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Neoarchaean to Early Palaeoproterozoic Within-Plate Volcanism of the Kaapvaal Craton: Comparing the Ventersdorp Supergroup and the Ongeluk and Hekpoort Formations (Transvaal Supergroup)

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The Archaean Geology of the Kaapvaal Craton, Southern Africa

Part of the book series: Regional Geology Reviews ((RGR))

Abstract

The Archaean-Palaeoproterozoic Kaapvaal craton (South Africa) records several voluminous intra-plate volcanic events. Here we present a petrologic and geochemical characterisation of the Neoarchaean Ventersdorp Supergroup and the early Palaeoproterozoic Ongeluk and Hekpoort formations. These Large Igneous Provinces (LIP) represent episodes of widespread continental flood volcanism and localized rift-related volcanism punctuating an interval of more than 500 million years. Our study is based on a data compilation from literature and new analyses. In addition, the palaeoenvironmental conditions of these events are evaluated. The Ventersdorp Supergroup is the most extensive volcano-sedimentary succession preserved on the craton and represents several discrete volcanic events with a complex geochemical history. They seem to represent a progressive differentiation series from a single parental magma with variable degrees of crustal assimilation, strongly inconsistent with their extrusion order. All the samples in our compilation show arc-like signatures, mainly represented by negative Nb–Ta anomalies, which we relate to metasomatism of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle by past subduction(s). The Hekpoort and Ongeluk formations exhibit relatively high Th contents and high Th/Nb ratios, which sharply contrasts those of Archaean units. The data suggest that an important subduction event marked the Archaean-Proterozoic boundary in the Kaapvaal craton.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the two reviewers of this contribution, Richard Ernst and David R. Nelson, whose comments and suggestions have improved the manuscript considerably. Funding was provided by grants from the South African Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation (DST-NRF)–funded Centre of Excellence for Integrated Mineral and Energy Resource Analysis (CIMERA). Funding to Wladyslaw Altermann for fieldwork by the team of the University of Pretoria (UP) was from the NRF incentive funding for rated researchers and by the Kumba-Exxaro Chair at UP.

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  1. PPM Group, Geology Department, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa

    Fabien Humbert & Michiel de Kock

  2. Department of Geology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa

    Nils Lenhardt & Wladyslaw Altermann

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  1. Fabien Humbert
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  2. Michiel de Kock
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Correspondence to Fabien Humbert .

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  1. Institut für Geowissenschaften, University of Mainz, Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany

    Alfred Kröner

  2. Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg , Auckland Park, South Africa

    Axel Hofmann

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Humbert, F., de Kock, M., Lenhardt, N., Altermann, W. (2019). Neoarchaean to Early Palaeoproterozoic Within-Plate Volcanism of the Kaapvaal Craton: Comparing the Ventersdorp Supergroup and the Ongeluk and Hekpoort Formations (Transvaal Supergroup). In: Kröner, A., Hofmann, A. (eds) The Archaean Geology of the Kaapvaal Craton, Southern Africa. Regional Geology Reviews. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78652-0_11

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