The regional scale turbidites in Laingsburg
On our way back to Capetown, we stopped at a small town of Laingsburg. Laingsburg is a field site for oil companies who explore turbidity currents. There are small and large-scale exposures of turbidites. First, we looked at localized small-scale turbidites. The beds, at this outcrop, display a variety of ripple marks and crossbeds. So, we used the ‘stoss’ and ‘lee’ sides of the cross beds to determine the direction of fluid flow. Then we made other stops just outside the town to look at regional scale turbidites. We got to think about the rule of V’s in a real life exposure. It was simply amazing to see large scaled geologic features and think about the time scale.