Discordant bodies of postcumulis, ultramafic rock in the upper critical zone of the Bushveld complex : iron-rich ultramafic pegmatite bodies at Amandelbult and the Driekop platiniferous ultramafic pipe

Abstract

From the abstract: In the layered sequence of the Bushveld Complex a number of distinct, but possibly genetically related groups of transgressive, postcumulus, ultramafic and mafic rock are recognised. The main part of this thesis investigates a suite of postcumulus rocks for which the name iron-rich ultramafic pegmatite is proposed. The majority of iron-rich ultramafic pegmatite bodies examined are from the upper critical zone of the layered sequence at Rustenburg Platinum Mines Amandelbult Section, in the northern sector of the western Bushveld Complex. Field relationships imply that the iron-rich ultramafic pegmatites should be considered as an integral feature of the layered sequence, even though they transgress the cumulates. Consequently, this thesis also includes a study of the cumulate sequence at Amandelbult. A second group of postcumulus, ultramafic rocks which is investigated comprises latiniferous ultramafic pipes; the Driekop pipe has been selected as a case­ study. This thesis is presented in four sections, namely, an introduction and verview, and studies on the Driekop pipe, the cumulate sequence at mandelbult and the iron-rich ultramafic pegmatite suite. A new classification scheme of discordant bodies of postcumulus, ultramafic rock in he Bushveld Complex is proposed (see also Viljoen & Scoon, in press). In he scheme presented here, two main varieties of postcumulus, ultramafic rock re recognised, namely, non-platiniferous magnesian dunites and iron-rich ltramafic pegmatites.