First black female South African awarded PhD in marine geology
Concentrating on Lake St Lucia, the Richards Bay Harbour, and the Kosi Bay system; Dladla looked beneath the ocean’s surface at the complex network of ancient river valleys that underlie these systems, which were flooded during the Holocene epoch as sea levels rose due to melting glaciers.
University of KwaZulu-Natal graduate, Dr Nonkululeko Dladla is the first black female South African to receive a PhD in Marine Geology.
Dladla, who is also a developmental lecturer in geological sciences at UKZN focused her studies on the stratigraphy and geological evolution of three coastal waterbodies along the north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal coastline to gain an understanding of how coastlines responded to a rise in sea levels in the past and better understand the potential consequences of future changes.
Concentrating on Lake St Lucia, the Richards Bay Harbour, and the Kosi Bay system; Dladla looked beneath the ocean’s surface at the complex network of ancient river valleys that underlie these systems, which were flooded during the Holocene epoch as sea levels rose due to melting glaciers.
Despite each of these waterbodies being situated in a similar climatic, geomorphological, oceanographic and sea-level framework; Dladla pointed out that each differs in terms of its palaeo-sediment supply and underlying geological framework.
She set out to understand how much these factors influenced the stratigraphic evolution of incised valleys as they evolved from rivers through to estuaries with rising sea levels, and what role they could play in the final geomorphological form. That final form is critical in understanding how estuaries function today, an important consideration as they act as nurseries for juvenile fish species and are current focal points for development around the world.
“Reconstructing the geological signatures of these kinds of coastal systems can greatly improve our understanding of how coastlines respond to climate change and sea-level rise and improve prediction of the consequences of future changes,” said Dladla.
Dladla published several articles emanating from her studies in the foremost international, peer-reviewed journals, and her PhD was awarded with no corrections to her thesis.
UKZN is the only institution in Africa specialising in marine geology.
It was the clear choice for Dladla’s postgraduate studies and is where she has developed her research interests in sedimentology and marine geology. Her passion for the subject was also encouraged by her Honours, Master’s and PhD supervisor Professor Andrew Green.
“I am especially proud of Nku! The quality of her PhD was outstanding. She is an absolute role model for our students who need mentors they can identify with,” said Green.
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