Alluvial deposition at the Skeleton Coast, northern Namibia: chronology and spatial patterns

Abstract

Quaternary topography sculpting along the Skeleton Coast of northern Namibia has predominantly been governed by long-term (hyper-)aridity and a rather absence of tectonic activity. The long-term prevalence of such environmental conditions has been favoured by the overall geographical setting, as the Skeleton Coast is situated at the western passive continental margin of the African continent, close to the southern tropic. As a consequence, the main episode of denudation and relief building in this region is usually believed to have taken place during the Cretaceous