2 billion years ago the Bushveld Complex—which is one of the largest differentiated igneous bodies on Earth, containing major deposits of platinum, chromium, and vanadium—was emplaced in the northern Kaapvaal craton.
Where in the Bushveld Igneous Complex is platinum found?
In South Africa platinum occurs chiefly in the Merensky Reef, which itself forms part of the Bushveld igneous complex, an irregular oval area of some 15,000 square miles occupying a roughly central position in the province of the Transvaal.
What is mined in the Bushveld Complex?
About 70 percent of the world’s platinum is mined in the Bushveld Igneous Complex in South Africa—a geological formation roughly the same size as West Virginia. The Bushveld also supplies significant quantities of palladium, rhodium, chromium, and vanadium.
Why is the Bushveld Complex important?
The complex is well known for its chromitite reef deposits, particularly the Merensky reef and the UG-2 reef. It represents about 75 percent of the world’s platinum and about 50 percent of the world’s palladium resources.
How did the Stillwater Complex form?
Geology. The Stillwater complex is a large layered intrusion with many similarities to the Bushveld igneous complex of South Africa. … The region had a quartz monzonite intrusion and underwent extensive metamorphism, faulting and folding during the Archean at about 2500 Mya.
Is platinum an element?
Platinum (Pt), chemical element, the best known and most widely used of the six platinum metals of Groups 8–10, Periods 5 and 6, of the periodic table. A very heavy, precious, silver-white metal, platinum is soft and ductile and has a high melting point and good resistance to corrosion and chemical attack.
How old is the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe?
The Great Dyke of Zimbabwe is a layered mafic intrusion of igneous, metal-bearing rock that has been dated to approximately 2.5 billion years old. The dyke (or dike in American English) intrudes through the even older rocks of African craton, the core of oldest rocks forming the continent of Africa.
How is a Lopolith formed?
Formation of Lopolith
Lopolith, lenticular in shape, is igneous intrusion with a depressed central region. This mass of igneous rock developed as an attribute to magma do not find its way to the surface but spread laterally into a lenticular body forcing overlying strata to bulge upwards.
Where is the Bushveld?
Bushveld, Afrikaans Bosveld, natural region in southern Africa, at an elevation of about 2,500–4,000 feet (800–1,200 metres). Centred in Limpopo province, South Africa, it extends into northern KwaZulu-Natal province, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
What is UG2 ore?
The Merensky Reef is a layer of igneous rock in the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) in the North West, Limpopo, Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa which together with an underlying layer, the Upper Group 2 Reef (UG2), contains most of the world’s known reserves of platinum group metals (PGMs) or platinum …
Where is the Lowveld in South Africa?
The Lowveld is situated in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Mpumalanga means ‘place where the sun rises’ and this is well suited, as Mpumalanga is South Africa’s eastern most province. Nelspruit is the provincial capital and it serves as a gateway to the Lowveld.
What is Lapolith in geography?
Lopolith, igneous intrusion associated with a structural basin, with contacts that are parallel to the bedding of the enclosing rocks. In an ideal example, the enclosing sediments above and below the lopolith dip inward from all sides toward the centre, so that the lopolith is concave upward.
How do layered mafic intrusions form?
The causes of layering in large ultramafic intrusions include convection, thermal diffusion, settling of phenocrysts, assimilation of wall rocks and fractional crystallization.
In which provinces is the Bushveld Complex?
It encompasses most of Limpopo Province and a small part of the North West Province of South Africa, the Central and North-East Districts of Botswana and the Matabeleland South and part of the Matabeleland North provinces of Zimbabwe. Kruger National Park in South Africa has a number of ‘Bushveld’ camps.
Where is gold found in Zimbabwe?
More than 90% of gold deposits in Zimbabwe are associated with greenstone belts which are some of the richest in the world. Other gold deposits occur in the Limpopo Mobile Belt in the south of the country and in the Proterozoic Piriwiri rocks in the North Western part of the country.
Where does the Great Dyke start?
The Great Dyke is a linear geological feature that trends nearly north-south through the centre of Zimbabwe passing just to the west of the capital, Harare.
What minerals are in Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe’s top minerals include gold, platinum, chrome, coal, diamonds, and lithium.
Is platinum better than gold?
Gold: Strength and Durability. While both precious metals are strong, platinum is more durable than gold. Its high density and chemical composition make it less likely to break than gold, so it lasts longer. … Despite being stronger, platinum is also softer than 14k gold.
Is platinum better than diamond?
And for a ring that is symbolic of commitment and longevity, there is no better pairing than one made from two of the strongest and most radiant materials: platinum and diamond. … Platinum is stronger, more durable and more likely to last a lifetime.
What are the dangers of platinum?
Other Long-Term Effects
* Platinum may cause a skin allergy. If allergy develops, very low future exposure can cause itching and a skin rash. * Platinum may cause an asthma-like allergy. Future exposure can cause asthma attacks with shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, and/or chest tightness.
What is cryptic layering?
Cryptic Layering (not obvious to the eye): Systematic variation in the chemical. composition of cumulus minerals (pyroxenes, olivines, plagioclase feldspars) with stratigraphic height in a layered sequence. Rhythmic layering: Layering pattern is repeated.
What is meant by an intrusion of igneous rock?
An intrusion is a body of igneous (created under intense heat) rock that has crystallized from molten magma. Gravity influences the placement of igneous rocks because it acts on the density differences between the magma and the surrounding wall rocks (country or local rocks).