Upb geochronology documents outofsequence emplacement. Platinumgroup elements in the upper zone of the rustenburg. The complex consists essentially of five adjoining, basinshaped masses of igneous rocks. Bushveld complex deposits of platinum and chromites, situated in transvaal province of the republic of south africa, on the territory of the districts of. North west, gauteng, for the western limb and limpopo and mpumalanga for the eastern limb.
Formation of bifurcating chromitite layers of the ug1 in. The bushveld complex bc is a large layered intrusion, emplaced into a stable cratonic setting. Vanadium and tibearing magnetite layers, which occur throughout the entire upper zone of the intrusion, have formed in response to magma mixing events. South africa is the worlds top producer of platinum, used in everything from jewelry to catalytic converters. Clarkmostert twp projects the presence of geological structures in igneous complexes such as the bushveld complex in south africa and the great dyke in zimbabwe is to be expected.
This formation contains most of the worlds reserves of minerals such as andalusite, chromium, fluorspar, platinum and vanadium. It has been tilted and eroded forming the outcrops around what appears to be the edge of a great geological basin. Pdf geoheritage of the eastern limb of the bushveld igneous. The 2060 ma old bushveld complex of about 66000 km2 extent is a saucershaped layered igneous intrusion and one of the great geological wonders of the world. The bushveld episode was evidently initiated by the outpouring of andesitic lava on three occasions, and of agglomerate and tuff on one occasion, during the deposition of the transvaal system. Zamani addmore dube 0303958g thesis submitted to the faculty of science, university of the witwatersrand johannesburg in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of. Platinum group elements in stream sediments of mining zones.
Anthropogenic platinum enrichment in the vicinity of mines. The bushveld complex, a product of interaction among magmas. It looks like we dont have any akas for this title yet. The geology of the bushveld complex on the sekhukhune plateau, eastern transvaal. Pdf the eastern limb of the bushveld igneous complex outcrops in the middleveld, a localized physiographic. Bushveld complex bc 300km east west synclinal basin containing vast quantities of pgms and chromite. The hex river bushveld igneous complex, south africa author links open overlay panel clara. Overview of the palaeoproterozoic bushveld igneous province.
The geology of the bushveld complex on the sekhukhune. The wbjv property is located on the south western limb of the bushveld igneous complex bic, 110km westnorthwest of pretoria and 120km from johannesburg. An explanation has been deduced for bifurcations of chromitite layers and other features frequently found in exposures of the ug1 and its footwall. Large igneous intrusions layering is thought to represent an upwardaggrading crystal pile.
They are characterized by a raised ferriferousness of the chrome spinels. Pdf this is the preface to a special issue on various aspects of the bushveld complex, transvaal basin, south africa. High underground temperatures reduce labour productivity, the highest cost element of mining. The bushveld complex in the context of thethe bushveld. The bushveld complex is located in south africa, between the limpopo and north west provinces and covers an area of approximately 66000 km2 it consists of four groups of rocks. Most of it comes from a geological formation the size of west virginia, called the bushveld igneous complex, created two billion years ago as molten. The complex is made up of ultramafic to felsic igneous rocks and formed by repeated injection of magma into an enormous chamber. The geology is described briefly assuming familiarity on the part of the reader. Geological setting university of the witwatersrand. Platinumbearing chromite layers are caused by pressure.
University of pretoria, 1976 bushveld complex south africa 210 pages. These layered intrusions consist of rocks which cooled slowly from molten magma, deep within the earth. Bushveld igneous complex article about bushveld igneous. School of geosciences, university of the witwatersrand. Bushveld igneous complex of the transvaal gsa bulletin. The bushveld complex is the largest maficultramafic layered intrusion on earth and encompasses about a million cubic kilometres of igneous rocks that were emplaced into the upper crust 2a05. The bushveld is one of the most mineralrich regions of the world.
Download fulltext pdf the stratigraphy of the bushveld complex. Simplified geological map of the bushveld large igneous province, which includes the rustenburg layered suite, the rooiberg volcanics and the lebowa granite suite. The middle part of the early proterozoic was dominated by powerful orogenic. Bushveld definition of bushveld by the free dictionary. The bushveld complex, a product of interaction among magmas derived from a mantle plume c. Hatton anglo american research laboratories pty ltd. Kinloch amplats research centre, po box 6540, homestead, 1412, south africa and c. These are the bushveld complex in south africa, the stillwater complex in the u.
The geology of the bushveld igneous complex, the largest. The bushveld complex, a product of interaction among. Box 106, crown mines, 2025, south africa chromite and pgeenriched layers in the bushveld are modelled on a process of the cooling of resident lower zone magma by sub. Lee amplats geological services, po box 62179, marshalltown, johannesburg, 2107, south africa. Bushveld complex geological formation, south africa. Formation of bifurcating chromitite layers of the ug1 in the. Several studies have been focused on the geochemistry and mineralogy of river sediments and soils of the bushveld complex mining area to trace pgerich layers or to gain an understanding of pge weathering processes and sedimentological characteristics cawthorn, 2001, oberthur et al. Chromite chemistry of a massive chromitite seam in the. The general aquifer model for the bushveld complex comprises a perched, shallow aquifer in the weathered zone. An intrusive origin of some ug1 chromitite layers in the bushveld igneous complex, south africa. Novel hypothesis for origin of massive chromitites in the. This is due to the bushveld igneous complex, an extremely rich saucershaped geological formation that stretches over more than 50,000 square kilometers.
Platinumgroup elements in the upper zone of the rustenburg layered suite of the bushveld complex. Here, we present a study on the occurrence of pt in the vicinity of mines in the bic. The bushveld igneous complex johnson matthey technology. The bushveld complex is part of the massive bushveld igneous province that also includes voluminous ferroan granites and other felsic rocks, all of similar age of. Oreforming processes in the upper part of the bushveld complex. It is approximately 2 billion years old and is divided into four different limbs. Bushveld is a rather loose term and refers to the areas of mixed woodland between 1 000m and 1 500m above sea level almost all of south africas 472 000 square miles lie below the tropic of capricorn, and the country is geographically composed of 3 primary regions. The duration of continental flood basaltic magmatism may be of the order of several million years. Pdf geoheritage of the eastern limb of the bushveld. The geomorphological history of the bushveld basin gave rise to four discrete physiographic regions found in the study area. Bushveld complex article about bushveld complex by the free. The residual or roof zone of the bushveld complex, south africa. Is there some commonality between the geological structures in the bushveld complex and the great dyke.
South africa is the worlds single largest platinum pt producer owing to important resources in the bushveld igneous complex bic. Nov 14, 2016 large igneous intrusions layering is thought to represent an upwardaggrading crystal pile. The bushveld igneous complex bic is the largest layered igneous intrusion within the earths crust. This article describes the geological and economic aspects of this unusually interesting formation.
The complex includes the merensky reef, which is the worlds biggest source of platinum as well as platinumgroup metals. In particular, dwars river in the eastern bushveld is well known for the intimate association of chromitite and anorthosite layers. Media in category bushveld igneous complex the following files are in this category, out of total. The complex consists essentially of five adjoining, basinshaped masses of igneousrocks. Introduction to the bushveld complex, south africa the bushveld complex, of palaeoproterozoic age, is located in the central northeast portion of the kaapvaal craton in southern africa, and has an estimated total area of 65 000 km2 hunter, 1976. Occurrence and petrological significance of graphite in the upper. The significance of magmatic erosion for bifurcation of ug1. It has been considered an intrusive equivalent of a continental flood basalt province, and inferred to be related to a mantle plume hatton, 1995. A vast composite body of plutonic and volcanic rocks in the central part of the transvaal, the bushveld igneous complex includes the platinum reef worked by rustenburg platinum mines limited and constituting the worlds greatest reserve of the platinum metals. Hence, the last magmas were trapped within the intrusion. The complex contains the worlds largest reserves of the platinum group metals, platinum, palladium, osmium, indium, rhodium and rhenium, along with vast quantities of iron, tin, chromium, titanium and vanadium wikipedia. Bushveld igneous complex, south africa aster image gallery. Little attention has been paid to the environmental impacts of mining in the region despite the extent of mining activities.
In the northern limb, the platreef mineralization and a thick chromitite seam below it referred to as the ug2 equivalent or ug2e have been proposed to be the. Three pioneering geologists, arthur hall, hans merensky, and percy wagner, greatly advanced bushveld geology and were involved in the 1924. It lies almost entirely within the bounds of the transvaal. In south africa, an enormous layered intrusion, containing over half the worlds platinum, chromium, vanadium, and refractory minerals. Bushveld igneous complex archives state of the planet. Location and simplified geological map of the bushveld igneous complex rustenburg. The project will employ stateoftheart hydroseparation and microanalytical methodology to document and interpret the abundance and distribution of platinum group minerals pgms in the chromitite layers of the central critical zone in the eastern lobe of the bushveld complex south of steelpoort. The bushveld igneous complex 1983 release info imdb. Geology 314 accretion of the bushveld complex foreword.
Dec 01, 2004 chromitite layers occur frequently within the critical zone of the bushveld complex. Bushveld complex bc sedibelo platinum mines limited. Bushveld minerals is a lowcost, vertically integrated primary vanadium producer with a diversi. Find out information about bushveld igneous complex. Figure 1 simplified geological map of the bushveld large. Not the least of the finds is the amazing body of igneous rocks called the bushveld complex, in the transvaal. Geoheritage of the eastern limb of the bushveld igneous complex. Construction expos in south africa recommended for you. Mineralogy of the middle group chromitite cumulates at the. Molengraaff, henderson, kynaston, mellor, humphrey, hall, wagner, and du toit have published the results of study. The outline of the whole mass is accordingly lobulate.
As most of the region tends to be dry, the bushveld is mostly beef cattle and game farming country, with only a few droughtresistant crops such as sorghum and millet being farmed, usually under irrigation. Chromitite layers occur frequently within the critical zone of the bushveld complex. A geographical map of southern africa indicating the extent of the bushveld igneous complex bic, in grey. On the relationship between the bushveld complex and its. Higher underground thermal gradient than the goldbearing witwatersrand basin, requiring refrigeration for underground mines deeper than 700 metres. The rustenburg layered suite of the enormous bushveld igneous complex of south africa has been presumed to have formed by deposition.
It is a large complex covering a major area of the province formerly known as the transvaal which has since been divided up and the bushveld igneous complex now occurs in the following provinces. Apr 11, 20 5 years to complete sinking the shafts at the new bakubung platinum mine big construction project duration. Characterisation of submicron particle number concentrations and. Zamani addmore dube 0303958g thesis submitted to the faculty of science, university of the witwatersrand johannesburg in. Just click the edit page button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the akas submission guide.
Origin by doublediffusive magma mixing and applications for the bushveld complex. This is the preface to a special issue on various aspects of the bushveld complex, transvaal basin, south africa. Platinum group elements in stream sediments of mining. Most of it comes from a geological formation the size of west virginia, called the bushveld igneous complex, created two billion years ago as molten lava from earths mantle bubbled to the surface and cooled. The archean windimurra igneous complex consists of distinct components, including a thick layered series, with a cumulate mineral stratigraphy similar to the zones identified in the wellstudied. Space images bushveld igneous complex, south africa. Upb geochronology documents outofsequence emplacement of. Geoheritage of the eastern limb of the bushveld igneous complex, south africa. The significance of magmatic erosion for bifurcation of ug1 chromitite layers in the bushveld complex. Emplacement and crystallization time for the bushveld complex. The bushveld igneous complex bic is known for its laterally extensive platinum group elementbearing layers, the most famous being the merensky reef and the ug2 chromitite in the eastern and western limbs of the complex. It has been tilted and eroded forming the outcrops around. The bushveld igneous complex bic is a large layered igneous intrusion within the earths crust, exposed at the edge of the transvaal basin in south africa. The chromium deposits of the bushveld complex, the potential resources of which are estimated at 2 billion tons, are found in pseudostrata, persistent for considerable distances, of ingrained and massif ores, 2 cm to 2 m thick in the pyroxenites and anorthosites.
May 2005 lip of the month large igneous provinces commission. The resources of the wbjv project 3 are located approximately 11km along strike from the active merensky reef mining face at the operating bafokeng rasimone platinum mine brpm. The significance of magmatic erosion for bifurcation of. Numerous mines, tailings piles, and leach ponds are shown in blue. Bushveld complex article about bushveld complex by the. The bushveld complex is the largest maficultramafic layered intrusion on earth and encompasses about a million cubic kilometres of igneous rocks that were emplaced into the upper crust 205 billion years ago as part of a major intracontinental magmatic event.
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