Eine geographische Forschungsreise nach Nordafrika und zu den Kanarischen Inseln

Abstract

In 1953 Dr. H. Mensching, Dozent at the Department of Geography, Würzburg University, undertook his second expedition to Morocco. His major aim was to complete a climatic-morphological north-south profile from the Mediterranean Sea to the desert by means of investigations in the Rif Mountains, the eastern Middle Atlas, and the western Anti Atlas with the Jebel Bani on the northern fringe of the Sahara. Particular attention was accorded to the glacial and periglacial landforms in the mountains as well as the fluviatile forms in the foothill zones, and their change from the Pluvial periods until today. A number of excursions in eastern Morocco were undertaken together with M. R. Raynal of the Institut des Hautes Études Marocaines, Rabat. Further objects of study were the economic development of Morocco and the types of native economy of a number of tribes especially in the Rif Mountains, the middle Moulouya valley, and on the fringe of the Sahara in south-west Morocco. For the purpose of making comparative observations in geomorphology and economic geography visits were paid to the islands Gran Canaria, Teneriffe and La Palma of the Canary Archipelago. The return opurney was made across Algeria and Tunisia.