THE SURFACE GEOLOGY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY AROUND GOBABEB, NAMIB DESERT, NAMIBIA FRANK D. ECKARDT 1 , IAN LIVINGSTONE 2 , MARY SEELY 3 and JOHANNA VON HOLDT 1 1 Department of Geography, University of Cape Town, South Africa 2 School of Science and Technology, The University of Northampton, Northampton, UK 3 Gobabeb Research and Training Centre, Walvis Bay, Namibia Eckardt, F.D., Livingstone, I., Seely, M. and Von Holdt, J., 2013. An introduction to the surface geology and geomor- phology around Gobabeb, Namib Desert, Namibia. Geo- grafiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 95, 271–284. doi:10.1111/geoa.12028 ABSTRACT. This paper serves as a brief review and over- view of the surface geology and geomorphology around Gobabeb in the Central Namib Desert. It introduces the major lithologies associated with the Damara Orogen of Precambrian and Cambrian age, followed by Tertiary sand- stones and conglomerates and Quaternary Kuiseb valley conglomerates, silts and gravels. To celebrate the 50th anni- versary of the Gobabeb research station and the recent des- ignation of the Namib Sand Sea as a world heritage site, we are presenting a map to inform and guide future research and educational activities around Gobabeb. The contrast between an ancient gravel plain to the north, a dynamic aeolian sand sea to the south and ephemeral river environments in between become apparent. These natural laboratories have attracted investigations of contemporary sand dune move- ment, hyper saline waters, evaporites and duricrusts and ephemeral flooding and recharge processes as well as envi- ronmental change and human impacts. Key words: surface geology, geomorphology, Gobabeb, Namib Desert, Kuiseb, Namib Sand Sea Introduction The research and training centre at Gobabeb (15.0415° East, 23.5618° South, approx 400 m a.s.l.), which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012 (Henschel and Lancaster 2013), has provided a focus for a considerable volume of geological and geomorphological research. Its location pro- vides access to a range of contrasting environ- ments that include the ancient stable surfaces of the gravel plains to the north, the massive active dunes of the sand sea to the south and the ephem- eral channel of the Kuiseb River between them (Figs 1 and 2). Geomorphological processes in the area around Gobabeb are driven by the persistent and long-lived aridity of the area, a steep environ- mental gradient and by rare, extreme climatic events (Eckardt et al. 2013). This paper describes the geological and geomorphological surface fea- tures and processes around the Gobabeb research station and is intended as an introduction for new- comers to the area. It aims to provide a broad, integrated but by no means definitive overview highlighting key papers from the past decades, as well as more recent publications. Central to this is the map of the Gobabeb area (Fig. 2) which was modified from the digital Geological Survey of Namibia map (Geological Survey of Namibia 1994) and features Damaran geology from Sawyer (1981) and Kuiseb geomorphology mapped by Ward (1987a, 1987b), who also provides a full break down of all geomorphological type locations presented here. Table 1 lists the sites most acces- sible from Gobabeb but we strongly urge inter- ested visitors to consult Ward (1987a), Ward and Corbett (1990) and Miller (2008, in particular Volume 3) for an in-depth description. Locations of saline springs and salts were added from Eckardt et al. (2013) and Khommabes Carbonate Member from Ward (1987b).The Namib Sand Sea (Sossus Formation) is rendered using a Landsat 8 image from 4 May 2013. Surface geology Cambrian and Precambrian A visitor approaching Gobabeb on the roads from the north across the gravel plains will see geological outcrops free of sand cover, dominated by Precam- brian rocks of the Damara Orogen (±880–460 Ma). These outcrops include the extensive schist expo- sures (Kuiseb Formation – NKs), which extend from the Gamsberg Pass in the Great Escarpment to the station perimeter (Fig. 2., location 1), as well as the gneissic feldspathic quartzites (Khan Forma- tion) and dolomitic marbles (Karibib Formation) © 2013 Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography DOI:10.1111/geoa.12028 271