Landscapes and Landforms of Ethiopia

ISBN-13: 9789401780254 / Angielski / Twarda / 2015 / 389 str.

Paolo Billi

Opis

Apart from often being immensely scenic, landscapes tell stories which not uncommonly can be traced back in time for tens of millions years and include unique events. This is particularly true for Ethiopia where spectacular examples of landforms are present. Its geomorphology varies from highlands, punctuated by high volcanoes and dissected by deep river gorges, to the rift valley lakes endorheic systems and the below the sea level lowlands with landscapes the features of which are unique in the world. This book will illustrate all these issues and will include the necessary background about geology and tectonic framework, past and present climate, hydrology, geographical regions and long-term geomorphological history. The core of the book will consists of a succinct but comprehensive presentation of key geomorphological localities including also information about geomorphological heritage and maps to visit the most important sites.

Recenzje

"This book undertakes a comprehensive treatment of the geomorphology of this diverse and fascinating country and succeeds reasonably well. Its greatest strength lies in the first five chapters (about one quarter of the book), which provide a solid overview of the area, including physical and historical geomorphology, geology, climate, and rivers. These will be of great use to anyone needing an introduction to or reference materials on the country. ... Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals/practitioners." (I. D. Sasowsky, Choice, Vol. 53 (2), October, 2015)

Spis treści

Geomorphological landscapes of Ethiopia: an introduction.- Geology of Ethiopia: a review and a geomorphological perspective.- The climate of Ethiopia.- Ethiopian rivers.- Planation surfaces and long term geomorphological evolution of Ethiopia.- Paleoglaciated landscapes of Simen and other mountains in Ethiopia.- Geomorphology of the archaeological area of Aksum.- Geomorphology of Adwa district.- Geomorphology of “amba” landscape of northern Ethiopia.- Gully development in Tigray Highlands.- Tufa dams in Tigray (northern Ethiopia) as Late Pleistocene-Holocene climate proxies.- Ephemeral streams in the Kobo basin.- Sediment yield variability at various catchment scales and its impact on reservoirs in the Ethiopian highlands.- Hayk Lake 3500 years of climatic and hydrologic changes in northern Ethiopia.- Tectonic and volcanic geomorphology of the rift zones - the Afar triangle.- Ethiopian Rift lakes – landforms and hydrology.- Geomorphology of the Lakes Region – geomorphological record of palaeohydrological and palaeoclimatic events in an active volcano-tectonic setting.- Water-rock interaction and lakes hydrochemistry in the Main Ethiopian Rift.- The landscape and landforms of the Ogaden.- Geo-Hazard in Ethiopia.- Land degradation in the Ethiopian highlands.

O autorze

Paolo Billi is a Professor of Fluvial Dynamics and Geomorphology in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Ferrara in Italy. His research interests include river geomorphology, including specific topics such as river hydrology, sediment transport, river channel processes, sediment yield, gully erosion and soil erosion processes. Furthermore, he is interested in climatic change worldwide. Specific topics he investigates are human impact on rivers, desertification processes, land degradation, climate change and river response and water resources conservation.

Prof. Paolo Billi has been carrying out field and laboratory studies on these topics in Italy, in Europe and since 1983, throughout the whole Horn of Africa in Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Eritrea. He is author of more than 170 papers in national and international journals.

Blurb

This book provides a succinct but comprehensive presentation of key geomorphological locations and topics including information about geomorphological heritage and maps to visit the most important sites.

Apart from often being remarkably scenic, landscapes reveal stories that often can be traced back in time tens of million years and include unique events. This is particularly true for Ethiopia where spectacular examples of different landforms are present. Its geomorphology varies from highlands, marked by high volcanoes and incised by deep river gorges, to the rift valley lakes endorheic systems and the below sea level lowlands with characteristic landscapes which are unique in the world. Landscapes and Landforms of Ethiopia highlights all these topics including essential information about geology and tectonic framework, past and present climate, hydrology, geographical regions and long-term geomorphological history. It is a highly informative book, providing insight for readers with an interest in geography and geomorphology.