Publication Cover
Applied Earth Science
Transactions of the Institutions of Mining and Metallurgy: Section B
Volume 118, 2009 - Issue 3-4: Advances in the Understanding of Chromite Deposits
312
Views
55
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Chromite composition and PGE content of Bushveld chromitites: Part 1 – the Lower and Middle Groups

, , , , , & show all
Pages 131-161 | Published online: 18 Jul 2013

References

  • Ahmed, A. H. and Arai A. S.: 2002, Unexpectedly high-PGE chromitite from the deeper mantle section of the northern Oman ophiolite and its tectonic implications, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 2002), 143, 263–278.
  • Allan, J. F., Sack, R. O. and Batiza, R.: 1988, Cr-rich spinels as petrogenetic indicators: MORB-type lavas from the Lamont seamount chain, eastern Pacific American Mineralogist, 73, 741–753.
  • Barnes, S. J. and Roeder, P. L.: 2001, The range of spinel compositions in terrestrial mafic and ultramafic ricks, Journal of Petrology, 42, 2279–2302.
  • Beattie, P.: 1993, Olivine-melt and orthopyroxene-melt equilibria, Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 115, 103–111.
  • Bockrath, C., Balhaus, C. and Holzheid, A.: 2004, Stabilities of laurite Ru52 and monosulphide solid solution at magmatic temperature, Chemical Geology, 208, 265–271.
  • Boudreau, A. E. and McCallum, I. S.: 1992, Concentration of platinum-group elements by magmatic fluids in layered intrusions, Economic Geology, 87, 1830–1848.
  • Brenan, J. M. and Andrews, D.: 2001, High-temperature stability of laurite and ru—Os—Jr alloy and their role in PGE fractionation in mafic magmas, The Canadian Mineralogist, 39, 341–360.
  • Buchla, A., Brugmann, G. and Batanova, V. G.: 2004, Formation of podiform chromitite deposits: implications from PGE abun-dances and Os isotopic compositions of chromites from the Troodos complex, Cyprus, Chemical Geology, 208, 217—232
  • Cameron, E. N.: 1975, Postcumulus and subsolidus equilibration of chromite and coexisting silicates in the Eastern Bushveld complex. Geochimica and Cosmochimica Acta, 39, 1021–1033.
  • Cameron, E. N.: 1977, Chromite in the central sector of the Eastern Bushveld Complex, South Africa, American Mineralogist, 62, 1082–1096.
  • Cameron, E. N.: 1978. The lower zone of the eastern Bushveld com-plex in the Olifants river trough. Journal of Petrology, 19, 437–462.
  • Cameron, E. N.: 1980. Evolution of the Lower Critical Zone Central Sector eastern Bushveld Complex and its chromite deposits. Economic Geology, 75, 845–871.
  • Cameron, E. N.: 1982. The Upper Critical Zone of the eastern Bushveld Complex - precursor to the Merensky Reef. Economic Geology, 77, 1307–1327.
  • Campbell, I. H., Naldrett, A. J. and Barnes, S. J.: 1983, A model for the origin of the platinum-rich sulphide horizons in the Bushveld and Stillwater Complexes. Journal of Petrology, 24, 133–165.
  • Cawthorn R. G.: (2005). Pressure fluctuations and the formation of the PGE rich Merensky and chromitite reefs, Bushveld Complex. Mineralium Deposita, 40, 231–235.
  • Cawthorn, R. G. and Walraven, F.: (1998), Emplacement and crystallization time for the Bushveld complex. Journal of Petrology, 39, 1669–1687.
  • Cawthorn, R. G. and Webb, S. J.: 2001, Connectivity between the Eastern and Western limbs of the Bushveld Complex, Tectonophysics„ 330, 195–209
  • Cawthorn, R. G., Merkle, R. K. and Viljoen, M. J.: 2002, Platinum-Group Element Deposits in the Bushveld Complex South Africa. In The Geology Geochemistry Mineralogy and Mineral Beneficiation of Platinum-Group Elements (ed. L. J. Cabri) Ottawa Ontario. Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Special Volume 54, pp. 389–429.
  • Cocherie A, Auge, T. and Meyer, G.: 1989, Geochemistry of the platinum-group elements in various types of spinels from the Vourinos ophiolitic complex, Greece, Chemical Geology, 77 (1989) 27–39
  • Cousins, C. A. and Feringa, G.: 1964, The chromite deposits of the western belt of the Bushveld Complex, in S. H. Haughton, ed., The geology of some ore deposits in Southern Africa, volume II, Geological Society of South Africa, Johannesburg, pp. 183–202
  • Craig, J. R.: 1973, Pyrite-pentlandite assemblages and other low temperature relations in the Fe-Ni-S System, American Journal of Science 273A, 496–510.
  • Craig, J. R., and Kullerud, G.: 1969. Phase relations in the Cu-Fe-Ni-S system and their application to magmatic ore deposits. Economic Geology Monograph, 4, 344–358.
  • Davies, G., Cawthorn, R. G., Barton, J. M., Jr., Morton, M.: 1980. Parental magma to the Bushveld Complex. Nature, 287, 33–35.
  • de Waal, S. A., Maier, W. D., Armstrong, R. A., and Gauert, C. D. K.: 2001, Parental magma and emplacement of the stratiform Uitkomst Complex: Canadian Mineralogist, 39, 557–571.
  • Eales, H. V.: 2000, Implications of the chromium budget of the Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex, South African Journal of Geology, 103, 141–150.
  • Eales, H. V. and Cawthorn, R. G.: 1996, The Bushveld Complex. In: Cawthorn, R. G. (ed.) Layered Intrusions. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 181–230.
  • Eales, H. V., de Klerk, W. J. and Teigler, B.: 1990, Evidence for magma mixing processes within the Critical and Lower Zones of the Northwestern Bushveld Complex, South Africa, Chemical Geology, vol. 88, 261–278
  • Fedorova, Zh. N. and Sinyakova, E. F.: 1993, Experimental investigation of physicochemical conditions of pentlandite forma-tion, Russian Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 34, (2), 79–87.
  • Finnigan, C. S., Brenan, J. M., Mungall, J. E. and McDonough: 2008, Experiments and models bearing on the role of chromite as a collector of platinum group minerals by local reduction, Journal of Petrology, 49, 1647–1665
  • Fourie, G. P.: 1959, The chromite deposits in the Rustenburg area, South Africa Geological Survey Bulletin, 27, pp. 45.
  • Gain, S. B.: 1985, The geological setting of the platiniferous UG-2 chromitite layer at the farm Mandagshoek, Eastern Bushveld Complex, Economic Geology, 80, 925–943.
  • Gauert, C. D. K.: 1998, The petrogenesis of the Uitkomst Complex, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa: Unpublished Ph. D. thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa, 315 pp.
  • Gauert, C. D. K., de Waal, S. A., and Wallmach, T.: 1995, Geology of the ultrabasic to basic Uitkomst Complex, eastern Transvaal, South Africa: An overview: Journal of African Earth Sciences, 21, 553–570.
  • Ghiorso, M. S., and Sack, R. O.: 1995, Chemical mass transfer in magmatic processes IV. A revised and internally consistent thermodynamic model for the interpolation and extrapolation of liquid—solid equilibria in magmatic systems at elevated tempera-tures and pressures. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 119, 197–212.
  • Hall, A. L. and Humphrey, W. A.: 1908. On the occurrence of chromite along the southern and eastern margins of the Bushveld plutonic complex. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa, 11, 69–77
  • Harmer, R. E. and Sharpe, M. R.: 1985. Field relations and Sr isotope systematics of the marginal rocks of the eastern Bushveld Complex. Economic Geology 80, 813–837.
  • Hatton, C. J. and von Gruenewaldt, G.: 1987, The geological setting and petrogenesis of the Bushveld chromitite layers, in C. W. Stowe ed. Evolution of chromium ore fields, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York, NY, pp. 109–143.
  • Hatton, C. J., and von Gruenewaldt, G.: 1985, Chromite from the Swartkop Chrome Mine — an estimate of the effects of sub-solidus equilibration, Economikc Geology, 80, 911–924.
  • Hiemstra, S. A.: 1979. The role of collectors in the formation of platinum deposits in the Bushveld. Canadian Mineralogist, 17, 469–482.
  • Hiemstra, S. A.: 1985. 'The distribution of some platinum group elements in the UG-2 chromitite layer of the Bushveld Complex.' Economic Geology, 80, 944–957.
  • Irvine, T. N.: 1967, Chromian spinel as a petrogenetic indicator. Part 2. Petrological applications. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 4, 71–103.
  • Irvine, T. N.: 1977. Origin of chromite layers in the Muskox intrusion and other stratiform intrusions: a new interpretation. Geology, 5, 273–277.
  • Jackson, E. D.: 1969, Chemical variation in coexisting chromite and olivine in chromitite zones of the Stillwater complex, Economic Geology, Monograph 4, pp. 41–71.
  • Kinnaird, J. A., Kruger, F. J., Nex, P. A. M. and Cawthorn, R. G.: 2002, Chromite formation - a key to understanding processes of platinum enrichment. Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, 111, B23—B35.
  • Kruger, F. J.: 2005, Filling the Bushveld Complex magma chamber: lateral expansion, roof and floor interaction, magmatic unconformities, and the formation of giant chromitite, PGE and Ti-V-magnetitite deposits, Mineralium Deposita 40, 451–472
  • Kruger, F. J.: 1994, The Sr-isotope stratigraphy of the Western Bushveld Complex, South African Journal of Earth Sciences, 97, 393–398
  • Kruger, F. J. and Marsh, J. S.: 1982. Significance of 5r87/5r86 ratios in the Merensky cyclic unit of the Bushveld Complex. Nature, 298, 53–55.
  • Lee, C. A. and Parry, S. J.: 1988. Platinum group element geochemistry of the lower and middle group chromitites of the eastern Bushveld Complex. Economic Geology, 85, 877–883
  • Li, C. and Ripley, E. M.: 2009. Sulphur Contents at Sulphide-Liquid or Anhydrite Saturation in Silicate Melts: Empirical Equations and Example Applications, Economic Geology, 104, 405–412.
  • Li, C., and Ripley, E. M.: 2005, Empirical Equations to Predict the Sulphur Content of Mafic Magmas At Sulphide Saturation and Applications to Magmatic Sulphide Deposits, Mineralium Deposita, 40, 218–230.
  • Maier, W. D. and Barnes, S-J: 2008, Platinum-group elements in the UG1 and UG2 chromitites, and the Bastard reef, at Impala platinum mine, western Bushveld Complex, South Africa: Evidence for late magmatic cumulate instability and reef constitution, South African Journal of Geology, 111, 159–176.
  • Mavrogenes, J. A. and O'Neill, H. S. C.: 1999, The relative effects of pressure temperature and oxygen fugacity on the solubility of sulphide in mafic magmas. Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 63, 1173–1180.
  • McCandless, T. E, Ruiz, J., Adair, B. I. and Freydier, C.: 1999, Re-Os isotope and Pd/Ru variations in chromitites from the Critical Zone, Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 63, 911–923.
  • McLaren, C. H. and de Villiers, J. P. R.: 1982, The Platinum-group chemistry and mineralogy of the UG-2 chromitite Layer of the Bushveld complex, Economic Geology, 77, 1348–1366.
  • Melcher, F., Grum, W., Thalhammer, T. V. and Thalhammer, O. A. R.: 1999, The giant chromite deposits at Kempirsai, Urals: constraints from trace element (PGE, REE) and isotope data, Mineralium Deposita 34, 250–272
  • Merkle, R. K. W.: 1992, Platinum-group element minerals in the middle group of chromitite layers, western Bushveld complex: Indications for collection mechanisms and postmagmatic mod-ification, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 29, 209–221.
  • Misra, K. S. and Fleet, M. E.: 1973, The chemical compositions of synthetic and natural pentlandite assemblages, Economic Geology, 68, 518–539.
  • Mitchell, A. A. and Scoon, R. N.: 2007, The Merensky Reef at Winnaarshoek, Eastern Bushveld Complex: A primary magmatic hypothesis based on a wide reef facies, Economic Geology, 102, 971–1009.
  • Molyneaux, T. G.: 1974. A geological investigation of the Bushveld Complex in Sekhukhunelan and apart of the Steelpoort Valley. Geological Society of South Africa Transactions, 77, 329–338.
  • Mondal, S. K. and Mathez, E. A.: 2007, Origin of the UG2 Chromitite Layer, Bushveld Complex, Journal of Petrology, 48, 495-510.7
  • Mondal S. K., Frei R, Ripley E. M.: (2007) Os isotope systematics of Mesoarchean chromitite PGE deposits in the Singhbhum Craton (India): implications for the evolution of lithospheric mantle. Chem. Geol., 244, 391–408
  • Mondal S. K. and Zhou M. F.: (2009) Enrichment of PGE through interaction of evolved boninitic magmas with early formed cumulates in a gabbro—breccia zone of the Mesoarchean Nuasahi massif (eastern India). Mineral. Deposita, DOT 10.1007/ s00126-009-0264–0.
  • Mondal, S. K, Ripley, E. M., Li, C., Frei, R.: 2006,The genesis of Archaean chromitites from the Nuasahi and Sukinda massifs in the Singhbhum Craton, India, Precambrian Research, 148, 45–66.
  • Mungall, J.: 2002. A model for co-precipitation of platinum group minerals with chromite from silicate melts. In: Abstracts, 9th International Platinum Symposium, July, Stillwater, USA. (Available at http://www. nicholas.duke.edu/people/faculty/bou-dreau/IPS_Abstracts.htm.)
  • Naldrett, A. J.: 2004, Magmatic Sulphide Deposits: Geology, geochemistry and exploration, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, 728 pp.
  • Naldrett, A. J., and Duke, J. M.: 1980, Platinum Metals in Magmatic Sulphide Ores. Science, 208, 1417–1424.
  • Naldrett Al and Lehmann J: 1988. Spinel non-stoichiometry as the explanation for Ni- Cu- and PGE-enriched sulphides in chromitites. In Geoplatinum '87 ( eds. H. Prichard P. Potts J. Bowles and S. Cribb) Elsevier London p. 93–110.
  • Naldrett, A. J. and von Gruenewaldt, G.: 1989. The association of PGE with chromitite in layered intrusions and ophiolite com-plexes. Economic Geology 84, 180–187.
  • Naldrett, A. J., Hoffman, E. L., Green, A. H., Chou, C. L., Naldrett, S. R. and Alcock, R. A.: 1979, The composition of Ni-sulphide ores with particular reference to their content of PGE and Au. Can. Mineralogist, 17, Pt. 2,403–415.
  • Naldrett, Tony, Kinnaird, Judith, Wilson, Allan and Chunnett, Gordon: 2008, The concentration of PGE in the earth's crust with special reference to the Bushveld Complex. Earth Science Frontiers 15, (5), 264–297.
  • Naldrett, A. J., Wilson, Allan, Kinnaird Judith and Chunnett, Gordon: 2009, PGE Tenor and Metal Ratios within and below the Merensky Reef, Bushveld Complex: Implications for its Genesis, Journal of Petrology, Doi:10.1093/Petrology/Egp015
  • Naldrett, A. J., Craig, J. R. and Kullerud, G.: 1967. The central portion of the Fe-Ni-S system and its bearing on pentlandite solution in iron-nickel sulphide ores. Economic Geology, 62, 826–847.
  • Nex, P. A. M.: 2004, Formation of bifurcating chromitite layers of the UG1 in the Bushveld Igneous Complex, an analogy with sand volcanoes. Journal of the Geological Society, London, 161, 903–909.
  • Ohnenstetter, D., Watkinson, D. H., Jones, P. C. and Talkington, R.: 1986, Cryptic compositional variations in laurite and enclosing chromite from the Bird River sill, Manitoba: Economic Geology, 81, 1159–1168.
  • Page, N. J. and Talkington, R. W.: 1984, Palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium and iridium in peridotites and chromitites from ophiolite complexes in Newfoundland, Canadian Mineralogist, 22, 137–149
  • Page, N. J., Cassard, D. and Haffty, J.: 1982. Palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium and iridium in chromitites from the Massif du Sud and Teibaghi Massif, New Caledonia. Economic Geology, 77, 1571–1577.
  • Page, N. J., Engin, T., Singer, D. A. and Haffty, J.: 1984. Distribution of platinum-group elements in the Bati Kef chromite deposit, Guleman-Elazig area, Eastern Turkey, Economic Geology, 70, 177–184.
  • Penberthy, C. J. and Merkle, R. K. W.: 1999, Lateral variations in the platinum-group element content and mineralogy of the UG-2 chromitite layer, Bushveld complex, South African Journal of Geology, 102, 240–250.
  • Prichard, H. M. Lord, R. A. and Neary, C. R.: 1996, A model to explain the occurrence of Platinum- and Palladium-rich Ophiolite Complexes, Journal of the Geological Society, London, 153, 323–328.
  • Prichard, H. M., Neary, C. R., Fisher, P. C. and O'Hara, M. J.: 2008, PGE-rich podiform chromitites in the Al 'Ays ophiolite complex, Saudi Arabia: An example of critical mantle melting to extract and concentrate PGE, Economic Geology, 103, 1507–1529.
  • Raghaven, V.: 2004a, Fe-Ni-S (iron-nickel-sulphur), Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion, 25, 373–381.
  • Raghaven, V.: 2004b, Cu-Fe-S (Copper-iron-sulphur), Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion, 25, 450–454.
  • Raghaven, V.: 2004c, Cu-Fe-Ni-S (copper-iron-nickel-sulphur), Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion, 25. 458–461
  • Schurmann, L. W., Grabe, P-J. and Steenkamp, C. J.: 1998, Chromium, in The Mineral Resources of South Africa. Handbook, ( eds. M. G. C. Wilson and C. R. Anhaeusser) Handbook 16, Council for Geosciences, CTP Book Printers, Cape Town, pp. 90–105
  • Scoates, J. S. and Friedman, R. M.: 2008, Precise age of the platiniferous Merensky Reef, Bushveld Complex, South Africa, by the U-Pb zircon chemical abrasion ID-TIMS technique. Economic Geology 103, 465–471
  • Scoon, R. N. and Teigler, B.: 1994, Platinum-group element mineralization in the Critical Zone of the Western Bushveld Complex: I. Sulphide-poor chromitites below the UG-2, Economic Geology, 89, 1094–1121.
  • Seabrook, C. L., Cawthorn, R. G. and Kruger, F. J.: 2005,The Merensky Reef, Bushveld Complex: Mixing of minerals not mixing of magmas. Economic Geology, 100, 1191–1206.
  • Shewman, R. W. and Clark, L. A.: 1970, Pentlandite phase relations in the Fe-Ni-S System and notes on the monosulphide solid solution, Canadian Journal of Earth Science, 7, 67–85.
  • Shima H and Naldrett AJ: 1975. Solubility of sulphur in an ultramafic melt and the relevance of the system Fe-S-O. Economic Geology, 70, 960–967.
  • Spier, C. A. and Ferreira Filho, C. F.: 2001, The Chromite Deposits of the Bacuri Mafic-Ultramafic Layered Complex, Guyana Shield, Amapa State, Brazil Economic Geology, 96, 817–835
  • Sugawara, T.: 2000, Empirical relationship between temperature, pressure and MgO content in olivine and pyroxene saturated liquid, Journal of Geophysical Research, 105, 8457–8472.
  • Teigler, B. and Eales, H. V.: 1993, Correlation between chromite composition and PGE mineralization in the Critical Zone of the Western Bushveld Complex, Mineralium Deposita, 28, 291–302.
  • Van der Menve, M. J.: 2008, The geology and structure of the Rustenburg Layered Suite in the Potgietersrus/Mokapane area of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Mineralium Deposita 43,405–420.
  • Van der Walt, C. F. G.: (1941) Chromite ore of the Western Bushveld Complex, Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa, 44, 79–112
  • Van Niekerk, C. B.: 1962, The age of the Gemspost Dyke from the Venterspost gold mine, Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa, 65, 105–111.
  • Von Gruenewaldt, G.: 1973. The main and upper zones of the Bushveld complex in the Roossenekal area Eastern Transvaal. Geological Society of South Africa Transactions, 76, 207–227.
  • Von Gruenewaldt, G.: 1979. A review of some recent concepts of the Bushveld Complex with particular reference to sulphide mineralization. Canadian Mineralogist, 17, 233–256.
  • Von Gruenewald, G., Hatton, C. J., Merkle, R. K. W. and Gain, S. B.: 1986, Platinum group element-chromitite associations in the Bushveld Complex. Economic Geology, 81, 1067–1079.
  • Voordouw, R., Gutzmer, J. and Beukes, N. J.: 2009, Intrusive origin for Upper Group (UG1, UG2) stratiform chromitite seams in the Dwars River area, Bushveld Complex, South Africa, Mineralogy and Petrology, DOI 10.1007/s00710-009-0072–3
  • Wagner, P. A.: 1929, The platinum deposits and mines of South Africa. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, 326pp
  • Walraven F.: 1997, Geochronology of the Rooiberg Group, Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa. Economic Geology Research Institute Information Circular 316, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 21pp.
  • Webb, S. J., Cawthorn, R. G., Nguuri, T. and James, D.: 2004, Gravity modelling of Bushveld Complex connectivity supported by South African seismic results, South African Journal of Geology, 107, 207–218.
  • Wendlandt RF: 1982. Sulphur saturation of basalt and andesite melts at high pressures and temperatures. American Mineralogist, 67, 877–885.
  • Wilson, A. H.: 1982. The geology of the great 'Dyke', Zimbabwe: The ultramafic rocks. Jour. Petrol. 42, 109–124.
  • Wilson, A. H. and Chunnett G. C: 2006, Trace Element and Platinum Group Element Distributions and the Genesis of the Merensky Reef, Western Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Journal of Petrology, 47, 2369–2403.
  • Zhou, Mei-Fu, Sun, Min, Keays, Reid R., and Kerrich, Robert W.: 1998, Controls on platinum-group elemental distributions of podiform chromitites: A case study of high-Cr and high-Al chromitites from Chinese orogenic belts, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 62, 677–688.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.