Notes on the availability and chemical composition of water from the gravel plains of the Namib-Naukluft Park
Data are presented on the occurrence of a surprising number of permanent water sources on the gravel plains of the Namib-Naukluft Park, South West Africa. As a consequence, no game animal is further than ca 25 km away from the nearest watering-place. Within a broad range of ionic contents, the surface waters of the desert display a marked similarity in their chemical composition, being mainly dominated by Na+>Ca++>Mg++: Cl−>SO4 −>HCO3 −−CO3- −. Evaporation, precipitation and rock dominance seem to be the main controlling mechanisms involved in determining the chemical composition of the waters. Keywords: Ionic dominance, chemical composition, water quality, Namib Desert.
Journal of the Limnological Society of southern Africa