Aggeneys
Encyclopedia
Aggeneys is a small mining town established in 1976 and situated between Pofadder and Springbok
in the Northern Cape
, South Africa
.
/lead
/copper
/silver
mine
is just to the west of the town. The produce of the mine is transported by truck to the nearest railway line, located 90 miles (150 km) to the south-east along a virtually straight gravel (dirt) road. A major zinc deposit has been identified in the nearby Gamsberg inselberg, also set to be mined.
The ranges of hills, mountains and inselbergs in the area display some of the most diverse and complex geology
in Southern Africa
including some of the richest known concentrations of copper, lead and zinc.
, is said to mean ‘Place of Water’. Lawns and trees planted when the town was established accentuate the sense of ‘oasis
’ and one of the town’s principal attractions is its golf
course. The town’s water wants are greater than could be supplied by any nearby springs, however, and all is kept green by water pumped up from the Orange River
some 40 km to the north.
But beyond the edges of town the arid conditions and the unique ecologies on the various inselbergs, peaks, hills and plains, with their varied rocky and shallow soil substrate, support a wide range of plants, animals, birds and insects, including rare and endemic species. The writer William Charles Scully
wrote that, “for sheer uncompromising aridity, for stark grotesque naked horror, these mountains stand probably unsurpassed on the face of the globe.”
Average, but variable, annual rainfall at the town is about 112mm, with greatest precipitation occurring between January and April. The lowest recorded annual rainfall (11mm) was measured in 1992, while the ‘wettest’ year (220mm) was recorded in 2006. Temperatures average between 15°C and 38°C in summer and between 0°C and 18°C in winter.
Springbok, Northern Cape
Springbok is the largest town in the Namaqualand area in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. it had a population of 10,294. Springbok is located on the N7 national road which connects the Cape with Namibia, and at the western end of the N14, which connects it with Upington and Pretoria...
in the Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Mining and geological contexts
Aggeneys the town, on a farm of that name, was founded to service the Black Mountain Mine, an underground base-metal operation nearby, currently employing over 600 permanent staff. This zincZinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
/lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
/copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
/silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
is just to the west of the town. The produce of the mine is transported by truck to the nearest railway line, located 90 miles (150 km) to the south-east along a virtually straight gravel (dirt) road. A major zinc deposit has been identified in the nearby Gamsberg inselberg, also set to be mined.
The ranges of hills, mountains and inselbergs in the area display some of the most diverse and complex geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
in Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
including some of the richest known concentrations of copper, lead and zinc.
Environmental setting
In a semi-desert landscape, the name Aggeneys, from the Nama languageNama language
The Khoekhoe language, or Khoekhoegowab, also known by the ethnic term Nàmá and previously the now-discouraged term Hottentot, is the most widespread of the Khoisan languages. It belongs to the Khoe language family, and is spoken in Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa by three ethnic groups, the...
, is said to mean ‘Place of Water’. Lawns and trees planted when the town was established accentuate the sense of ‘oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
’ and one of the town’s principal attractions is its golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course. The town’s water wants are greater than could be supplied by any nearby springs, however, and all is kept green by water pumped up from the Orange River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
some 40 km to the north.
But beyond the edges of town the arid conditions and the unique ecologies on the various inselbergs, peaks, hills and plains, with their varied rocky and shallow soil substrate, support a wide range of plants, animals, birds and insects, including rare and endemic species. The writer William Charles Scully
William Charles Scully
William Charles Scully is one of South Africa's best-known authors, although little known outside South Africa...
wrote that, “for sheer uncompromising aridity, for stark grotesque naked horror, these mountains stand probably unsurpassed on the face of the globe.”
Average, but variable, annual rainfall at the town is about 112mm, with greatest precipitation occurring between January and April. The lowest recorded annual rainfall (11mm) was measured in 1992, while the ‘wettest’ year (220mm) was recorded in 2006. Temperatures average between 15°C and 38°C in summer and between 0°C and 18°C in winter.