The Witzand Formation forms the youngest subdivision of the Cenozoic Sandveld Group and was named after the Witzand homestead about 40 km north of Cape Town, where the formation is well developed. The formation essentially comprises whitish, unconsolidated, coastal calcareous dunes of Holocene age. The combination of a summer- dry Mediterranean climate and the powerful regional, obliquely onshore southerly winds (driven by the South Atlantic Anticyclone) have resulted in the evolution dune plumes that extend up to 15 km inland. The plumes are sporadically distributed along the southern west coast from False Bay to Elands Bay and are best developed updrift (north) of river mouths.

You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.