Chromitite layers occur frequently within the critical zone of the bushveld complex. The middle part of the early proterozoic was dominated by powerful orogenic. Space images bushveld igneous complex, south africa. The complex consists essentially of five adjoining, basinshaped masses of igneousrocks. 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. 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. 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 largest maficultramafic layered intrusion on earth and encompasses about a million cubic kilometres of igneous rocks that were emplaced into the upper crust 2a05. North west, gauteng, for the western limb and limpopo and mpumalanga for the eastern limb. University of pretoria, 1976 bushveld complex south africa 210 pages. It has been tilted and eroded forming the outcrops around. Upb geochronology documents outofsequence emplacement. The bushveld igneous complex bic is the largest layered igneous intrusion within the earths crust. The bushveld complex, a product of interaction among magmas.
In particular, dwars river in the eastern bushveld is well known for the intimate association of chromitite and anorthosite layers. Bushveld igneous complex article about bushveld igneous. Platinum group elements in stream sediments of mining. The bushveld complex in the context of thethe bushveld. Origin by doublediffusive magma mixing and applications for the bushveld complex.
Here, we present a study on the occurrence of pt in the vicinity of mines in the bic. It is approximately 2 billion years old and is divided into four different limbs. Geoheritage of the eastern limb of the bushveld igneous complex. Bushveld definition of bushveld by the free dictionary. May 2005 lip of the month large igneous provinces commission. Formation of bifurcating chromitite layers of the ug1 in the. Geoheritage of the eastern limb of the bushveld igneous complex, south africa.
These layered intrusions consist of rocks which cooled slowly from molten magma, deep within the earth. High underground temperatures reduce labour productivity, the highest cost element of mining. 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 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 wbjv property is located on the south western limb of the bushveld igneous complex bic, 110km westnorthwest of pretoria and 120km from johannesburg. Apr 11, 20 5 years to complete sinking the shafts at the new bakubung platinum mine big construction project duration. Construction expos in south africa recommended for you. On the relationship between the bushveld complex and its. Dec 01, 2004 chromitite layers occur frequently within the critical zone of the bushveld complex. The bushveld igneous complex johnson matthey technology. Upb geochronology documents outofsequence emplacement of. Bushveld complex bc sedibelo platinum mines limited. Bushveld complex geological formation, south africa. Anthropogenic platinum enrichment in the vicinity of mines. Overview of the palaeoproterozoic bushveld igneous province. Formation of bifurcating chromitite layers of the ug1 in. Location and simplified geological map of the bushveld igneous complex rustenburg.
The bushveld igneous complex 1983 release info imdb. 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. Download fulltext pdf the stratigraphy of the bushveld complex. It looks like we dont have any akas for this title yet. South africa is the worlds top producer of platinum, used in everything from jewelry to catalytic converters. 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 geology of the bushveld igneous complex, the largest. Vanadium and tibearing magnetite layers, which occur throughout the entire upper zone of the intrusion, have formed in response to magma mixing events. Little attention has been paid to the environmental impacts of mining in the region despite the extent of mining activities.
The significance of magmatic erosion for bifurcation of ug1. 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. They are characterized by a raised ferriferousness of the chrome spinels. Hatton anglo american research laboratories pty ltd. Bushveld complex deposits of platinum and chromites, situated in transvaal province of the republic of south africa, on the territory of the districts of. Pdf geoheritage of the eastern limb of the bushveld igneous. The complex includes the merensky reef, which is the worlds biggest source of platinum as well as platinumgroup metals. Bushveld complex bc 300km east west synclinal basin containing vast quantities of pgms and chromite. Bushveld igneous complex archives state of the planet.
Numerous mines, tailings piles, and leach ponds are shown in blue. Pdf the eastern limb of the bushveld igneous complex outcrops in the middleveld, a localized physiographic. South africa is the worlds single largest platinum pt producer owing to important resources in the bushveld igneous complex bic. Occurrence and petrological significance of graphite in the upper. The geology of the bushveld complex on the sekhukhune plateau, eastern transvaal. The complex consists essentially of five adjoining, basinshaped masses of igneous rocks. Molengraaff, henderson, kynaston, mellor, humphrey, hall, wagner, and du toit have published the results of study. 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. 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.
Characterisation of submicron particle number concentrations and. 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. The geology of the bushveld complex on the sekhukhune. Media in category bushveld igneous complex the following files are in this category, out of total. Large igneous intrusions layering is thought to represent an upwardaggrading crystal pile. An explanation has been deduced for bifurcations of chromitite layers and other features frequently found in exposures of the ug1 and its footwall.
The rustenburg layered suite of the enormous bushveld igneous complex of south africa has been presumed to have formed by deposition. The bushveld complex, a product of interaction among magmas derived from a mantle plume c. The geomorphological history of the bushveld basin gave rise to four discrete physiographic regions found in the study area. The geology is described briefly assuming familiarity on the part of the reader.
It has been considered an intrusive equivalent of a continental flood basalt province, and inferred to be related to a mantle plume hatton, 1995. Bushveld igneous complex of the transvaal gsa bulletin. This formation contains most of the worlds reserves of minerals such as andalusite, chromium, fluorspar, platinum and vanadium. Three pioneering geologists, arthur hall, hans merensky, and percy wagner, greatly advanced bushveld geology and were involved in the 1924. School of geosciences, university of the witwatersrand. Nov 14, 2016 large igneous intrusions layering is thought to represent an upwardaggrading crystal pile. An intrusive origin of some ug1 chromitite layers in the bushveld igneous complex, south africa. It has been tilted and eroded forming the outcrops around what appears to be the edge of a great geological basin. Higher underground thermal gradient than the goldbearing witwatersrand basin, requiring refrigeration for underground mines deeper than 700 metres. 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. 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. Platinumgroup elements in the upper zone of the rustenburg.
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. Is there some commonality between the geological structures in the bushveld complex and the great dyke. Platinumbearing chromite layers are caused by pressure. It lies almost entirely within the bounds of the transvaal. 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. Platinum group elements in stream sediments of mining zones. Hence, the last magmas were trapped within the intrusion. The bushveld complex bc is a large layered intrusion, emplaced into a stable cratonic setting. Just click the edit page button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the akas submission guide. The outline of the whole mass is accordingly lobulate. The residual or roof zone of the bushveld complex, south africa. Pdf this is the preface to a special issue on various aspects of the bushveld complex, transvaal basin, south africa. These are the bushveld complex in south africa, the stillwater complex in the u. Kinloch amplats research centre, po box 6540, homestead, 1412, south africa and c.
Novel hypothesis for origin of massive chromitites in the. Oreforming processes in the upper part of the bushveld complex. Platinumgroup elements in the upper zone of the rustenburg layered suite 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.
A geographical map of southern africa indicating the extent of the bushveld igneous complex bic, in grey. 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. Emplacement and crystallization time for the bushveld complex. The bushveld complex, a product of interaction among. In south africa, an enormous layered intrusion, containing over half the worlds platinum, chromium, vanadium, and refractory minerals. The hex river bushveld igneous complex, south africa author links open overlay panel clara. 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. 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.
Bushveld minerals is a lowcost, vertically integrated primary vanadium producer with a diversi. 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. 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. The significance of magmatic erosion for bifurcation of ug1 chromitite layers in the bushveld complex. Find out information about bushveld igneous complex. This is the preface to a special issue on various aspects of the bushveld complex, transvaal basin, south africa. Bushveld complex article about bushveld complex by the. Geology 314 accretion of the bushveld complex foreword. Lee amplats geological services, po box 62179, marshalltown, johannesburg, 2107, south africa. 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. This is due to the bushveld igneous complex, an extremely rich saucershaped geological formation that stretches over more than 50,000 square kilometers. Mineralogy of the middle group chromitite cumulates at the. Not the least of the finds is the amazing body of igneous rocks called the bushveld complex, in the transvaal.
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. Geological setting university of the witwatersrand. 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. Bushveld igneous complex, south africa aster image gallery. Zamani addmore dube 0303958g thesis submitted to the faculty of science, university of the witwatersrand johannesburg in. The complex is made up of ultramafic to felsic igneous rocks and formed by repeated injection of magma into an enormous chamber. The significance of magmatic erosion for bifurcation of.
Chromite chemistry of a massive chromitite seam in the. This article describes the geological and economic aspects of this unusually interesting formation. Bushveld complex article about bushveld complex by the free. Figure 1 simplified geological map of the bushveld large. 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. The bushveld is one of the most mineralrich regions of the world. 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.
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