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The Arid Scenario: Inselbergs in the Namib Desert Are Rich Oases in a Poor Matrix (Namibia and South Africa)

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Inselbergs

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 146))

Abstract

Topographically uniform, the Namib Desert consists of vast plains of low altitude, stretching from the coast some 60 to 120 km inland. Further inland, the desert is often fringed by a steep escarpment, leading up to a plateau attaining altitudes of 1000 to 1800 m. The desert is geologically characterized by very old rock formations and a predominance of erosional processes since the Cretaceous. These processes shaped the wide plains, tilted towards the Atlantic Ocean.

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© 2000 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Jürgens, N., Burke, A. (2000). The Arid Scenario: Inselbergs in the Namib Desert Are Rich Oases in a Poor Matrix (Namibia and South Africa). In: Porembski, S., Barthlott, W. (eds) Inselbergs. Ecological Studies, vol 146. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59773-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59773-2_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64120-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-59773-2

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