Thamalakane River
Encyclopedia
The Thamalakane River is a river located in Botswana
, Africa
, at the southern end of the Okavango Delta
. It has no well defined beginning (spring) and no clear end (delta
). It is the result of the Thamalakane fault - which began to form about two million years ago by the geological process of rift
ing that is currently splitting Africa apart along the Great Rift Valley
.
When the land between two parallel faults (the Gumare fault and the Kunyere fault) started dropping, the Okavango River
's flow was blocked by the Thamalakane fault and it started to fan out and built myriads of water channels - what is now known as the Okavango Delta
.
One of the main channels draining the Okavango Delta
is the Boro River. Being blocked by the fault, it empties literally at a right angle into the waterway
created by the fault, the Thamalakane River. Roughly 40 km to the west, the water found a break in the Thamalakane Fault. Again at a right angle it empties the Thamalakane River and forms the Boteti River
, which incurs seasonal desiccation in some lower reaches. In the rainy season the Boteti discharges to the Makgadikgadi Pans, bringing that area alive with wet season high biological productivity.
In older days, not only the Boro River fed the Thamalakane River but also smaller channels like the Boronyana and Shashe.
Along the Thamalakane River the village of Maun
developed. Water supply to Maun is from well fields along the Thamalakane and Shashe River
s.
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, at the southern end of the Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta , in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea...
. It has no well defined beginning (spring) and no clear end (delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
). It is the result of the Thamalakane fault - which began to form about two million years ago by the geological process of rift
Rift
In geology, a rift or chasm is a place where the Earth's crust and lithosphere are being pulled apart and is an example of extensional tectonics....
ing that is currently splitting Africa apart along the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
.
When the land between two parallel faults (the Gumare fault and the Kunyere fault) started dropping, the Okavango River
Okavango River
The Okavango River is a river in southwest Africa. It is the fourth-longest river system in southern Africa, running southeastward for . It begins in Angola, where it is known as the Cubango River...
's flow was blocked by the Thamalakane fault and it started to fan out and built myriads of water channels - what is now known as the Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta , in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea...
.
One of the main channels draining the Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta , in Botswana, is the world's largest inland delta. It is formed where the Okavango River empties onto a swamp in an endorheic basin in the Kalahari Desert, where most of the water is lost to evaporation and transpiration instead of draining into the sea...
is the Boro River. Being blocked by the fault, it empties literally at a right angle into the waterway
Waterway
A waterway is any navigable body of water. Waterways can include rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, and canals. In order for a waterway to be navigable, it must meet several criteria:...
created by the fault, the Thamalakane River. Roughly 40 km to the west, the water found a break in the Thamalakane Fault. Again at a right angle it empties the Thamalakane River and forms the Boteti River
Boteti River
The Boteti River is a natural watercourse in Botswana. It derives flow from the core Okavango Delta through the Thamalakane River in Maun. It flowed year-round before the mid 1990s, after which decreasing flows led to seasonal desiccation in some lower reaches...
, which incurs seasonal desiccation in some lower reaches. In the rainy season the Boteti discharges to the Makgadikgadi Pans, bringing that area alive with wet season high biological productivity.
In older days, not only the Boro River fed the Thamalakane River but also smaller channels like the Boronyana and Shashe.
Along the Thamalakane River the village of Maun
Maun
Maun is the fifth largest town in Botswana. As of 2001, it had a population of 43,776. It is an eclectic mix of modern buildings and native huts. Maun is the "tourism capital" of Botswana and the administrative centre of Ngamiland district...
developed. Water supply to Maun is from well fields along the Thamalakane and Shashe River
Shashe River
The Shashe River is a major left-bank tributary of the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe.It rises northwest of Francistown, Botswana and flows into the Limpopo River where Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa meet, site of the Shalimpo Transfrontier Conservation Area.- Hydrology :The Shashe River is a...
s.