Mesozoic palaeogeography of the Southern Cape, South Africa

• Published in: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
• Main Author: Dingle, R.V.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 1973
• Subjects: Indian; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/32013/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/32013/1/1-s2.0-0031018273900199-main.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-0182(73)90019-9

Four palaeogeographical reconstructions are presented for the southern Cape covering the period Late Permian to Late Cretaceous. This time spans the commencement to an advanced stage of breakup of Gondwanaland, during which the area moved from a mid-continental, high latitude, to an ocean-dominated, middle latitude position. These movements can be traced in facies changes and erosional cycles associated with the rift between West Gondwana and Antarctica (proto southwest Indian Ocean) and the later rift between South America and Africa (proto southeast Atlantic Ocean).