The research vessel "Akademik Fedorov" has already set sail and is currently moving toward the Icy Continent according to the 70th Russian Antarctic Expedition's work program. While waiting for departure, scientists from the Mining University spent several days in Cape Town, where they conducted a geological field trip to one of Africa's most iconic landmarks.
Table Mountain, the symbol of the city, was officially recognized as one of the "Seven New Wonders of Nature" in 2011 following a global public vote identifying the world's most significant natural sites. Today, its flat-topped summit not only serves as a geological monument but also plays a crucial role in studying the Earth's crust evolution in Southern Africa.
«Most of the mountain's profile consists of sedimentary rocks from the Early Paleozoic era. The lower horizon is made up of reddish argillites, which gradually transition into coarse-grained Table Mountain sandstones higher up. These sedimentary formations rest on older magmatic rocks that form the crystalline basement of the entire Cape Peninsula. The granites date back 560-600 million years, indicating that during the late Vendian period, the region experienced significant magmatic and tectonic activity, despite its current stability», - noted Nikita Krikun, Lead Engineer of the Arctic Research Center.
The Table Mountain's terrain was shaped by a weather-resistant sandstone core of a synclinal fold, whose flanks were eroded over several hundred million years. Today, the summit stands at 1,060 meters, though it is believed that its original height could have reached 5,000 meters. Evidence of such significant elevations includes glacial deposits that once covered the sandstones at the mountain's peak, now almost entirely eroded.
«The unique structure of Table Mountain bears witness to ancient processes of sedimentation, metamorphism, and tectonic activity, offering a rare opportunity to study the Earth's geological history and vividly illustrating the formation and breakup of supercontinents», - emphasized Nikita Krikun.
According to the Antarctic team's report, although the formations comprising the summit now lie horizontally, it is believed that they were deformed and uplifted due to the formation of the supercontinent Pangaea and the subsequent separation of South America and Antarctica from Africa.
Ahead lies the Icy Continent.
«'As we departed from Cape Town, a stunning panoramic view unfolded before us. In the foreground stood Lion's Head Mountain (670 meters high), with the Twelve Apostles cliffs rising behind it, forming part of the Table Mountain complex. Their average height above sea level is 750 meters. During the Dutch East India Company era, this range was known as the Castle Mountains», - shared Gleb Gorelik, Associate Professor of the Department of Geophysics.
