A geochemical investigation of the Lake Sibiya system, Northern Zululand

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dc.contributor.advisorWillis, Jamesen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorFey, Martin Ven_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWhyte, Stewart Rodneyen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-06T14:44:08Z
dc.date.available2016-09-06T14:44:08Z
dc.date.issued1999en_ZA
dc.description.abstractLake Sibaya (27°15'-21'25'S; 32°32'-32°44'E) is situated in the northern region of the Zululand coastal plain, and is remarkable in that it embodies a near-pristine· freshwater coastal lake preserving clear residual signs of its former estuarine origin. Despite the· fact that the lake constitutes perhaps the most intensively studied of all freshwater bodies in South Africa, little is known .of its geochemical character. The objective of this study was therefore to conduct an investigation of the waters and sediments of the lake system, which might then provide a chemical baseline against which the future environmental quality of the system could be gauged, and in terms of which the current functioning of the ecosystem can be better understood. In line with this rationale, water and sediment samples were collected from each of fourteen sampling sites located along three transects running, variously, S-N, SW-NE and W-E across peripheral arms of the lake. Waters in direct contact with the sediments were thoroughly agitated with the sediments and thereafter decanted for analysis. Since the lake is purported to be fed almost exclusively by groundwater flow, water samples were collected from three groundwater . . wells located north-west of the lake. The Department of Water Affairs (DW AF) databases for groundwater chemistry, and for lake level and chemistry over the period 1980 to 1998, were used to supplement this data, and to provide an indication of any medium-term parameter changes. A water sample was also· collected from the non-perennial Mseleni River, although the river is known to contribute minimally to the lake volume. The majority of laboratory analyses were conducted within the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, adhering to standard analytical methods wherever possible.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWhyte, S. R. (1999). <i>A geochemical investigation of the Lake Sibiya system, Northern Zululand</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21695en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWhyte, Stewart Rodney. <i>"A geochemical investigation of the Lake Sibiya system, Northern Zululand."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21695en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWhyte, S. 1999. A geochemical investigation of the Lake Sibiya system, Northern Zululand. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Whyte, Stewart Rodney AB - Lake Sibaya (27°15'-21'25'S; 32°32'-32°44'E) is situated in the northern region of the Zululand coastal plain, and is remarkable in that it embodies a near-pristine· freshwater coastal lake preserving clear residual signs of its former estuarine origin. Despite the· fact that the lake constitutes perhaps the most intensively studied of all freshwater bodies in South Africa, little is known .of its geochemical character. The objective of this study was therefore to conduct an investigation of the waters and sediments of the lake system, which might then provide a chemical baseline against which the future environmental quality of the system could be gauged, and in terms of which the current functioning of the ecosystem can be better understood. In line with this rationale, water and sediment samples were collected from each of fourteen sampling sites located along three transects running, variously, S-N, SW-NE and W-E across peripheral arms of the lake. Waters in direct contact with the sediments were thoroughly agitated with the sediments and thereafter decanted for analysis. Since the lake is purported to be fed almost exclusively by groundwater flow, water samples were collected from three groundwater . . wells located north-west of the lake. The Department of Water Affairs (DW AF) databases for groundwater chemistry, and for lake level and chemistry over the period 1980 to 1998, were used to supplement this data, and to provide an indication of any medium-term parameter changes. A water sample was also· collected from the non-perennial Mseleni River, although the river is known to contribute minimally to the lake volume. The majority of laboratory analyses were conducted within the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, adhering to standard analytical methods wherever possible. DA - 1999 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1999 T1 - A geochemical investigation of the Lake Sibiya system, Northern Zululand TI - A geochemical investigation of the Lake Sibiya system, Northern Zululand UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21695 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/21695
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWhyte SR. A geochemical investigation of the Lake Sibiya system, Northern Zululand. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Geological Sciences, 1999 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21695en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Geological Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherEnvironmental Geochemistryen_ZA
dc.titleA geochemical investigation of the Lake Sibiya system, Northern Zululanden_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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