|
|
Book Review
An Introduction to South Africa's Geological and Mining Heritage
by M.J. Viljoen and W.U. Reimold
A new field guide to South Africa's geology, geological sites, and mining geological heritage has recently been published by the
Geological Society of South Africa and the Council for Mineral Technology. The 195 page book was conceived as a 1998 Year of
Science and Technology project, aimed at highlighting an aspect of South Africa's natural heritage that is not normally considered and,
at the same time, providing teachers and students with an introductory text on Earth sciences in general and South African
scenery and underlying geology in particular.
South Africa's geological heritage spans almost the entire range of the Earth's history. The extraordinary richness and diversity of its
mineral resources have made South Africa an economic powerhouse, while its magnificent and varied scenery draws
millions of tourists annually. Geology plays a fundamental role in shaping the environment but receives
comparatively little popular recognition. This book aims to draw attention to this often-overlooked aspect of our natural heritage, in a way that the non-
specialist can understand and appreciate.
Beginning with a general introduction to South African geology and scenery, the book covers the country on a region-by-region basis,
identifying and describing individual sites within each region. Particular emphasis is placed on the processes that have given
rise to the present-day landscape.
The book also provides a widely useable field-guide and introductory text for teachers. A consignment of 5000 copies has been
presented to the Department of Education for distribution to school libraries throughout the country.
The book can be obtained from the Geological Society of South
Africa, at Tel. (011) 492 3370.
Prof. W.U. Reimold
Department of Geology
University of the Witwatersrand
E-mail: 065wur@cosmos.wits.ac.za
Back to Education
|
