The geomorphological evolution of the area between Grahamstown and the Indian Ocean

Abstract

[From the introduction]: The landforms of the Albany, Alexandria and Bathurst Districts in the area between Grahamstown and the sea are the product of many different geomorphological processes that have operated for well over 150 million years. The evolution of landforms normally occurs over a very long time and is usually highly complex. As a result it is difficult for a human being, whose allocated span on Earth is of the order of three score years and ten, to appreciate the time involved in their formation. The purpose of this booklet is to indicate the ways in which the present landforms of the area may have evolved. Much research is still needed in order to determine exactly how and when various features developed. In some cases a number of hypotheses exist in order to explain the evolution of a particular feature or region. Consequently it has proved necessary to present more than one interpretation of the devlopment of certain phenomena. This booklet must therefore be regarded as an introduction to the geomorphological development of the area between Grahamstown and the Indian Ocean rather than a definitive statement of the geomorphological evolution of that area.