Excursions
Coordinators: Dr H van Niekerk (UJ) (email: hermansvn@uj.ac.za) & Mr B Smith (UJ) (email:bertuss@uj.ac.za)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
1) Delegates registered for the following excursions must proceed with payment of their fees. Deadline 10th/Nov/2010.
Payment procedure is the same as for registration for scientific program.
Excursion 1: The Limpopo Mobile Belt of Southern Africa:
Excursion 2: The Eastern part Bushveld Igneous Complex:
Excursion 3: The Barberton granitoid-greenstone terrain and Ancient Gneiss Complex in South Africa and Swaziland
Excursion 4: Pilanesberg Alkaline Complex
Excursion 7: Vredefort Dome - part of a meteorite impact site
Excursion 10: visit to Mponeng Gold Mine
2) Registration for the two following excursions (planned for the 12/01/2011) is open untill the 09th of January 2011. Please contact Dr H van Niekerk (hermansvn@uj.ac.za) (cag23@uj.ac.za) directly if you wish to register.
Excursion 5: Johannesburg Geological Museum
Excursion 6: Meso- to NeoArchean granite Greenstone Terrain of the Johannesburg Dome:
3) The following excursion becomes part of the scientific program. Please contact Dr Dr H van Niekerk (hermansvn@uj.ac.za) (cag23@uj.ac.za) directly if you wish to register.
Excursion 9: Cradle of Humankind, Sterkfontein and Maropeng.
I- LONG EXCURSIONS (POST CAG23)
Excursion 1: The Limpopo Mobile Belt of Southern Africa:
The classic Limpopo Mobile Belt high-grade terrain has been studied for the last 25 years in great detail by many researchers. The Department of Geology at the University of Johannesburg has always been the frontrunner in this research. We will visit classic outcrops in the Southern marginal Zone of the Limpopo belt, including high and low temperature shear zones, type localities for mafic and metapelitic granulites, high-temperature metasomatised granitic rocks, charnockites, etc. We might also visit some localities in the Central Zone of the belt.
Dates: 15 to 19th of January 2011
Duration: 4-5 days
Costs: Approximately R5500, including transport from Johannesburg and back, accommodation for three nights, breakfast, lunch and supper.
Min/Max Number of Participants: 10/20
Leader: Prof Jan-Marten Huizenga (UNW).
Email: Jan.Huizenga@nwu.ac.za
Co-leaders: Profs D. van Reenen . A. Smit
Excursion 2: The eastern part Bushveld Igneous Complex:
The itinerary will include:
- a stop at the basal contact of the Bushveld Complex
- traverse through part of the Lower Zone into the lower Critical Zone with LG and MG chromitites on the farm Jagdlust.
- traverse from the UG 1 to UG2 on Maandagshoek
- underground mine visit
- surface visit to the Merenky reef
- traverse through the MG chromitites south of the Steelpoort Fault to contrast with those north of the Steelpoort Fault
- visit to the Dwars River geological heritage site to look at bifurcating chromitite layers
- short traverse to look at discordant ultramafic pipes,
- stop to look at layering in the Main Zone.
Dates: 15 to 19 January 2011
Duration: 4 -5 days
Costs: R4500
Minim/Max Number of Participants: 10/20
Leader: Prof Chris Gauert. (University of the Free State)
Further details can be obtained by contacting Chris Gauert at: GauertCDK@ufs.ac.za
 
Bushveld layered intrusion (photograph H. Mouri)
Excursion 3: The Barberton granitoid-greenstone terrain and Ancient Gneiss Complex in South Africa and Swaziland
 The Barberton granitoid-greenstone terrain and Ancient Gneiss Complex in South Africa and Swaziland represent classic Archaean geological sites in which to study the nature and processes of early Earth history. Many issues pertaining to Archaean geology, such as crust-forming processes, geodynamics, Archaean atmosphere and seawater composition and the origin of life, have been or are extensively studied in these terrains. The excursion route for this trip covers prime exposures where the aforementioned main issues can be examined.
Dates: 15 to 19th of January 2011
Duration: 5 days
Costs: Approximately R5500, including transport from Johannesburg and back, accommodation for four nights, breakfast, lunch, supper.
Minim/Max Number of Participants: 10/18
Transport: in minivans, experienced drivers wanted
Leaders: Axel Hofmann (ahofmann@uj.ac.za) Alfred Kröner
Preliminary Itinerary
Saturday 15 January:
Departure from Johannesburg at 8 am
Route Johannesburg - Badplaas - Tjakastad - Badplaas (c. 350 km)
Stay in Forever Resort Badplaas
Stop 1.1 Tjakastad water reservoir and stream section
Overview of the geology of the Onverwacht Group
3.5 Ga volcano-sedimentary sequence of the Theespruit Formation
Stop 1.2 Komati Formation at Spinifex Stream
Evening lecture: Overview of the geology and tectonic evolution of the Barberton greenstone belt; aspects on surface processes in the Archaean
Sunday 16 January
Route Badplaas – Tjakastad - Songimvelo Nature Reserve (Kromdraai Camp) - Badplaas (c. 110 km), Overnight in Forever Resort Badplaas
Stop 2.1 Komati River section, Songimvelo Nature Reserve
3.4 -3.3 Ga clastic sedimentary rocks, carbonaceous cherts and basalts of the Hooggenoeg and Kromberg Formations
Stop 2.2 3.5 Ga Steynsdorp Pluton and Theespruit Fm
Monday 17 January
Route Badplaas - Msauli - Josefsdal - Piggs Peak (c. 120 km), Overnight Piggs Peak
Stop 3.1 Josefsdal Farm, silicified basalt and chert of the Kromberg and Mendon Formations
Stop 3.2 Manzimnyama Jaspilite
Jaspilitic banded iron formation of the 3.2 Ga Fig Tree Group
Stop 3.3 Barite Valley Syncline
Barite, impact spherule layers, bedded cherts and chert dykes, contact between the Mendon Formation (Onverwacht Group) and the Fig Tree Group
Evening lecture: The Ancient Gneiss Complex in Swaziland; aspects on geodynamic processes in the Archaean
Tuesday 18 January
Various outcrops of Ancient Gneiss Complex in Swaziland
Wednesday 19 January
Return to Johannesburg for arrival in the afternoon (5 pm)
View of the Komati River Valley exposing rocks of the 3.5 Ga Theespruit and Komati Formations. Photo: A. Hofman
General view of the mountains (Photo. H. Mouri)
II- Short duration Excursions (Pre-CAG23)
Pre-CAG- Excursion 4: Pilanesberg Alkaline Complex
The rocks of the Pilanesberg Alkaline Complex lie inside a national park (with lions). A Game Ranger will accompany the group, and localities to be visited will be limited to roadside occurrences for safety reasons.
Day 1: Depart Johannesburg and drive to Pilanesberg (2.30 hours). Visit geological localities in Pilanesberg showing assorted types of syenite and foyaite and volcanic succession. Overnight in local hotel in Rustenburg.
Day 2: Game drive through Pilanesberg until lunchtime. Return to Johannesburg for the conference ice breaker.
Dates: 8 to 9 January 2011
Duration: 2 days
Costs: R2000
Min/Max Number of Participants: 10/20
Further details can be obtained by contacting the excursion leader Prof Grant Cawthorn (University of the Witwatersrand) at: Grant.Cawthorn@wits.ac.za
Attempts were made to quarry this red syenite (left) for facing stone, but the decomposition of chlorite (that replaced mica) caused rapid deterioration of the polished surface.
Vertical alignment of sanidine phenocrysts in tinguaite dyke (fine-grained matrix of nepheline and aegirine).
III- Short duration Excursions (Mid-CAG)
Mid-CAG23- Excursion 5: The Johannesburg Geological Museum
Dates: 12th of January 2011, Depart from Hotel at 09.00H, Return to Hotels approximately 13.00H
Duration: half day
Costs: R180
Max Number of Participants: 30
Excursion leaders: Bruce Cairncross (UJ) and Katherine James (curator). Further information can be obtained from Prof Bruce Cairncross Email: brucec@uj.ac.za
Mid-CAG23- Excursion 6: Meso- to NeoArchean granite Greenstone Terrain of the Johannesburg Dome:
The excursion is designed to show the various Archaean granitoid rocks on the Johannesburg Dome as well as some of the older greenstone remnants preserved in places. The granitoid rocks, which include c. 3340 Ma trondhjemitic gneisses and migmatites, c. 3200 Ma tonalitic gneisses, and c. 3120 – 3000 Ma granodiorites and pegmatites, intrude the greenstone remnants. These remnants, in turn, consist of serpentinized mafic and ultramafic complexes (dunite, pyroxenite, gabbro) and extrusive volcanic successions comprising pillowed and massive komatiitic basalt with komatiite interlayers. Processes involving granite-greenstone assimilation and hybridization will be demonstrated and aspects of the structural history of the Dome will be shown
Attached is a photograph showing ~ 340 million years of geological history in a single exposure on the farm Nooitgedacht near Lanseria, northwest of Johannesburg.
Dates: 12th of January 2011
Duration: 1 day
Costs: R400
Minim/Max Number of Participants: 10/20
Further details can be obtained from the Excursion leader: Prof Carl Anhaeusser (University of the Witwatersrand) at carl.anhaeusser@wits.ac.za
Mid-CAG23- Excursion 7: Vredefort Dome - part of a meteorite impact site
The Vredefort Dome forms the inner part of the larger Vredefort meteorite impact structure. The impact structure is currently seen as the oldest and largest impact structure of its kind on Earth. We will visit several outcrops showing different impact structures, such as the shattercones, pseuodtachylite, impact melt – the basic granophyre, and overturned and faulted rocks in the rim as well as the core of the Dome.
Date: 12th January 2011
Duration: 1 day
Costs: R750
Minim/Max Number of participants: 10/20
Excursion Leaders: Prof Marthie Coetzee, Prof Marain Tredoux, and Mr Cobus Jansen van Rensburg.
Further information can be obtained from M. Coetzee at:
Marthie.Coetzee@nwu.ac.za
 
Left: Photograph showing the well-known occurrence of massive pseudotachylite in the Leeukop Quarry north of Parys (M. Coetzee).
Right: Photograph showing the Vredefort Dome: view of the upturned and faulted Hospital Hill quartzite from Steenkampsberg towards the northeast. (Photo M. Brink).
Mid-CAG23 Excursion 8: Tswaing Meteorite Impact Crater
The 0.2 Ma Tswaing Crater is one of the world’s best-preserved, simple, bowl-shaped impact craters. It is located in the granitic rocks of the Bushveld Complex some 40 kilometres north-west of Pretoria. The near-circular structure has a 1.13 km rim-to-rim diameter with a maximum rim elevation of 60 m above the surrounding plains and a maximum elevation of 119 m above the crater floor. The crater was originally believed to represent the remains of an extinct volcano, however, in 1990 distinctive evidence for it representing a meteorite impact site was discovered in a borehole core drilled into the crater floor. Visitors to the Tswaing impact crater will have the opportunity of studying the ejecta breccia and other large-scale deformation effects on a walk through the crater. There is also an informative museum on site that explains impact cratering as a geological process. The crater receives its popular name of Tswaing (Sotho for ‘place of salt’) from the alkaline salty ground waters that have produced a soda lake occupying the centre of the crater. It was used as a source of salt for humans and animals in the past, and in the early 20th Century there was intensive soda ash (trona) mining that has left distinctive traces.
Dates: 12th of January 2011
Duration: 1 day
Costs: R550.
Minim/Max Number of participants: 10/20
Leader: Mary Evans, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand.
Email: mary.evans@wits.ac.za
 
General view of the Tswaing Meteorite Impact Crater (photo H. Mouri)
Mid-CAG23 Excursion -9: Cradle of Humankind, Sterkfontein and Maropeng.
Johannesburg's earliest residents occupied the area some 3 million years ago! The Cradle of Humankind is located approximately 40-50 km NW of Johannesburg and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999, in recognition of the wealth of Hominine fossils discovered in caves in the Transvaal dolomites. If you would like to know more, come and join us for this very exciting excursion.
Dates: 12th of January 2011
Duration: 1 day
Costs: R550.
Minim/Max Number of participants: 10/20
Leader: to be announced
 
www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/south_africa
Photograph showing the Australopithecus africanus Mrs Ples, Sterkfontein's Cave (Dr I. McKay)
Mid-CAG23 Excursion -9 (Mine visit): AngloGold-Ashanti has given their support for one day long mine visit to the West Wits area, Mponeng Gold Mine.
Date of the visit: 12/01/2011.
Further information on the mine can be found at the following URL.
http://www.anglogold.co.za/subwebs/VirtualTour/ipix.asp?tour=01
http://www.basf-cc.co.za/en/news/Pages/MponengMine.aspx
Further information about the visit can be obtained by contacting Bertus Smith by email at: bertuss@uj.ac.za
|
