Kouebokkeveld Mountains

The Koue Bokkeveld, meaning "Cold Buck Shrubland" in Afrikaans, is a mountain range in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Geologically the range is composed of Cedarberg Sandstone of the Cape System.

Koue Bokkeveld Mountains
The Cedarberg sandstone that makes up the Koue Bokkeveld has intriguing patterns of erosion and cracking. Here a bus-sized block split naturally into regular brick-like right parallelepipeds.
Highest point
Elevation1,690 m (5,540 ft)
ListingList of mountain ranges of South Africa
Coordinates32°12′0″S 19°25′0″E
Dimensions
Length30 km (19 mi) WNW/ESE
Width8 km (5.0 mi) ENE/WSW
Geography
Koue Bokkeveld Mountains is located in South Africa
Koue Bokkeveld Mountains
Koue Bokkeveld Mountains
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
Parent rangeWestern Cape System
Geology
OrogenyCape Fold Belt
Age of rockPaleoproterozoic
Type of rockSandstone
Climbing
Easiest routeFrom Prince Alfred Hamlet

Location and extent

It is located above Prince Alfred Hamlet, north of Ceres, and south and east of Citrusdal. The range runs in a WNW-ESE direction with a tall escarpment on its southern and southwestern side. Elevations of the range are an average of 1,600 m and there is often snow in winter. These heights are one of the coldest places in the Western Cape in winter.[1]

Drainage

The Koue Bokkeveld falls within the Olifants/Doring system and the Doring River has its sources in this range, contributing substantially to the flow of the Olifants catchment area.

Ecology

The flora of the Koue Bokkeveld is similar to the Cedarberg flora, with mountain fynbos at high altitudes, Karoo vegetation on the lower slopes and patches of Mountain cypress. Plants such as the oil bract conebush, a species of Leucadendron, may be found.[2]

Artifacts

There are ancient San rock paintings at a place called Katbakkies.[3] A meteorite crashed on the Koue Bokkeveld in 1838. It is known as the Koue Bokkeveld or Cold Bokkeveld meteorite, and is a CM2 chondrite.[4] Its fragments were dispersed and now most of them have been lost.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Ceres and The Koue Bokkeveld". Archived from the original on 2010-03-23. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  2. Oil Bract Conebushes - Leucadendrons
  3. Rock-Paintings at Katbakkies, Koue Bokkeveld, Cape
  4. Koue Bokkeveld meteorite
  5. English museum accused of cashing in on SA meteorite
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