The bushveld complex the bushveld complex is the worlds largest layered intrusion, and because of its unique char acter most other layered intrusions are compared with it. Chromitite layers occur frequently within the critical zone of the bushveld complex. The bushveld thornbush field is characterized by treesacacia and baobab as well as thornbushesand tall grasses. The bushveld is one of the most mineralrich regions of the world. Author links open overlay panel armin zeh a maria ovtcharova b allan h. The bushveld complex, as exposed at current levels of erosion, consists of eastern, western and northern limbs, see figure 1, and is some seven to nine.
This is due to the bushveld igneous complex, an extremely rich saucershaped geological formation that stretches over more than 50,000 square kilometers. Banding exists on several scales, and is preserved down to submillimetre scale. 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 master of science. The bushveld igneous complex johnson matthey technology. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the content is accurate, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the data shown. The bushveld complex was emplaced and cooled in less than one million. However, a large part of the complex is actually covered by younger deposits, and the actual outcrop of mafic rocks has a complex. Please send us a message by completing the form below and well get back to you, asap. Bushveld complex deposits of platinum and chromites, situated in transvaal province of the republic of south africa, on the territory of the districts of. The bushveld complex is dominated by orthopyroxene and plagioclasebearing rocks, and so here i use the concentration of cr and sr in these cumulus phases as constraints on the compositions of magmas proposed as parental to various parts of the succession.
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. However, the flatreef, located downdip of the platreef, is relatively less contaminated and offers an. It has been considered an intrusive equivalent of a continental flood basalt province, and inferred to be related to a mantle plume hatton, 1995. The formation of the platreef in the northern limb of the bushveld complex remains unresolved, as does the stratigraphic correlation of the northern limb to that in the wider bushveld complex.
This is the preface to a special issue on various aspects of the bushveld complex, transvaal basin, south africa. The bushveld complex is the largest known layered intrusion on earth, with an outcrop area of over 29450 km. Hence, the last magmas were trapped within the intrusion. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The bushveld complex, a product of interaction among magmas derived from a mantle plume c. The lower critical zone of the eastern bushveld complex extends from the olifants river to the steelpoort river fig. The bushveld complex of south africa is a large layered intrusive suite of cumulate rocks for which the parental magma is not directly obtainable. Darker layers originally more clayrich, paler layers originally of silt or fine sand. Geological setting university of the witwatersrand.
Rustenberg layered suite of the bushveld complex, south africa. The merensky reef mr of the bushveld complex is known for containing the lions share of the worlds reserves of platinum group elements. The complex includes the merensky reef, which is the worlds biggest source of platinum as well as platinumgroup metals. It has been tilted and eroded forming the outcrops around what appears to be the edge of a great geological basin. This article describes the geological and economic aspects of this unusually interesting formation. Through bushveld energy, the companys energy storage. Bushveld definition is veld of southern africa with abundant shrubby and often thorny vegetation. Jock of the bushveld by percy fitzpatrick free ebook. The bushveld complex is one of the few large layered intrusions in which the entire cumulate stratigraphy is preserved and wellexposed from its base to its roof. The content only conveys the personal opinions of our contributors.
Bushveld complex bc 300km east west synclinal basin containing vast quantities of pgms and chromite. Compressive deformation in the floor rocks to the bushveld complex. The tool offers desktop and onthego access to south africas historical pgm production data and metal ratios whilst contextualising the countrys mines, boundaries and processing routes. This is of concern because new geochronological data show that the rustenburg layered suite of the bushveld. The wbjv property is located on the south western limb of the bushveld igneous complex bic, 110km westnorthwest of pretoria and 120km from johannesburg. 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 northnorthwestsouthsoutheast striking rustenburg fault zone in the western transvaal basin, south africa, has been extensively mapped in order to. The complex consists essentially of five adjoining, basinshaped masses of igneousrocks. Subdivision and chronological framework of the bushveld complex advertisement. Formation of bifurcating chromitite layers of the ug1 in. The bushveld complex, a product of interaction among magmas. The bushveld complex formed by the crystallization of successive injections of magma, which were. If you are looking for bushveld holiday accommodation, safarinow has a selection of selfcatering, lodge, guest house holiday accommodation in bushveld and surrounds. The book tells of fitzpatricks travels with his dog, jock, during the 1880s.
Farming edit 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. Bushveld chromitites the bushveld chromitites occur in the critical zone, a stratigraphic interval that in the central sector of the eastern bushveld is about 800 m thick and has been documented in the classic works of cameron cameron. High underground temperatures reduce labour productivity, the highest cost element of mining. Bushveld definition of bushveld by the free dictionary. The bushveld complex in the context of thethe bushveld. Pdf geoheritage of the eastern limb of the bushveld. Cumulus crystals in certain rocks of the transition and critical zones of the eastern. The bushveld 2nd ed a south african field guide, including the kruger lowveld kindle edition by gutteridge, lee. The bushveld complex, as exposed at cur rent levels of erosion, consists eastern, western and northern limbs, see figure 1, and is some.
Higher underground thermal gradient than the goldbearing witwatersrand basin, requiring refrigeration for underground mines deeper than 700 metres. Despite this unique feature, relatively little is known about the nature of magmatic differentiation in. Evolution of the lower critical zone, central sector. Aug 02, 2011 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. An explanation has been deduced for bifurcations of chromitite layers and other features frequently found in exposures of the ug1 and its footwall. There are enough platinum group element deposits in the bushveld complex in south africa to supply world demands for many decades or even a century. This is the central sector of the complex, having a strike length of approxi mately 80 kin. Hatton anglo american research laboratories pty ltd. The bushveld complex was emplaced and cooled in less than. The zonal nomenclature of the bushveld complex relegated to informal status by the south african committee for stratigraphy 1980, is reinstated and redefined using a hierarchy of zones, subzones. It contains many magmatic ores, pegmatitic and hydrothermal ore deposits and has metamorphosed the floor rocks of the intrusive. Centred in limpopo province, south africa, it extends into northern kwazulunatal province, swaziland, mozambique, zimbabwe, and botswana.
The outline of the whole mass is accordingly lobulate. A simplified geological map of the bushveld complex. The bushveld 2nd ed a south african field guide, including. To evaluate this and other genetic hypotheses to explain the chromitite layers of the bushveld complex, we have. The bushveld complex crops out in the northern part of south africa, in the provinces of northwest, limpopo and mpumalanga. Bushveld igneous complex article about bushveld igneous. 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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The bushveld perspective holds no responsibility for your investment decisions and information written should not be relied upon in completing specific transactions. The bushveld igneous complex bic is the largest layered igneous intrusion within the earths crust. 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.
Bushveld complex geological formation, south africa. It lies almost entirely within the bounds of the transvaal sedimentary basin with both the intrusion and the sedimentary rocks possibly forming. Jock of the bushveld is a true story by south african author sir percy fitzpatrick when he worked as a storeman, prospectors assistant, journalist and oxwagon transportrider. Bushveld complex article about bushveld complex by the. Bushveld, natural region in southern africa, at an elevation of about 2,5004,000 feet 8001,200 metres. The bushveld complex welcome to the 2012 bushveld resource, a pgm asset mapping tool based on sfa oxfords signature analysis. The platinum and palladium resources of the bushveld complex article pdf available in south african journal of science 9511. The ins and outs of the bushveld complex upper zone. Bushveld minerals is a lowcost, vertically integrated primary vanadium producer with a diversified vanadium product portfolio, currently supplying approximately 3,000 mtvp. Assimilation of dolomite by bushveld magmas in the. This formation contains most of the worlds reserves of minerals such as andalusite, chromium, fluorspar, platinum and vanadium.
Bushveld complex bc sedibelo platinum mines limited. It is approximately 2 billion years old and is divided into four different limbs. Emplacement and crystallization time for the bushveld complex. Reference rustenberg layered suite of the bushveld complex.
Bushveld complex article about bushveld complex by the free. The geology of the bushveld igneous complex, the largest. This dissertation is an investigation into the geochemical and geodynamic evolution of the upper zone of the bushveld complex. This is largely due to intense contamination by country rocks modifying the stratigraphy.
Pdf origin of the ug2 chromitite layer, bushveld complex. Formation of transgressive anorthosite seams in the bushveld. Bushveld, afrikaans bosveld, natural region in southern africa, at an elevation of about 2,5004,000 feet 8001,200 metres. The eastern limb of the bushveld igneous complex outcrops in the middleveld, a localized physiographic region of northeastern south africa associated with. The residual or roof zone of the bushveld complex, south africa.
The bushveld complex is a 65,000 km2 layered intrusive. They recognized the problems of distinguishing chills to the intrusion from associated sills, and debated whether either could be representative of the parent magma. The bushveld complex was emplaced and cooled in less than one. With 361 listings in bushveld, our handy bushveld map search and great low prices, its easy to book the perfect holiday accommodation for your bushveld visit. The chromites of the bushveld complex in the nietverdiend. The duration of continental flood basaltic magmatism may be of the order of several million years.
Platinumgroup elements in the upper zone of the rustenburg. In particular, dwars river in the eastern bushveld is well known for the intimate association of chromitite and anorthosite layers. It lies almost entirely within the bounds of the transvaal. Pdf the zonal nomenclature of the bushveld complex relegated to informal status by the south african committee for stratigraphy 1980, is reinstated. They are characterized by a raised ferriferousness of the chrome spinels. Bushveld complex in part were free to enlarge after settling, in part were.
Pmas 100% owned tenements cover areas of one of the worlds largest known layered mafic intrusions, the windimurra complex, which is a close model of south africas mineralrich bushveld igneous complex bic, the worlds dominant source of platinum group metals pgm. We also have some great special accommodation deals in. The bushveld complex bc is a large layered intrusion, emplaced into a stable cratonic setting. Zone in the central sector of the eastern complex and discusses the origin of the chromite deposits. The floor of this part of the bushveld complex is undulous with two approximately northsouthtrending structures composed of metasedimentary rocks flanking the lower and critical zones. The bushveld complex was emplaced and cooled in less than one million years results of zirconology, and geotectonic implications. Construction expos in south africa recommended for you. Inset maps show the location of the bushveld complex in south africa and the entire bushveld complex. In the geology, geochemistry, mineralogy and mineral beneficiation of platinumgroup elements. Pdf the platinum and palladium resources of the bushveld. The bushveld complex underlies an area of about 50,000 square km 20,000 square miles. 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. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the bushveld 2nd ed a south african field guide, including the kruger lowveld.
Continental mantle signature of bushveld magmas and coeval. 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 bushveld complex is the worlds largest layered intrusion, and because of its unique character most other layered intrusions are compared with it. The complex is made up of ultramafic to felsic igneous rocks and formed by repeated injection of magma into an enormous chamber. 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.