ARTYKUŁY INFORMACYJNE Jeden z siedmiu naturalnych cudów świata – Góra Stołowa w RPA

Abstract

One of seven natural miracles of the world – Table Mountain in South Africa.A b s t r a c t. Table Mountain is the symbol of Cape Town in South Africa. Geologically, it has a specific, very characteristic form. This is a natural phenomenon, so it deserves a detail presentation due to its geological development. Table Mountain is the northern fragment of a mountain chain of the southern part of the Penninsula of Good Hope. Table Mountain displays a flat, wide-spread top area and steep slopes. The geological structure of the mountain comprises the erosion-resistant Ordovician quartz sandstones that lie on strongly folded Precambrian mica schists of the Malmesbury Group, very susceptible for weathering. Other morphological culminations are represented by Signal Hill and Lion's Head, which are built of schists and sandstone-covered granites, respectively. The slopes are gentle. The variability of the geological structure of the Cape Town region is a result of processes of weathering and erosion of differently resistant old rocks uplifted to the surface by tectonic movements. The hard and very resistant granites and sandstones form hills and mountains that surround Cape Town, while the relatively soft schists build flat areas as Cape Flats. The granites on the surfacedisplay oval shapes, that is the result of exfoliation weathering.