Abstract
More than 30 years ago, Cox and Singer (1986) suggested that magmatic platinum-group element (PGE)-Ni-Cu deposits are amongst the best understood of ore deposits, yet the origin of PGE mineralization in the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) remains controversial after a century of study. In the northern limb of the BIC, the unravelling of ore formation proved particularly difficult due to relatively poor outcrop, which is typically affected by contamination of the intruding magmas with the host rocks and expressed in the form of abundant xenoliths, footwall rafts and disturbance of magmatic stratigraphy. In this thematic issue, we present contributions on the Flatreef, a recently discovered world-class PGE-Ni-Cu deposit constituting a downdip extension of the mineralized unit of the Platreef of the northern limb. Two deep shafts are currently being sunk, making the Flatreef one of the most significant new mine development on the Bushveld in several decades.
Highlights
More than 30 years ago, Cox and Singer (1986) suggested that magmatic platinum-group element (PGE)-Ni-Cu deposits are amongst the best understood of ore deposits, yet the origin of PGE mineralization in the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) remains controversial after a century of study
The detailed stratigraphic relationship between the Platreef and the Flatreef and potential stratigraphic correlations between both horizons with the Upper Critical Zone (UCZ) in the western and eastern limbs of the Bushveld Complex have been debated for years
Recent work by Yudovskaya et al shows that mafic sills underlying the Lower Zone are widespread in the northern limb, and their relics are recognized as the so-called brown norite and recrystallized norite, respectively
Summary
More than 30 years ago, Cox and Singer (1986) suggested that magmatic platinum-group element (PGE)-Ni-Cu deposits are amongst the best understood of ore deposits, yet the origin of PGE mineralization in the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) remains controversial after a century of study. The detailed stratigraphic relationship between the Platreef and the Flatreef and potential stratigraphic correlations between both horizons with the Upper Critical Zone (UCZ) in the western and eastern limbs of the Bushveld Complex have been debated for years.
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