Herald Journal of Geography and Regional Planning Vol. 1 (2), pp. 036- 042 December, 2012
Available online: http://heraldjournals.org/hjgrp/archive.htm
Copyright (c) 2012 Herald International Research Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Geology and structure of the dryland Mutubuki wetland of Gutu, Zimbabwe
David Chikodzi1, Hardlife Zinhiva1, Godfrey Mutowo1, Somandla Ndlovu2 and Proud Mazambara2
1 Department of Physics, Geography and Environmental Science, Great Zimbabwe University.
2 Environmental Management Agency (EMA)
*Corresponding Author e-mail:
Accepted January 06, 2013
The study aimed at understanding the geological factors that led to the formation of Mutubuki wetland in the Gutu District of Zimbabwe. Most studies of dryland wetlands focus on contributions from ecology, biology, and hydrology ignoring their structure and geology. As a result geology of wetlands have remained little understood yet improved understanding of the geological and sedimentological processes governing their development, is vital for the design of sustainable management guidelines for these diverse and fragile areas. The study used field surveys to gather data at a micro-catchment level and GIS techniques to combine and analyse the digital elevation model derivatives and geological map of the area. The results showed that the wetland was located at the point of contact of gneiss and granite basement rock, the wetland also sits at an interfluve which is its major recharge zone, it also occurs on a depression at the edge of higher ground has gentle slopes. It was also observed that the wetland contained a thick layer of clay and the interfluves contained sandy soils.
Keywords: Wetland geology, Interfluves, Digital Elevation Model, GIS Techniques
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