Geochemistry of intermediate to siliceous volcanic rocks of the Rooiberg Group, Bushveld Magmatic Province, South Africa

Abstract.

The volcanic Rooiberg Group represents the earliest phase of Bushveld-related magmatism and comprises, in some areas, the floor and roof rocks of the mafic–ultramafic intrusive units of the Bushveld Complex. The lower to middle Dullstroom Formation is composed of two interbedded series of low Ti and high Ti volcanic strata, which are predominantly basaltic andesites. Volcanic units above these strata range from andesites to dacites in the upper Dullstroom Formation and to predominantly rhyolites in the overlying Damwal and Kwaggasnek Formations. Compositional data suggest that these intermediate to siliceous volcanic rocks are petrogenetically related to the low Ti volcanic suite and suggest that the low Ti magmas resided in a shallow magma chamber where they experienced fractional crystallization and assimilation of crustal material. In contrast, the high Ti volcanic suite is petrogenetically unrelated. These data confirm previous suggestions that Bushveld-related magmas experienced significant amounts of assimilation of continental crust.