US- South Africa Planning Visit: Developing a Project on the Genesis of the Platreef Mineralized Zone

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

This planning visit award will enable the PI, two colleagues, and a graduate student to work with several South African scientists from the University of the Witwatersrand and from Potgietersrust Platinums Limited (PPL), conducting field work in South Africa and finalizing plans for a collaborative research project. The aim of the project is to understand the origin of the Platreef, which is the most significant platinum deposit in the Bushveld Complex, the world.s largest and most mineralized igneous intrusion. The transgressive base of the Bushveld Complex crosses metapelites, metacarbonates and basement granites, and thus affords an opportunity to investigate not only the different response of these host rock units to metamorphism and melting, but also differences in Platreef mineralization related to contamination from the different host rocks. We postulate that the contamination in the Platreef is a consequence of partial melting in the aureole rocks, and that the fugitive melt was the principal contaminant. However, whether the melt is derived from the basement granites or the metapelites is unknown, although a basement granite source has been previously suggested. In addition to prograde contamination from aureole rocks, there is the issue of retrograde redistribution involving a volatile phase, which is not adequately understood. This project will help support the development of an international research collaboration and will provide international research experience for the graduate student.