The Bushveld Complex is situated in the central Transvaal, South Africa, and covers an area of 67,000 km2 of which about one-third is concealed by younger formations (Fig. 1). It consists of a large variety of extrusive, intrusive, and metamorphic rocks, the basic stratified portion of which constitutes the largest layered intrusion of its kind in the world. This suite of igneous rocks was emplaced in the following chronological order: (1) volcanic products preceding the emplacement of the hypabyssal and plutonic rocks; (2) basic sheets injected into the sedimentary country rocks; (3) the Rustenburg Layered Suite represented by the layered sequence of ultrabasic, basic, and intermediate rocks; and (4) a later plutonic phase represented by the Bushveld granite.
Generalized geological map of the Bushveld Complex. (After Willemse, 1969.)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
*More detailed reviews and additional references may be found in these works.
Bibliography
Cameron, E. N., 1971, Problems of the eastern Bushveld Complex, Fortschr. Mineral. 48, 86–108.
Cameron, E. N., 1978, The lower zone of the eastern Bushveld Complex in the Olifants River Trough. J. Petrol. 19, 437–462.
Cawthorn, R. G. and G. Davies, 1983, Experimental data at 3 kbars pressure on the parental magmas to the Bushveld Complex, Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 83, 128–135.
Hall, A. L., 1932, The Bushveld Igneous Complex of the Central Transvaal, Mem. Geol. Surv. S. Afr. 28.
Irvine, T. N. and M. R. Sharpe, 1982, Source-rock compositions and depths of origin of Bushveld and Stillwater magmas, Ann. Rep. Geophys. Lab. Carnegie Inst. Washington 81, 294–303.
Irvine, T. N., D. W. Keith, and S. G. Todd, 1983, The J-M platinum-palladium reef of the Stillwater Complex, Montana: II: origin by double-diffusive convective magma mixing and implications for the Bushveld Complex, Econ. Geol. 78, 1287–1334.
Sharpe, M. R., 1984, Petrography, classification and chronology of mafic sill intrusions beneath the eastern Bushveld Complex, Bull. Geol. Surv. S. Afr. 77.
Sharpe, M. R. and T. N. Irvine, 1983, Melting relations of two Bushveld chilled margin rocks and implications for the origin of chromitite, Ann. Rep. Geophys. Lab. Carnegie Inst. Washington 83, 295–300.
Twist, D. and B. M. French, 1984, Voluminous acid volcanism in the Bushveld Complex: a review of the Rooiberg Felsite, Bull. Volcanol. 46, 225–242.
Vermaak, C. F., 1976, The Merensky Reef—thoughts on its environment and genesis, Econ. Geol. 71, 1270–1298.
Visser, D. J. L. and G. von Gruenewaldt, eds., 1970, Symposium on the Bushveld Igneous Complex and Other Layered Intrusions, Spec. Publ. Geol. Soc. S. Afr. 1.
von Gruenewaldt, G., 1972, The origin of the roof-rocks of the Bushveld Complex between Tauteshoogte and Paardekop in the Eastern Transvaal, Trans. Geol. Soc. S. Afr. 75, 121–134.
von Gruenewaldt, G., 1979, A review of some recent concepts of the Bushveld Complex, with particular reference to sulfide mineralization, Can. Mineral. 17, 233–256.
Wager, L. R. and G. M. Brown, 1968, Layered Igneous Rocks. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
Willemse, J., 1969, The geology of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, the largest repository of magmatic ore deposits in the world, Monogr. Econ. Geol. 4, 1–22.
Cross-references
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1989 Van Nostrand Reinhold
About this entry
Cite this entry
Von Gruenewaldt, G. (1989). Bushveld complex . In: Petrology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30845-8_32
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30845-8_32
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-442-20623-9
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30845-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive