Kuiseb
| Kuiseb | ||
 Bridge over the Kuiseb |
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| Data | ||
| location | Namibia | |
| River system | Kuiseb | |
| source | Khomashochland | |
| muzzle |
Walvisbaai between Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbor into the Atlantic coordinates: 23 ° 6 '29 " S , 14 ° 29' 12" O 23 ° 6 '29 " S , 14 ° 29' 12" O
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| length | approx. 560 km | |
| Catchment area | 16,693 km² | |
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The Kuiseb is one of the largest rivers in Namibia . It rises in the Khomashochland west of the capital Windhoek , is about 560 kilometers long and has a catchment area of 16,693 square kilometers, of which only 900 square kilometers contribute to the formation of runoff.
geology
The dominant rocks in the Khomashochland are schists and quartzites . From its source in the highlands, the Kuiseb passes the Curt von François-Feste and runs in a south-westerly direction to the two to four million year old Kuiseb Canyon , which is part of the Hakos Mountains and is on average 20 meters wide and up to 200 meters deep. A few kilometers after leaving the canyon at the Kuiseb Pass, the Kuiseb changes direction and runs west through the Namib desert and passes, among other things, the Gobabeb desert research station . Up to its mouth in the South Atlantic , between Walvis Bay and Sandwich Bay , the Kuiseb forms a sharp dividing line between the orange dunes of the Namib to the south and the beige sand and rocks to the north of it. Below Gobabeb, the Kuiseb flood plain is up to 1000 meters wide.
Water balance
When he leaves in rainy years, he takes the sand blown into his bed towards the sea. From 1837 to 1977 he reached the Atlantic only 14 times (including 1892, 1903, 1908, 1916, 1922, 1930, 1933, 1941, 1953, 1962). On average, there was so much rain every 10 years that the Kuiseb flowed into the sea near Walvis Bay. The runoff events in the Kuiseb are directly related to the precipitation events in the catchment area. Above all, the precipitation intensity and the location of the precipitation fields are decisive here. The precipitation can trigger so-called flood runoff, in the case of the Riviere referred to as an outlet. The runoff events are mainly formed in the eastern part of the catchment area and contribute to the refreshment of the groundwater reserves. These groundwaters are extremely important for the coastal region in the middle of Namibia, as the two large cities of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund are supplied with water. In addition, the water supply of the Rössing mine , that of the associated city of Arandis and other settlements in the region, is provided from the Kuiseb area.
Dense forest vegetation is supported by the Kuiseb on approximately 150 km between Harubes and Rooibank . These forests, which only occur along the lower Kuiseb, are clearly dependent on the flood events and the underground water flow in the Alluvium . The dry valley of the Kuiseb is known as a linear oasis or green belt and represents an important hiking route for fauna and flora. Below Rooibank, the tree vegetation disappears almost completely from the river valley. There have been reports of a decline in vegetation in recent years, which is attributed to the falling groundwater level due to the intensive use of groundwater on the Lower Kuiseb. In addition, overgrazing by goats may have contributed to the decline in vegetation.
The carp cliff
From Walvis Bay the main road C14 leads over the Kuiseb Pass to Solitaire and on to Maltahöhe . Near the pass in the Kuiseb Canyon was one of Hermann Korn and Henno Martin's hiding places during their escape in World War II, also known as the Henno Martin Shelter or Karpfenkliff .
literature
- Department of Water Affairs (Ed.): The Kuiseb Environment Project: An update of the hydrological, geohydrological and plant ecological aspects. W87 / 7. Windhoek 1987 (English).
- Henno Martin: "When there is war, we go into the desert". A robinsonade in the Namib . Two Books, Hamburg 2002, ISBN 978-3-935453-00-4 .
- K. Muinjo: Groundwater modeling of the lower Kuiseb River between Rooibank and Gobabeb gauging stations . Ed .: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Land and Water Resources, Royal Institute of Technology. No. 8 . Stockholm 1998 (English, Thesis report series).
- PJ Jacobson: An ephemeral perspective of fluvial ecosystems: viewing ephemeral rivers in the context of current lotic ecology . Ed .: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Virginia 1997 (English).
- G. Schmidt, D. Plöthner: Estimation of the groundwater reserves in the river and dune area of the Lower Kuiseb, Namibia . In: Journal of Applied Geology . tape 45 , no. 3 . E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1999, ISSN 0044-2259 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mapping the Major Cathments of Namibia. Ben Ben J. Strohbach, National Botanical Research Institute, pp. 5-6.