Burnt Mountain Namibia. Fossilized Organic Material Baked By Up-thrusting Magma

Morning view

Afternoon view

 

The Burnt Mountain on Farm Verbrandeberg. Not to be confused with the Brandberg Mountain that lays some 50km south. It looks like an industrial slag heap, and if you have seen the waste piles from any first world metal foundry then this site will give you food for thought. The rocks that you see exposed, did in fact burn, but what caused this 'colored 'ash heap' to be placed so far away from 'big industry' ?

 

Burnt Mountain How The Rocks Were Baked.

A long, long time ago when Namibia formed part of the ancient and giant continent of Gondwana  this particular area of Namibia was part of an inland lake rich in marine life and vegetation. The dead organisms (plant and creatures) that drifted to the bottom of the lake mixed-in with the silt. The countless years of wind blown sands and dusts that settled in the lake grew into thick sedimentary beds that covered the layers of decomposed organic material. Namibia then experienced a long dry period. Many of the great inland lakes dried-out and over the millions of years the winds blew in more sands that covered the lake and its sedimentary layers to considerable depths. The great weight of the overburden caused the sedimentary beds containing the organic material to solidify into shale. Time marched on and about 125 million years ago Gondwana was experiencing the separation of was was to become the African and South American continents. Many areas of Namibia and particularly Damaraland experienced what is known as Karoo Volcanism. Basaltic rock magma at temperatures in excess of 1000 Celsius pushed up towards the earth's surface. It was at the site of the 'Ancient Lake' where one particular up-thrust of the molten magma came into contact with the 'organic material