The Future of Mining: How Technology is Reshaping Mining
Mining, one of the oldest and most indispensable industries, stands at a crossroads. Facing major issues like dwindling resources, rising environmental pressures, and the need to enhance both safety and efficiency, the industry faces challenges that demand transformative solutions to stay relevant. Traditional methods of extraction are proving insufficient to meet modern demandsāthey are costly, […]
Will Africaās Rift Valley fragment the continent?
The African Rift Valley, or Great Rift Valley, is a remarkable and monumental geographical and geological phenomenon that stretches over 6,000 kilometres from the Red Sea in the north through to Mozambique in south-eastern Africa. This phenomenon started forming about 20 to 25 million years ago and the process is ongoing, progressing southwards.Ā It is […]
Why do so few serious earthquakes occur in South Africa?
South Africa is renowned for its beauty, rich cultural heritage, and unique biodiversity. However, one aspect of the country that is not often mentioned is its relative geological tranquillity. Unlike Some areas of the world which are prone to severe seismic events, South Africa enjoys a level of seismic stability that is quite astonishing. This […]
How are volcanoes formed?
Volcanoes are remarkable and fascinating geological wonders that arise from the shifting of tectonic plates beneath the Earthās surface. Essentially, they are openings in the Earthās crust that allow hot, molten rock (magma), ash, and gases to escape into the atmosphere. The mechanism of volcano formation starts with the movement of tectonic plates, which can […]
Why are the highest mountain peaks in the Himalayan range?
The Himalayan mountain range is located in Asia, separating theĀ plainsĀ of theĀ Indian subcontinentĀ from theĀ Tibetan Plateau. The range hasĀ several peaksĀ exceeding an elevation of 8Ā 000Ā m includingĀ Mount Everest, theĀ highest mountainĀ on Earth, towering at 8Ā 850 metres. The mountain range runs for 2Ā 400Ā km as an arc from west-northwest to east-southeast at the northern end of the Indian subcontinent. The Himalayas occupy […]
How do mountains form?
Mountains form through a variety of complex and varied geological processes primarily driven by the movement of tectonic plates. The three main mechanisms through which mountains are created are tectonic activity, volcanic activity and erosion. Tectonic activity TectonicĀ activityĀ refersĀ toĀ theĀ movementĀ andĀ interactionĀ ofĀ EarthāsĀ tectonicĀ plates.Ā TheseĀ massive slabsĀ ofĀ theĀ EarthāsĀ lithosphereĀ fitĀ togetherĀ likeĀ aĀ jigsawĀ puzzleĀ andĀ areĀ constantlyĀ moving, although very slowly, which can causeĀ earthquakes,Ā volcanicĀ activity,Ā mountainĀ building,Ā andĀ ocean trench formation.Ā Convergent Plate BoundariesĀ occur when two tectonic plates collide, […]
How did Earth and the continents form?
How did the Earth form? Around 4.54 billion years ago, our solar system began as a giant cloud of gas and dust called a Solar Nebula which grew by the amalgamation of clumps of cosmic dust called planetesimals. Under the force of gravity, the slowly rotating Solar Nebula collapsed and the contracting rotating cloud flattened […]
Why is The Earth Divided into Continents and Oceans?
Oceans and continents exist as a result of complex geological and geophysical processes that have shaped the Earthās surface over billions of years. Rocks that form the continents are different from those that form the ocean floors;Ā this shows that the division of the Earth into continents and oceans is not a matter of chance. […]
Were Africa and South America once joined?
It is easy to look at a map of the world and see the obvious similarities between the western coast of Africa and the eastern coast of South America, and how well they fit together. The reason for this is that South America and Africa are fragments of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana that was itself […]
Has a day always lasted 24hours?
The length of a day is determined by the time it takes for the Earth to complete one rotation on its axis, so the true question is whether the Earthās rate of rotation has remained constant over time. The Earth and Moon are ātidally lockedā: they behave as a ādouble planet systemā and rotate around […]
