Table Mountain (South Africa)

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Table Mountain
Table Mountain (left) and Lion's Head from Milnerton

Table Mountain (left) and Lion's Head of Milnerton from

height 1087  m
location Cape Town in South Africa
Mountains Table mountains
Coordinates 33 ° 57 '55 "  S , 18 ° 25' 2"  E Coordinates: 33 ° 57 '55 "  S , 18 ° 25' 2"  O
Table Mountain (South Africa) (South Africa)
Table Mountain (South Africa)

The Table Mountain (English: Table Mountain ) is located in South Africa , in the northern part of the mountain range wide on the approximately 52 km long and up to 16 km Cape Peninsula , the southern end of the Cape of Good Hope is located. It shapes the silhouette of Cape Town , on whose territory it extends. The highest point of Table Mountain is Maclear's Beacon (Maclears Signalfeuer) at the northeast end of the rock plateau with 1087 m. Table Mountain covers a total area of ​​around 6500 hectares.

geology

A hand piece of table mountain sandstone

Table Mountain consists predominantly of white, quartzitic table mountain sandstone , which is lying on the gray wacke and slate , the so-called Malmesbury Bed ( Malmesbury Group ). About 630 million years ago, magmas intruded into the existing rock layers, which resulted in the formation of granite after the peninsula cooled. Later sands from fluvial and marine processes were deposited over it , which solidified into sandstones ( Table Mountain Group : here Graafwater and Peninsula Formation). The oldest areas of Table Mountain are around 450 million years old. Together with younger deposits, the sandstone complex predominantly forms the peninsula formation. A change of layers can be observed along Chapman's Peak Drive , it forms the discordance between the granite basement and the overlying sediment layers. The appearance of Table Mountain today is the result of wind and water erosion . Its large surfaces owe their shapes to the action of external natural influences. Water could penetrate through cracks and cracks in the sandstone and subsequently change the rock complex considerably through erosion processes . This also resulted in large sandstone caves.

geography

Table Mountain is located in western Cape Town near the Atlantic Ocean . The Table Mountain massif includes Devil's Peak with a height of 1002 m, the Lion's Head with a height of 668 m, the Signal Hill with a height of 350 m and the Mountains of the Twelve Apostles with heights between 780 and 800 m. In good weather, it can also be seen in the West Coast National Park, which is more than 70 kilometers away .

nature

Table Mountain from the V & A Waterfront from

There is a great variety of plants on Table Mountain. About 1400 plant species have been identified; that's more than can be found anywhere in the UK. Many of them are endemic ; H. not found anywhere else in the world. “ Fynbos ” is the name given to the species-rich Mediterranean Cape Macchia . The number of heather plants and proteins alone - which also includes South Africa's national flower , the king protea - runs into the hundreds.

The fauna of Table Mountain includes hyrax and crows , which live in the sandstone fissures and when in season foraging for food essentially rely on the tourists who eat them out of their hands.

climate

Beginning of the so-called tablecloth phenomenon

Moist air masses that overflow from the open sea forth Table Mountain as the first obstacle, form very often the so-called Tablecloth (German: "tablecloth"): In the forced to climb (and thus cooling) air masses forming clouds, while at the A dry, warm fall wind is noticeable on the north and west slopes of the mountain . This phenomenon occurs predominantly in the South African summer.

Table Mountain Aerial Cableway

View from Table Mountain to the city center

Table Mountain is one of the most visited tourist attractions in South Africa. In addition to a large number of hiking trails with different levels of difficulty, a cable car has also been leading up to Table Mountain since 1929 - this Table Mountain Aerial Cableway , originally built by the Leipzig company Adolf Bleichert & Co. and renovated in 1958 and 1974, overcomes a difference in altitude of 700 meters. The aerial tramway, which was renovated in 1997 by the Swiss company Garaventa AG, is equipped with two ROTAIR cabins from the CWA for 65 people and the cabin attendant, who turn around themselves during the journey. The cabins run on two suspension ropes and are moved by a pull rope. There are no supports on the 1200 meter long route. The cable car can carry over 800 people per hour.

Table Mountain is part of the Table Mountain National Park founded in May 1998 .

See also

Web links

Commons : Table Mountain  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ University of Cape Town , Department of Geological Sciences: Cape Town Geology . at www.geology.uct.ac.za (English)
  2. ^ Johannes Koering: Chapman's Peak Drive . on www.kapstadt.de
  3. ↑ Bleichert Calendar 2019: Table Mountain Aerial Cableway. Retrieved February 7, 2020 .