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24 October 2018
Geologist shares ground-breaking findings at Alex du Toit lecture
From the left: Prof Marian Tredoux, Associate Professor in the UFS Department of Geology, Prof Lew Ashwal, and Snegugu Zigubu, BSc (Hons) Geology student.

The Department of Geology at the University of the Free State (UFS) was recently the host of a lecture in the 2018 Alex du Toit Memorial Lecture series.

The speaker at this event was the A-rated NRF researcher, Prof Lew Ashwal from the University of the Witwatersrand. He addressed academics and geology students on ‘Wandering continents of the Indian Ocean’.

Lost continent found


In this talk he specifically shared the research he conducted on the islands of Madagascar (which he visited 30 times to conduct field work and says it is not for the faint-hearted), the Seychelles, and Mauritius. 

Two things stood out in his lecture: the way in which his findings on the three islands helped to refine details about the assembly of the Gondwana supercontinent, and the report of a ‘lost continent’ found under Mauritius. 

These discussions were linked by Prof Ashwal’s belief that the so-called lost continent he found under Mauritius is a leftover from the break-up of Gondwana,

The discovery was made when he and a team of researchers found zircon from 2000 million years ago on a 9-million-year-young island. He believes that the piece of crust (where the tested zircon probably formed), which was covered by lava during recent volcanic eruptions on the island, is a tiny piece of the ancient continent which broke off from Madagascar, when Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica split up and formed the Indian Ocean.

Media frenzy 

The fact that the team of researchers found these extremely old minerals proves that there are materials under Mauritius that originated from a continent under the island. 

Prof Ashwal is studying the break-up process of the continents in order to understand the geological history of the planet.

For his work Prof Ashwal has enjoyed coverage from publications as far apart in focus from each other as The New York Times and Cosmopolitan magazine. 

News Archive

NBT tests compulsory for all prospective students of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UFS
2010-05-21

All prospective students who apply for study in the Faculty of Health Sciences (excluding Nursing) at the University of the Free State in 2011, must undergo die National Benchmark Tests (NBT) on 17 July 2010 or 31 July 2010.

Students who do not have an NBT test result will not be considered for selection at the Faculty of Health Sciences. The Health Sciences Placement Tests (HSPT) has been replaced by the NBT.

Applications for selection for 2011 close on 28 May 2010. A student who has not undergone the test will not be considered for selection and no exceptions will be allowed. If a student therefore does not undergo the test on 17 July 2010 or 31 July 2010, the university will not have the results in September 2010 before the preliminary selection takes place.

Prospective students who have undergone the test before 2010 will have to write the test again. Only students who have undergone the NBT in 2010 needn’t write the test again, but they have to fax their NBT reference number to 051 401 3226.

Prospective students have to register at www.nbt.ac.za  themselves and undergo the test. The cost of writing the test is R110.

The NBT is used by all universities in South Africa to improve the quality of education and learning in order to enhance the performance of students.

Students may visit the www.nbt.ac.za  web page for any further enquiries. Enquiries about applications en selection to the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UFS may be directed at AdminFHS@ufs.ac.za  or feel free to visit the UFS web page at www.ufs.ac.za/HealthSelection  . Students are requested to read the question-and-answer section regarding selection.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (acting)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl@ufs.ac.za  
21 May 2010
 

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