Virtual reconstruction of stratigraphy and past landscapes in the West Coast Fossil Park region
Date
2005-04
Authors
Erasmus, Lelandi
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
The West Coast Fossil Park near Langebaanweg in the Western Cape, South Africa, is known for
its abundance of marine, freshwater and terrestrial fossils of Mio-Pliocene age. The fossil
bearing deposits reflect the complex and varied depositional environments, which were
influenced by the change in course of the Berg River and regressions and transgressions of sealevel.
The fossil deposits at this site are world-renowned for their species richness and
uniqueness and there was a need to gain an in-depth understanding of the events that gave rise to
this situation. To understand these complexities, it was necessary to construct a composite
model of the pre-history of the West Coast Fossil Park, incorporating topological, geological and
palaeontological data. GIS provided the ideal platform to integrate data from such varied
sources, using spatial correlation to interpret commonalities. Subsequently, a spatially explicit
database of the present-day study area, from Dwarskersbos in the north to just north of
Yzerfontein in the south, was constructed. The oldest geological formation, the basement layer,
as well as three successive formations was reconstructed on a regional scale using borehole data.
Interpolation of point data to regional surfaces was a dual process incorporating expert opinion
and purpose-built tools within ESRI’s ArcInfo and ArcMap 8.3. A similar reconstruction at a
finer scale was done for the West Coast Fossil Park area using kriging as an interpolation
method. These reconstructed geological layers can be used to predict the depth and location of
fossil-bearing deposits. There is scope for further study and analysis to compare the accuracy of
alternative interpolation methods, and combining it with field-based validation of modelled
outputs.
Description
Thesis (MA (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.
Keywords
Dissertations -- Geography and environmental studies, Theses -- Geography and environmental studies, Geology, Stratigraphic -- Data processing, Paleontology -- South Africa -- West Coast Fossil Park -- Data processing, Fossils -- South Africa -- West Coast Fossil Park, Geographic information systems, Three-dimensional display systems, West Coast Fossil Park (South Africa)Antiquities.