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COMPOSITION AND PROVENANCE OF QUARTZITES OF THE MESOARCHEAN WITWATERSRAND SUPERGROUP, SOUTH AFRICA by Craig Harry Blane Dissertation Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTER SCIENTAE in GEOLOGY in the FACULTY OF SCIENCE at the UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG Supervisor: Prof. N. J. Beukes Co-Supervisor: Prof. J. Gutzmer September 2013 Table of Contents Chapter 1 : Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Motivation ................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Aims............................................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Basic Concepts ............................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Methods ....................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2 : Geological Overview ............................................................................................ 5 2.1 Location and Description ............................................................................................. 5 2.2 Lithostratigraphy ......................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Geochronology ............................................................................................................ 8 2.4 Metamorphic History ................................................................................................... 8 2.5 Tectonic history ........................................................................................................... 9 2.6 Eustatic and Tectonic controls on sedimentary infill ................................................ 11 2.7 Correlation with the Mozaan Group .......................................................................... 11 2.8 Existing Provenance Studies ..................................................................................... 11 Chapter 3 : Lithofacies and Stratigraphic Setting of Samples .............................................. 14 3.1 Major Lithofacies ...................................................................................................... 14 3.2 Sampling .................................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Hospital Hill Subgroup: West Rand Group ............................................................... 21 3.3.1 Orange Grove Formation ................................................................................... 21 3.3.2 Parktown Formation ........................................................................................... 21 3.3.3 Brixton Formation .............................................................................................. 22 3.3.4 Bonanza Formation ............................................................................................ 23 3.4 Government Subgroup: West Rand Group ................................................................ 23 3.4.1 Promise Formation ............................................................................................. 23 3.4.2 Coronation Formation ........................................................................................ 27 3.4.3 Tusschenin Formation ........................................................................................ 27 3.4.4 Palmietfontein Formation ................................................................................... 29 3.4.5 Afrikander Formation ......................................................................................... 29 3.5 Jeppestown Subgroup: West Rand Group ................................................................. 30 3.5.1 Koedoeslaagte Formation ................................................................................... 30 3.5.2 Rietkuil Formation ............................................................................................. 31 3.5.3 Babrosco Formation ........................................................................................... 31 3.5.4 The Crown Lava Formation ............................................................................... 33 3.5.5 Roodepoort Formation ....................................................................................... 33 3.5.6 Maraisburg Formation ........................................................................................ 33 3.6 Johannesburg Subgroup : Central Rand Group ......................................................... 34 3.6.1 Blyvooruitzicht Formation ................................................................................. 34 3.6.2 Main Formation .................................................................................................. 34 3.6.3 Randfontein Formation ...................................................................................... 34 3.6.4 Luipaardsvlei Formation .................................................................................... 35 3.6.5 Krugersdorp Formation ...................................................................................... 35 3.6.6 Booysens Formation ........................................................................................... 35 3.7 Turffontein Subgroup: Central Rand Group .............................................................. 37 3.7.1 Kimberley Formation ......................................................................................... 37 3.7.2 Elsburg Formation .............................................................................................. 37 3.7.3 Mondeor Formation ............................................................................................ 37 3.8 Summary of Stratigraphic Variation and Samples Taken ......................................... 38 Chapter 4 : Mineralogy ......................................................................................................... 41 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 41 4.2 Allogenic/Monomineralic Minerals and Composite Rock Particles ......................... 41 4.2.1 Monomineralic grains ........................................................................................ 41 4.3 Allogenic Rock Particles ........................................................................................... 44 4.3.1 Lithoclasts .......................................................................................................... 44 4.4 Accessory Allogenic Minerals................................................................................... 45 4.5 Authigenic Minerals .................................................................................................. 47 Chapter 5 : Petrography ........................................................................................................ 50 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 50 5.2 Inner shelf orthoquartzites ......................................................................................... 50 5.2.1 Current-dominated Orthoquartzites .................................................................... 51 5.2.2 Wave-dominated Orthoquartzites ...................................................................... 52 5.2.3 Controls and Composition by Depositional Environment ................................. 53 5.3 Middleshelf Argillaceous Quartzite ........................................................................... 53 5.4 Fluvial Quartzite ........................................................................................................ 55 5.4.1 Immature Fluvial Quartzites ............................................................................... 55 5.4.2 Mature Fluvial Quartzites ................................................................................... 56 5.5 Diamictite .................................................................................................................. 58 5.6 Stratigraphic Petrographic Variations ....................................................................... 59 5.6.1 Hospital Hill Subgroup ....................................................................................... 59 5.6.2 Government Subgroup ....................................................................................... 60 5.6.3 Jeppestown Subgroup ......................................................................................... 62 5.6.4 Johannesburg Subgroup ....................................................................................