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Waterberg Biosphere

Waterberg
(Thaba Meetse)
Lapalalariverdown.jpg
River gorge in the Lapalala Wilderness of the Waterberg showing horizontal sandstone layering
Highest point
Peak Geelhoutkop
Elevation 1,830 m (6,000 ft)
Listing List of mountain ranges of South Africa
Coordinates 24°4′30″S 28°8′30″E / 24.07500°S 28.14167°E / -24.07500; 28.14167Coordinates: 24°4′30″S 28°8′30″E / 24.07500°S 28.14167°E / -24.07500; 28.14167
Dimensions
Length 170 km (110 mi) NE/SW
Width 80 km (50 mi) NW/SE
Geography
Waterberg(Thaba Meetse) is located in South Africa
Waterberg(Thaba Meetse)
Waterberg
(Thaba Meetse)
Country South Africa
Province Limpopo
Geology
Orogeny Kaapvaal Craton
Age of rock Neoarchean to early Paleoproterozoic
Type of rock Bushveld Igneous Complex, sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route From the towns of Vaalwater or Bela-Bela

The Waterberg (Northern Sotho: Thaba Meetse) is a mountainous massif of approximately 14,500 square kilometers in north Limpopo Province, South Africa. The average height of the mountain range is 600 m with a few peaks rising up to 2000 m above sea level. Vaalwater town is located just north of the mountain range. The extensive rock formation was shaped by hundreds of millions of years of riverine erosion to yield diverse bluff and butte landform. The ecosystem can be characterised as a dry deciduous forest or Bushveld. Within the Waterberg there are archaeological finds dating to the Stone Age, and nearby are early evolutionary finds related to the origin of humans.

Waterberg (Thaba Meetse) is the first region in the northern part of South Africa to be named as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

The underlying rock formation derives from the Kaapvaal Craton, formed as a precursor island roughly 2.7 billion years ago. This crustal formation became the base of the Waterberg, which was further transformed by upward extrusion of igneous rocks. These extruded rocks, containing minerals such as vanadium and platinum, are called the Bushveld Igneous Complex. The original extent of this rock upthrust involved about 250,000 square kilometers, and is sometimes called the Waterberg Supergroup.


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