New Words

• Protobasin
• Carbonate Platform
• Palaeolandscape
• Karst
• Palaeokarst
 Transvaal Supergroup
• Late Archaean to Proterozoic in age.
• Platform carbonate to terrigenous sediments.
• Sedimentation occurred in three structural
basins:
(1) Transvaal (South Africa)
(2) Griqualand West (South Africa)
(3) Kanye (Botswana)
 Transvaal Supergroup
• Correlation is possible between the three
basins.
• In this module, we will concentrate mainly on
the Transvaal Basin.
 The Protobasin
• Initially, sediments accumulated in hollows on
the underlying greenstones.
• These sediments cannot be correlated from
one basin to another.
• The most prominent group is the Wolkberg
Group.
 The Wolkberg Group
Largest protobasin
• Pre-Transvaal.
• Combination of fluvial sedimentation,
volcanism, deltaic, littoral and shelf
environment.
• Probably a closed (non-marine) basin.
 Other protobasins
(un-correlatable)
• Godwan Group (Mpumuglanga)
• Buffelsfontein Group (North West
 Black Reef Formation
• Represents initial fluvial sedimentation
followed by shallow- marine conditions as an
epeiric sea advanced onto Kaapvaal Consists
of mature quartz arenites.
• Forms a veneer of sandstone as a precursor to
the Chuniespoorts dolomites
• Lower succession fills in hollows in the
underlying rocks.
 Chuniespoort Group
(Ghaap Group)
• Represents a carbonate platform.
• Consists of a thick succession of stromatolitic
dolomite, capped with a BIF and lava.
 Malmani Subgroup
• Forms the bulk of the succession.
• Stromatolitic dolomite with erosional surfaces,
minor breccia, tuff horizon.
• Tuff horizon dated at 2585 Ma.
• One of the earliest examples of platform
carbonate sedimentation.
 Penge Formation
• BIF
• Lowest sediments deposited in palaeokarst
landscape.
• Important Sishen-type economic source of
haematite – occurs as irregular tabloid sheets
at the base.
• Riebeckite lutite deposits recrystallised to
crocidolite (blue asbestos) along shear zones.
 Penge Formation
(continued)
• Blue asbestos (crocidolite) – extensively mined
in past.
• Silicification of asbestos fibres form semi-
precious tiger’s eye gemstones.
• Sedimentary environment interpreted as
marine transgression over carbonates.
• Sediments affected by metamorphism caused
by emplacement of Bushveld Complex.
 Duitschland Formation
• Consists of dolomite, mudstone and minor
conglomerates, diamictites and lavas.
• Represents final regressive phase of epeiric
sea – end of Chuniespoort times.
 Pretoria Group
• Terrigenous deposits.
• Mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
• Oldest sediments infill Chuniespoort
palaeokarst.
• Palaeoenvironment – alluvial fan, fluvial
braidplain, shallow lacustrine conditions.
• Volcanic and pyroclastic horizons.
• All subjected to low grade metamorphism.
 Pretoria Group
stratigraphy
• The succession commences with a karst-fill
alluvial fan deposit, followed by lacustrine and
alluvial fan and delta type deposits.
• There are some lava flows, in particularly the
Hekpoort Formation which consists of basalt,
andesite and pyroclastics.
 Postmasburg Group
• This lies mainly in the Northern Cape.
• It can be directly correlated with the Pretoria
Group.
• Of economic importance is the Hotazel
Formation, considered to be equivalent to the
lavas of the Hekpoort Formation. Contains
exhalative manganese deposits.
 Economic importance of the
Transvaal Supergroup
• GOLD – Pilgrim’s Rest in Mpumalanga.
Hydrothermal auriferous veins in Malmani
Group.
• LIMESTONE – Pretoria and Potchefstroom
areas from the Malmani Group.
• BASE METALS – Mississippi Valley Pb-Zn-F
deposits in Malmani Group.
• IRON – in the Penge Formation BIF in
Thabazimbi
 Economic Importance
• MANGANESE – Hotazel Formation,
Postmasburg Group in Northern Cape.
• ASBETOS – within BIF of the Chuniespoort
Group, including Penge Formation, where the
rocks have been metamorphosed by the
Bushveld Complex. No longer mined due to
health hazards.