphere, bringing to the surface a suit of mantle samples (and diamonds) from
as deep as 250 km below surface.
Third, global seismic tomography studies have consistently imaged the existence of a lowvelocity anomaly of global proportion beneath the southern African plate. The anomaly
implies elevated lower-mantle temperatures over a substantial region below South Africa. In
the lower mantle, between 1000 and 2900 km depth, the anomaly is located directly beneath
South Africa. This deep mantle anomaly has been interpreted as a large-scale upwelling of hot
mantle; and since the upwelling is most intense in the vicinity of the core-mantle boundary,
this is assumed its point of its origin. In some models, the cause of this anomalously hot
lower mantle lies in greater than average global heat flow from the liquid core below South
Africa. Since the liquid core is the powerhouse for the generation of Earth’s magnetic field,
the higher than average heat-diffusion may be monitored through anomalous magnetic field
changes across South Africa.
1.0 Introduction
12
Fourth, the strength of the magnetic field of Earth is declining most rapidly across the South
Atlantic, and the field measured across South Africa has lost near 20% of its total strength
over the last 60 years. There is a prominent growing patch of reverse polarity in Earth's
magnetic field beneath South Africa. Distinct patches of reversed magnetic flux at the poles
and below South Africa can account for 90% of the present day field decrease. There is
scientific "rumour" that this heralds the onset of a new reversal of the geomagnetic field. The
changes must be monitored to provide forecasts.
Fifth, shielding of high-energy radiation from outer space by is severely reduced across a
large oval-shaped geographical region of the southern Atlantic. This is related to the
continued weakening of the magnetic field. Lethal radiation penetrates this growing South
Atlantic magnetic "hole" to altitudes of less than 100 km, and already interferes with low orbit
satellite and aircraft communications. The magnetic hole is shifting towards South Africa.
Predicting growing radiation hazards of this region is of global relevance.
Sixth, South Africa is part of the African Superswell, Earth's most extensive elevated region
not linked to far-field horizontal compressive stresses.
What answers lie in South Africa’s mountain ranges?
Southern African highlands
The origin and evolution of this
anomalous high plateau are rooted in
upwelling of hot mantle material from the
core-mantle boundary (at ~3000 km) to
about 1000 km below southern Africa
…the world’s most classic epeiorogenic features
Figure 3. Elevation model of Africa, highlighting the near-bimodel topography of Africa and the extensive southern Africa
Plateaux. This project will endeavour to understand the origin of the plateaux, and its influence on climate, erosion, and
sedimentation on the continental shelfs around southern Africa.
Whereas elevated plateaux of most continents can be related to processes across compressional
plate tectonic margins (Bolivian Altiplano, Colorado, Tibet) this is not the case for southern
Africa because it is surrounded only by extensional plate margins. It is tempting to speculate
that there is a causal relationship between the high elevation of the African Superswell and the
low-velocity tomographic anomaly of the deep-mantle beneath South Africa. Yet beneath
southern Africa the 410- and 660-km seismic discontinuities are both found at their expected
depths, so that the temperature in the upper mantle below the southern African lithosphere is
close to the global average mantle temperature at that depth. That leaves two competing
models for the high topography of South Africa: (1) vertical stresses at the base of the southern
African lithosphere generated by flow in the lower mantle, or (2) positive buoyancy in the midlower mantle beneath southern Africa. South Africa is the only subcontinental region in the
world, therefore, where a history of the elevation of its paleo-surfaces can be used with
confidence to track paleo-mantle dynamics of the lower mantle in isolation from horizontal
forces of plate tectonics.
Seventh, much of the formation of the South African high plateau occurred during the
Cainozoic, a 65 million year period of sustained global cooling following the Cretaceous
1.0 Introduction
13
“hothouse” Earth. Tracking the uplift history of the African Superswell will provide a central
key to unlocking the kinematics of this global climate change and the associated onset of
glaciation in the southern hemisphere some 40 million years before that recorded in the
northern hemisphere.
Eighth, Africa was born between 200-120 million years ago out of the break-up of the
supercontinent Gondwana over a period of 80 million years. South Africa was part of the
heartland of Gondwana and it has the world’s best preserved terrestrial-marine linked
sequences of volcanic rocks, sediments and fossils with which to track the break-up of this
supercontinent, and its associated long-wavelength global climate and biodiversity changes.
South Africa has all the geological evidence with which to answer the questions: why do
supercontinents form and break-up; what are the driving forces, and what are the global
consequences?
Ninth, South Africa’s continent-ocean boundaries offer fundamental insights into the
formation of “passive” continental margins and their natural resources. South Africa is
surrounded by the two end-members of extensional-type continental margins: one produced
during pure-shear perpendicular to the present southern Atlantic margin; the other through
simple shear parallel to the margin of the southern Indian Ocean. The records of these
processes are stored in the stratigraphic sequences preserved in a number of sedimentary basins
that straddle the continental margin of South Africa
Tenth, South Africa hosts one of the largest igneous basalt provinces on Earth that can be used
to study lateral flow of plume material from a deep-mantle source region, followed by
shallower sublithospheric decompression melting and subcrustal transportation of the melts
laterally over thousands of kilometres. Widespread Karoo intrusive-extrusive igneous activity
at the start of Africa-Antarctica break-up (180 Ma) reached far across into Antarctica and
South America. Plume activity flared up again below southern Africa and South America
(Parana-Etendeka) at 130 Ma just prior to the opening of the South Atlantic. This was followed
by near-continuous small-volume alkaline magmatic activity across South Africa that peaked
between ~ 80 and 130 Ma, but that lasted until at least 30 Ma. These rocks represent the
longest most-complete mantle information-"bite" stored on any continent.
KAROO ~183 Ma
PARANÁ ~132 Ma
ETENDEKA
~132 Ma
RAJMAHAL
~120 Ma
179 Ma
DFZ
178-179 Ma
180 Ma
183 Ma
183 Ma
KERGUELEN
~120 Ma
AF
FZ
183 Ma
CHON AIKE
153 - 188 Ma
R 2
SD 0-13
DRONNING MAUD
LAND
~183 Ma
13
TO
BIF
ER
A
VOLCANIC ARC
SDR
150 Ma
138 Ma
~180 Ma
167
a
9M
- 18
FERRAR
~180 Ma
DUFEK 183 Ma
VOLCANIC ARC
DFZ DAVIE FRACTURE ZONE
AFFZ AGULHAS FALKLAND FRACTURE ZONE
SDR SEAWARD DIPPING REFLECTOR/VOLCANIC WEDGE
Figure 4. The break-up of Gondwana and the formation of the southern oceans has left a globally unrivalled imprint at
surface of a wide range of igneous rocks that provide vital clues to understanding the chemistry and dynamics of the
mantle. Inset shows the initial location of Gondwana hotspots: numbers 3 and 4 will be studied by Inkaba ye Africa.
1.0 Introduction
14
Eleventh, Southern Africa is the world’s only subcontinent entirely surrounded by
constructive plate boundaries in the form of spreading ridges whose past positions can be
confidently tracked-back directly adjacent to its continental margins. The Southern Atlantic
and Indian Oceans that surrounds South Africa thus represents unique growth of oceanic
lithosphere increasing in area both perpendicular and parallel to its spreading ridges and
fracture zones. In addition, a number of significant hotspots have created oceanic islands that
provide windows into to deeper asthenosphere sources and magma-mixing dynamics with
those of shallower sources below the spreading ridges. A number of hotspot tracts, of which
the Walvis Ridge is the most prominent, link these to continental mantle sources. This
laboratory thus records 200 million years of continuous upper and lower mantle melts that
have mixed in various way with pure continental and pure oceanic lithosphere. Chemical
fingerprints of these different mantle domains in this region provide fundamental information
about deep- and shallow- mantle dynamics that is not distorted by destructive plate margin
processes. The South Atlantic is unique the world over in hosting a number of compositionally
extreme end-members mantle components (EM-1, DUPAL, LOMU). With the exception of
EM-1, these chemical anomalies are confined to the southern hemisphere. Resolving these
will place fundamental constraints on global models of mantle dynamics.
Twelfth, the South Atlantic is a key area for addressing the fixity of hotspots in the lower
mantle. The reliable measurement of the absolute plate motion of Africa key to establishing
the role played by global mantle plumes in continental rifting, and to testing the notion that
hotspots are fixed in the lower mantle. Recent re-evaluation of the migration rate of volcanism
along southern Atlantic ocean hotspot trails have revealed, unexpectedly, that current estimates
of this basic parameter are seriously flawed. Resolving these issues has a first order bearing on
resolving the absolute motion of all Earth’s plates.
Thirteenth, South Africa is the only place in the world that generates anthropogenic tectonics.
The heartland of South Africa is tectonically stable. It comprises a continental fragment (the
Kaapvaal Craton) with all the landmarks of a stable continent over the last 3 billion years.
Today its stability is certified by an almost complete absence of any significant natural seismic
activity. Yet the region is not aseismic. The center of this stable craton hosts the world's
deepest mines that are now the source of near-continuous earth-tremors, making it the world's
largest man-made seismic laboratory. Continuous removal of rocks at depths of 2-3 km below
surface, causes rock bursts; often along pre-existing faults. As a result, an area (~10000 km2) is
seismically active and subjected to earthquakes of magnitude 2-4 on the Richter scale on an
almost daily basis. The rock bursts are the cause of the high death toll of the mining
operations: on average there is a fatal casualty ratio of ~1person/ton gold extracted from the
mines. There is an urgent need to drastically improve this poor record. The existing seismic
networks in the mines allow the epicenters of seismic events to be determined within a few
meters, and these sites can be visited underground. South Africa thus hosts the most unique
natural laboratory within which to study nucleation and growth of cracks and fault propagation
under semi-controlled conditions at meso-scales. And, because there is no clear distinction
between the mechanisms of natural earthquakes and these man-made events, there is an
opportunity to improve predictive models for both natural earthquakes and for rock bursts in
the deep African mines in particular. This dovetails with the global need to improve
forecasting of earthquakes; and in South Africa to increase safety in deep level mining.
Fourteenth, the sediments of the southern oceans and the continental shelves of South Africa
and Antarctica hold the richest unexplored and continuous 250 million year climate record of
the Mesozoic-Cainozoic eras. Today, many of the key aspects of climate change over this time
period, that includes several major global mass extinction events, have come predominantly
from studies in the northern hemisphere and the North Atlantic region in particular. But there
is growing realisation, worldwide, that there is insufficient data from the southern hemisphere
1.0 Introduction
15
to complement those of the northern hemisphere. Yet there is general consensus that the longterm onset of cooler global climates is rooted in the geographic evolution of the southern
oceans, particularly during the final isolation of the Antarctic continent during the break-up of
Gondwana. Marine and continental margin data, around southern Africa, the sub Antarctic
islands and along conjugate Antarctica, must confirm this. Without this these data from the
southern hemisphere, true global models will not materialise. Geochemical and biological
stratigraphy studies in southern oceans, particularly in the south Atlantic, the Weddell Sea and
the southern Indian Ocean will lead global climate change studies over the next decade.
Interdisciplinary studies of the southern oceans
and surrounding continents
Walvis Ridge
Cape Town
Madagascar Ridge
Shona Ridge
Agulhas Plateau
SANAE
Mozambique Ridge
Prince Edward Islands
Figure 5. Perspective of the southern oceans and surrounding continental margins of southern AfricaAntarctica that will be investigated in Inkaba ye Africa.
South Africa can act as a springboard for oceanographic cruises to sustain these studies. South
Africa also has scientific field stations in Antarctica (SANAE) and on its sub Antarctic islands,
like the Prince Edwards Islands, to facilitate these studies. High-resolution data generated by
the South African mining and petroleum industry are also available for study.
Fifteenth, South Africa is bound by a complex set of ocean currents and climate systems that
have evolved over 120 million years during the opening of the seaway connecting the Indian to
the Atlantic Ocean. Today the ocean currents in these oceans immediately south of South
Africa, mix to create the world’s most potent and chaotic oceanic turbulence, known as the
“Cape Cauldron”. One of outcomes of this “vigorous mixing of the oceans” is the transfer of
warm Indian Ocean water to the Atlantic Ocean from where it is further incorporated into the
ocean circulation system of the North Atlantic. This unstable southern ocean circulation system
buffers southern African climates and, through complex feedback interactions, its biosphere.
The coastal regions around South Africa, and particularly in the Cape, are host to a number of
world-class biodiversity hotspots whose species have evolved from Gondwana stems; and
perhaps the most mysterious of all: 70 000 years ago the emergence of human culture is now
believed to have occurred in this coastal region. Understanding the evolving paleogeography of
1.0 Introduction
16
the new seaways and shifting ocean currents of the southern oceans during the incremental
displacement of Africa from Antarctica and South America will tease out some of the
mysteries of biodiversity and human evolution around their margins, as A. Wegener and A. du
Toit might have predicted.
RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE
Earth Systems, including those of the solid Earth, interact at different scales and rates in ways
that we do not as yet fully understand. This project will endeavour to separate long term from
short term cycles of a number of geosystems, evaluate their interactive feedback mechanisms
and trace their origins. To achieve this we need a multifaceted approach to track the
evolutionary details of:











Ocean floor spreading and horizontal displacement of the southern continents in
establishing new seaways, altering ocean circulation patterns and forcing climate change;
Mantle-melt interaction with the lithosphere and the resulting magmatic plumbing systems
in the southern oceans and along its continental boundaries;
Continental lithosphere flanking the edge of South Africa and that of its conjugate sector
of Antarctica;
Structure and morphology of their adjacent continental shelves and margins;
Vertical displacements of South Africa;
Continental erosion & runoff, and continental margin sedimentation & lithification around
South Africa;
Chemical composition of associated marine sediments;
Heat flow, temperature and pressure histories within sedimentary basins, and their effects
on organic matter fluxes;
Biodiversity and organic-inorganic reactions on the continental shelves;
Magnetic field variations across South Africa and the South Atlantic;
Neo- and anthropogenic- tectonics of South Africa and its margins.
We have planned a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional project to study the interconnectivity inkaba- between lithosphere formation, climate change, variations in biodiversity and
magnetic field, and the formation of natural resources during the evolution of the southern
ocean basins and continental margins of southern Africa and Antarctica, from the time of
Gondwana rupture (~ 300 million years ago) and break-up (~200 million years ago) to the
present day. Special emphasis will focus on the geodynamic history of the region in order to
track the tempo of the evolving exosphere, lithosphere and asthenosphere.
Three integrated German-South African teams of earth scientists, amalgamated as a holistic
group, will survey a cone-shaped sector of Earth from its core to space, enclosing South Africa
and the Southern Oceans at its solid surface, and track the history of its components for at least
200 million years into the past. Climate change, biodiversity, natural resources and hazards of
Africa will be better understood once the geodynamics of the Earth's operating systems are
differentiated and analyzed in the above manner. As presented in detail below, component
parts or sub-projects are to be staffed by postdoctoral scientists and postgraduate students.
Milestones and deliverables are set out for the duration of the research. Teaching via shortcourses at introductory through advanced levels are planned.
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THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE – ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT
AND CAPACITY BUILDING, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
South Africa is committed to African capacity building in Science and Technology. The
geoscience community has shown recently that upgrading African R&D capacity in the region
can be very successful within a framework of international collaborative ventures (Tredoux
and Webb 2003)*. Global experiences have shown that misunderstandings about cultural
differences are perpetuated and sustained by separate educational development of young
people: A truly joint German-South Africa Inkaba will provide unique opportunities to
encourage a new generation of postgraduates to explore ways together of integrating frontier
geosciences with quests of human needs.
Accelerated Development and Capacity
Building across southern Africa
* Tredoux, M and Webb, S. 2003. Research capacity building in Africa as part of international
programmes: Experience gained from the Kaapvaal Craton project. South African Journal of
Geology, in press.
“The international Kaapvaal Craton project (1997-2002) was used to provide extensive
training and human resource capacity building with the South African geoscience research
community. This report discusses the mechanisms of recruitment, success rates and
outcomes of the southern African students specifically, as well as the positive aspects and
shortcomings of the protocol that was followed. Suggestions are offered to improve future
programmes of this nature”. (from Tredoux and Webb, 2003).
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18
In addition to the built-in programmes for undergraduates and graduates (MSc, PhD) in each
of the three sub-projects of Inkaba ye Africa (described farther on), a specially tailored
development and capacity building project is designed to focus on an accelerated path for
students from previously disadvantaged backgrounds. This project builds on experience
gained during a similar 5-year international, interdisciplinary project that was successfully
completed in 2003. This human perspective project will be spearheaded by Dr Marian
Tredoux (University of Cape Town), who has more than 10 years experience with Academic
Support and Geoteach Programmes. The programme will closely dovetail with suitable
projects of all Inkaba ye Africa scientists.
Envisaged activities
Formal training of South African graduate and undergraduate students
Training starts at the postgraduate (e.g. post-BSc) level. However, to compete for the top
students with industry, it is imperative to make engagement with senior under-graduates
possible. These students need or want to work in the geological field during their university
holidays and the daily rates offered for assistantships by companies are much higher than SA
researchers can offer from their research grants. Thus good students are frequently lost for
senior postgraduate study, because the company they worked for as undergraduates offer
them lucrative bursaries, with an associated employment contract. In addition to students
selected directly into the three Inkaba ye Africa sub-projects, this project will select and coach
15 additional South African undergraduate and 11 postgraduate students, from all South
African Institutes of Higher Educations throughout the duration of Inkaba ye Afrika.
Public Outreach – building more robust contracts between science and society
There is a serious need to engage the general SA public, especially in rural areas, more in
matters concerning science and technology. International project like Inkaba ye Africa can
play a major role in this regard. The following activities are envisaged:
Public lectures
Every year of the project, 2 public lectures will be given in a major urban area, at or near one
of the participating institutions. These will be complimented by 2 lectures in one of the rural
areas affect by the seismic lines of the Inkaba ye Africa sub-projects 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3.
Open House Events
One open day per year will be held at a South African institution involved in the Inkaba ye
Africa research, for the public to interact with the scientists and the equipment in an informal
atmosphere. Each year this event will be at a different venue. These events will be well
advertised in the media, and journalists will be encouraged to attend. Joint projects with
journalism schools are being explored.
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In conclusion
Inkaba ye Africa projects will take a central incubating and mentoring role via teaching and
research initiatives. The entire programme will provide both the initial impetus and a
continuing stable vehicle for training young South Africans in holistic Earth Science. The
outlook is a foundation for modern university teaching and research which is in tune with the
economic and social needs of the developing nation. A pioneering example of this is
presented in Project 3.1. where South Africans will be trained in organic geochemistry,
beginning at the undergraduate level via short courses and culminating at the end of the
period via Ph.D students working on organic geochemical research issues.
Annual Workshops
We plan to hold an annual workshop in South Africa for all scientists concerned, during
which the ongoing work is communicated and critically analysed. Most sub-projects of
Inkaba ye Africa have incorporated specific travel funds to facilitate this. We anticipate
associated expenditures not outlined in the funding of the proposed projects. In addition, we
will each year invite an independent assessor, a scientist of global standing, to participate and
evaluate progress. The program will end with a workshop focused on a final product, such as
a book, video and data bank, in addition to normal ongoing publications in international
reputable peer reviewed journals. The first workshop in 2004, is provisionally planned to be
hosted by the Hartebeeshoek Radio Astronomy Observatory.
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20
PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS
The projects of Inkaba ye Africa –
 Heart of Africa: energy transfer from core to space
 Margins of Africa: continental breakup - causes and
consequences
 Living Africa: oceans, resources and climate
are described in detail in successive chapters.