Geoscientist Helke Mocke on Fish River Canyon & Sperrgebiet Nominated for IUGS 100 Geological Heritage Initiatiative

Namibia has another reason to celebrate its extraordinary natural heritage. Two of the country’s most remarkable geological sites, the Fish River Canyon and the Sperrgebiet Diamond Mega-Placer, have been nominated for the International Union of Geological Sciences’ IUGS 100 initiative, placing them among the world’s most outstanding records of Earth’s history. The Fish River Canyon is internationally recognised as one of Earth’s largest canyons, while the Sperrgebiet’s multi-process diamond mega-placer is described by IUGS as the only placer of its kind globally.

Helke Mocke, Chief Geoscientist at the Geological Survey of Namibia, joins host CHANTE to unpack what makes these landscapes so exceptional. The conversation explores the deep geological story written into the Fish River Canyon and the rare natural processes that formed the Sperrgebiet Diamond Mega-Placer.