Paleoenvironments in the Tsondab Valley, Central Namib Desert

A detailed analysis of fluvial deposits in the Tsondab Valley, central Namib Desert, reveals that at least eight periods of heightened fluvial activity occurred during the late Cenozoic. These deposits, extending up to 50 km west of the current river endpoint, suggest that while rainfall and runoff fluctuations have been present, they have largely been minor within an overall trend of increasing aridity in the region. The study's paleoclimatic interpretations indicate that all periods of deposition occurred under arid or semi-arid conditions, providing a clearer understanding of environmental shifts in this UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site.

Lancaster, N. (2022). Paleoenvironments in the Tsondab Valley, Central Namib Desert. Palaeoecology of Africa, 411–419. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203744512-38