Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
J. E. Bourdeau, B. Hayes, S. E. Zhang, A. Logue, G. M. Bybee
Summary: This study investigates the field and petrological relationships, as well as the chemistry of blocks hosted in a layered sequence of poikilitic anorthosites in the Rustenburg Layered Suite. The blocks have distinct compositions compared to their hosts, suggesting a different petrogenesis and transport mechanism. The study also develops a numerical model to understand the crystallinity and magma flow rate of the plagioclase slurries that carried these blocks.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geology
Erin Benson, James A. D. Connolly, Alan E. Boudreau
Summary: The crystallization of the Bushveld magma 2.06 billion years ago led to the generation of a large volume of country fluids, which rapidly penetrated the Bushveld rocks mainly through pipe-like channels in the footwall. Numerical modeling suggests that the metamorphic aureole reached its maximum extent when the Main Zone began to crystallize. The presence of diatremes and other features near diapiric upwellings implies that overpressured fluids generated during dehydration of footwall sediments contaminated the Main Zone magma.
INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Reza Maghdour-Mashhour, Ben Hayes, Robert Bolhar, Henriette Ueckermann
Summary: Layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions, such as the Rustenburg Layered Suite in South Africa, provide valuable insights into magma differentiation and solidification processes. The detailed study of the MG3F anorthosite within this suite challenges the traditional paradigm of a melt-dominated chamber and reveals distinct compositional variations within the anorthosite layer. The relationships between the anorthosite, surrounding pyroxenite, and chromitite in the Lower-Upper Critical Zone boundary are crucial for understanding the magmatic evolution of this complex.
JOURNAL OF PETROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Richard Grant Cawthorn, Terence Sinclair Mccarthy
Summary: The Upper Zone of the mafic layered Bushveld Complex in South Africa contains numerous monomineralic layers, including the Main Magnetitite Layer (MML) which is approximately 2m thick and covers a wide area. The MML shows abrupt changes in chrome (Cr) concentrations, with sharp concentration reversals and rare decreases. The splitting of the MML into three sub-layers, separated by magnetite-plagioclase rocks, suggests that magnetite formation may have been induced by shock wave nucleation on the bottom of the chamber, causing turbulence and convective overturn near the base.
JOURNAL OF PETROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
W. D. Smith, W. D. Maier, D. D. Muir, J. C. O. Andersen, B. J. Williams, H. Henry
Summary: This study investigates the Boulder Beds of the western Bushveld Complex using high-resolution element mapping, electron back-scatter diffraction analysis, and electron-probe microanalysis. The research reveals important information about the formation of this unit, including the distribution of minerals, grain size variations, and mineral interactions. The results suggest that the boulders formed due to partial melting and reactions of local rocks.
MINERALIUM DEPOSITA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhuosen Yao, James E. Mungall
Summary: The Main Magnetite Layer of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa is rich in iron, titanium, and vanadium, but its formation remains enigmatic. Previous models required frequent adjustments, while an alternative model fits observations without any modifications. The choice of models is crucial for understanding the formation of layered intrusions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Geology
Maximilian Hasch, Rais Latypov
Summary: The article discusses the morphology and field relationships of Lower and Middle Group chromitites in the Critical Zone of the Bushveld Complex, suggesting a regional bifurcating structure of chromitites and providing evidence of magmatic erosion of the footwall rocks.
ORE GEOLOGY REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Haoyang Zhou, Robert B. Trumbull, Ilya V. Veksler, Kai Bachmann
Summary: Discordant iron-rich ultramafic pegmatites (IRUPs) intersect with the UG2 chromitite in the Bushveld Complex. The effects of IRUP interactions on the UG2 ore mineralogy and PGE grade were evaluated based on borehole profiling and detailed analysis of mineral textures and compositions. The interaction between IRUP and UG2 occurred at different scales, resulting in local and large-scale mineralogical changes in UG2.
MINERALIUM DEPOSITA
(2023)
Article
Geology
Erin Benson, James A. D. Connolly, Alan E. Boudreau
Summary: Scoon and Mitchell critique the hydromagmatic model of Bushveld Complex formation presented in our recent publication, focusing on the formation mechanisms of discordant bodies. We argue in favor of a fluid-related origin for these bodies as opposed to the primarily magmatic origin proposed by Scoon and Mitchell.
INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Geology
Roger N. Scoon, Andrew A. Mitchell
Summary: The discussion focuses on the fluid contamination of the layered ultramafic-mafic component of the Bushveld Complex, particularly in the Main Zone. The lack of referencing in the original articles regarding the discordant bodies has led to generalizations that do not withstand scrutiny, highlighting procedural issues. Furthermore, the work on the Main Zone has been ignored and is incompatible with the new hypothesis.
INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Litshedzani Mutele, Saumitra Misra
Summary: This study focuses on the relatively unknown Lebowa Granite Suite (LGS) within the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) in South Africa, presenting borehole descriptions and whole-rock chemical data. The LGS is identified as A-type granitoids, originating from a partial melting event at a crustal depth of approximately 7.5 km, with a possible connection to the source of the Rooiberg Group felsic volcanics.
GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ole Skursch, Fernando Corfu, Christian Tegner, Charles E. Lesher, Rasmus Andreasen, Graham A. Hagen-Peter, Jeff D. Vervoort
Summary: The research on the Bushveld Large Igneous Province (BLIP) revealed that it was formed in three stages, including the world's largest granite and mafic intrusion. The zircon ages show that the Lebowa Granite Suite and the Rustenburg Layered Suite have similar ages and isotopic compositions, indicating a direct petrogenetic link between them.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geology
Martin S. Wong, Phillip B. Gans, Damian Roesler
Summary: Numerous studies have shown that 40Ar/39Ar K-feldspar analyses can provide continuous thermal histories from 300°C to 150°C due to the presence of multiple diffusion domains (MDDs). However, the reliability of MDD models has been questioned. This study tested the accuracy of MDD modeling by calibrating it to other thermochronometers.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Teimoor Nazari-Dehkordi, Laurence Robb
Summary: This study analyzes the trace element compositions of zircons from the Lebowa Granite Suite hosting the Zaaiplaats Sn mine, finding that zircons in granite rocks have a hydrothermal origin rather than being magmatic. It suggests that the formation of granite-hosted Sn deposits is related to a late-magmatic-hydrothermal fluid enriched in F, Cl, and B.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Christoph Gauert, Armin Zeh
Summary: The investigation of the Uitkomst Complex in South Africa confirms the northwest extension of the complex and reveals similarities in rock properties, alteration mineralogy, and sulphide mineralization with the southeastern parts of the complex.
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Matthew E. Clapham, Paul R. Renne
ANNUAL REVIEW OF EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCES, VOL 47
(2019)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Courtney J. Sprain, Paul R. Renne, Loyc Vanderkluysen, Kanchan Pande, Stephen Self, Tushar Mittal
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Rutte, Paul R. Renne, Jonathan Morrell, Liqiang Qi, Mauricio Ayllon, Karl van Bibber, Jonathan Wilson, Tim A. Becker, Jon Batchelder, Lee A. Bernstein, Mathieu Lebois, Jay James, Su-Ann Chong, Will L. Heriot, Max Wallace, Angel Marcial, Charles Johnson, Graham Woolley, Parker A. Adams
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Isabel M. Fendley, Tushar Mittal, Courtney J. Sprain, Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, Thomas S. Tobin, Paul R. Renne
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2019)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Isabel M. Fendley, Courtney J. Sprain, Paul R. Renne, Ignacio Arenillas, Jose A. Arz, Vicente Gilabert, Stephen Self, Loyc Vanderkluysen, Kanchan Pande, Jan Smit, Tushar Mittal
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2020)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
I. M. Villa, N. E. Holden, A. Possolo, R. B. Ickert, D. B. Hibbert, P. R. Renne
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2020)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Daniel Rutte, Joshua Garber, Andrew Kylander-Clark, Paul R. Renne
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
F. Marra, G. L. Cardello, M. Gaeta, B. R. Jicha, P. Montone, E. M. Niespolo, S. Nomade, D. M. Palladino, A. Pereira, G. De Luca, F. Florindo, A. Frepoli, P. R. Renne, G. Sottili
Summary: In this study, the Quaternary Volsci Volcanic Field in central Italy was investigated with new geochronological data and compositional analysis of eruptive products. The research revealed a history of volcanic activity and its implications on magma systems and subduction processes. The fast ascent of primitive magma batches is suggested to be controlled by tectonic forces in a compressive stress field.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Erella Hovers, Tegenu Gossa, Asfawossen Asrat, Elizabeth M. Niespolo, Angesom Resom, Paul R. Renne, Ravid Ekshtain, Gadi Herzlinger, Natnael Ketema, Bienvenido Martinez-Navarro
Summary: The current models of early hominin biological and cultural evolution are mainly based on data from the East African Rift System, with little known about the archaeological record from the high-elevation regions on either side of the Rift. The newly discovered site-complex at Melka Wakena in the Southeastern Ethiopian Highlands provides important insights into the expansion of early hominins from the Rift to the highlands, challenging previous assumptions of dispersal. These findings contribute to a better understanding of early prehistory and the dynamics of early Pleistocene hominin populations in eastern Africa.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andres Hernandez Nava, Benjamin A. Black, Sally A. Gibson, Robert J. Bodnar, Paul R. Renne, Loyc Vanderkluysen
Summary: The research used melt-inclusion CO2 concentrations and trace-element proxies to confirm that early Deccan volcanism triggered the Latest Maastrichtian warming event. The study found that the earliest Deccan magmas were carbon-rich, with subsequent outgassing partially explaining changes in climate and atmospheric pCO(2).
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizabeth M. Niespolo, Giday WoldeGabriel, William K. Hart, Paul R. Renne, Warren D. Sharp, M. Steven Shackley, Stanley H. Ambrose, Berhane Asfaw, Yonas Beyene, Marianne F. Brasil, Joshua P. Carlson, Yonatan Sahle, Tim D. White
Summary: The Halibee member of the Upper Dawaitoli Formation in Ethiopia's Middle Awash study area contains a wealth of paleoanthropological resources from the Middle and Later Stone Age. By combining radioisotopic methods and a newly developed dating method for ostrich eggshell, researchers were able to establish the chronology of these artifacts and fossils, providing important insights into technological, environmental, and evolutionary changes during the African Middle and Late Pleistocene.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Gregory P. Wilson Mantilla, Paul R. Renne, Bandana Samant, Dhananjay M. Mohabey, Anup Dhobale, Andrew J. Tholt, Thomas S. Tobin, Mike Widdowson, S. Anantharaman, Dilip Chandra Dassarma, Jeffrey A. Wilson Mantilla
Summary: In this study, two new Cretaceous mammal species are described from the Naskal locality in India, and the age of the Naskal and nearby Rangapur localities is refined using geochronology, magnetostratigraphy, and chemostratigraphy. These sites are confidently restricted to a <100 kyr interval spanning the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The findings of this study have implications for Deccan chemostratigraphy, Deccan volcanism, the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction, Indian mammalian faunal evolution, and the timing of the origin of placental mammals.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Neil J. Tabor, John Geissman, Paul R. Renne, Roland Mundil, William S. Mitchell, Timothy S. Myers, Jacob Jackson, Cindy V. Looy, Renske P. Kirchholtes
Summary: The Whitehorse Group and Quartermaster Formation in the Palo Duro Basin represent the final deposition episode of red-bed terrestrial sequences in north-central Texas. The formations comprise mainly red quartz siltstone to fine sandstone, gypsum, claystones, and dolomite. The lower Quartermaster Formation exhibits meandering channels and overbank mudstones, while the Upper Whitehorse Group lacks paleosols. Age information from volcanic ash-fall deposits suggests the presence of the Permian-Triassic boundary in the lower Quartermaster Formation/upper Whitehorse Group. Carbon and oxygen isotope data indicate changes in paleoclimate and biotic recovery across the Permian-Triassic boundary.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Theodore Green, Paul R. Renne, C. Brenhin Keller
Summary: This study investigates the correlation between large igneous provinces (LIPs) and Phanerozoic faunal turnover, and examines the likelihood of such correlations occurring by chance. The results suggest a causal relationship between continental LIPs and extinctions, with a stronger correlation for LIPs with higher eruptive rates and stage boundaries with higher extinction magnitudes. The study also identifies LIP magma degassing as a primary kill mechanism for mass extinctions and intervals of faunal turnover.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Igor M. Villa, Norman E. Holden, Antonio Possolo, Ryan Ben Ickert, David Brynn Hibbert, Paul R. Renne, Mauro L. Bonardi, Paul De Bievre
Summary: The IUPAC-IUGS joint Task Group has evaluated the half-lives of six long-lived radioactive nuclides and recommends three robust estimates. However, for other nuclides, further investigations are needed to resolve uncertainties.
PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Xinze Lu, Geoffrey J. Gilleaudeau, Brian Kendall
Summary: The Late Ordovician mass extinction is the first major extinction event in the Phanerozoic, but the reasons for the decline in global biodiversity before the extinction are not well understood.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2024)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Junyao Kang, Daniel D. Gregory, Benjamin Gill, Shiqiang Huang, Changxin Lai, Zhaoshan Chang, Huan Cui, Ivan Belousov, Shuhai Xiao
Summary: Sedimentary pyrite is an important geological archive, but it can be altered by diagenetic and hydrothermal processes. This study successfully trained machine learning algorithms to distinguish pyrite origins using trace element data. The approach was validated and applied to identify the origins of pyrite in two sedimentary successions in South China.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2024)