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Student Number : 9210081T - MSc dissertation - School of Geosciences - Faculty of Science / The occurrence of large, massive iron oxide deposits throughout the Bushveld Complex, South Africa, and its associated roof-rocks is well known. The style of mineralisation and the associated alteration exhibits many characteristics of iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) type deposits. The contained mineralisation is dominated by iron oxide and fluorite and is accompanied by a diverse polymetallic association, with anomalous fluorite, copper, gold, barite, uranium and LREE. The Ruigtepoort orebody, located in the western Bushveld Complex, is such an example and is surrounded by some 20 smaller occurrences in the upper stratigraphic portions of the Bushveld Complex, all displaying strong structural control. These IOCG bodies occur as narrow veins, hydrothermal breccias, subhorizontal sheets, or as pipe-like intrusions usually utilising pre-existing structures. Set in red Nebo granite, the mineralised core consists of severely chloritised rock that is haloed by progressively less-altered granite. The alteration passes from the chlorite core to more hematite-phyllosilicate-dominated alteration, to sericite-illite-dominated alteration; followed by the relatively fresh country granite. These alteration haloes dissipate rapidly away from the body over only a few metres. Sodic-calcic alteration described in other IOCG is not locally observed. Extensive zones of barren feldspar-destructive alteration exist, including K-metasomatism, sericitisation and silicification. Multiple alteration episodes appear to have occurred, resulting in extensive overprinting and a very complex paragenesis. The primary mineral assemblage consists of Fe-chlorite, fluorite, quartz, hematite, and specularite, with accessory pyrite and chalcopyrite. Multiple generations of hematite, quartz, fluorite and chlorite are also observed. At other localities, the assemblage is dominated by magnetite-actinolite-britholite. Significantly enriched concentrations of Au (2 g/t), Cu (0,45 wt%), Ba, Y and LREE are encountered in the small, mineralised core. A fluid mixing model is proposed characterised by an initial highly-saline, sulphur-poor magmatic fluid which mixed with a lower temperature oxidised, surficial fluid. Structure was probably a significant factor in determining the initial distribution of hydrothermal centres and the overall morphology of the entire system. Subsequently, continuous brecciation, alteration, mineral precipitation and fault activity helped develop the hydrothermal centres into a complex array of variably mineralised, lenticular, pipe-like and irregularly shaped breccia bodies.

La chaîne de collision d'âge néoprotérozoïque de Jiangnan, orientée NE-SW, marque la limite entre les blocs duYangtze et de Cathaysia. Son évolution tectonique reste encore débattue. Une des questions les plus controversées est l'âge de la collision entre les deux blocs. Afin d'acquérir une meilleure compréhension de ce problème, nous avons collecté des échantillons dans les couches sédimentaires situées au-dessus et au-dessous de la discordance dans le but de comparer les spectres d'âge des zircons détritiques et aussi de les confronter à ceux décrits dans les séries néoprotérozoïques des régions du Yangtze, Jiangnan et Cathaysia. En outre, nous nous sommes intéressés aux plutons granitiques d'âge néoproterozoïque de Sanfang et Yuanbaoshan, de type-S, situés dans la partie occidentale de la chaîne de Jiangnan afin de tracer l'évolution tectonique de la région depuis 830 Ma par la mise en œuvre de méthodes pluridisciplinaires : géologie structurale, géochronologie U-Pb, AMS, modélisation gravimétrique et thermochronologie Argon.Notre étude montre les résultats suivants : (i) La chaîne de Jiangnan s'est formée par la collision des blocs de Yangtze et Cathaysia entre ca. 865 and 830 Ma ; (ii) Les intrusions granitiques de 830 Ma se sont mises en place dans des formations encaissantes du groupe Sibao plissées et faillées. Les plutons ont été construits par accumulation latérale E-W de filons N-S, avec un écoulement horizontal du magma du sud vers le nord ; (iii). Un cisaillement ductile du haut vers l'Ouest a été reconnu dans la partie supérieure des plutons. Des âges Ar/Ar vers 420 Ma obtenus sur plusieurs grains de muscovite et biotite déformés impliquent que le cisaillement ductile peut être : a) formé pendant l'orogenèse du Paléozoïque inférieur de Chine du Sud, ou b) pendant la mise en place des plutons au Néoprotérozoïque dans une croûte chaude, sous la température de fermeture du chronomètre argon, puis lors de l'orogenèse du Paléozoïque inférieur, ce domaine crustal de Chine du Sud est passé au-dessous de 350°C; (iv) Durant la période 420-240 Ma, la région de Sanfang-Yuanbaoshana connu un refroidissement lent qui pourrait correspondre au ré-équilibrage isostatique de la croûte. / The Jiangnan Orogenic Belt is a NE-SW trending Neoproterozoic collisional suture, marking the boundary between the Yangtze Block and the Cathaysia Block. Its tectonic evolution is still debated. One of the most controversial questions is the timing of the collision between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks. In order to have a better understanding of this problem, we have collected the sedimentary rocks from the strata both overlying and underlying the Neoproterozoic unconformities to compare the detrital zircon age spectra between them, as well as to compare the detrital zircon spectra of Neoproterozoic sequences among the Yangtze, Jiangnan and Cathaysia regions. Moreover, we paid attention to the Neoproterozoic S-type granite plutons located in the western Jiangnan region in order to trace the crustal evolution in the Sanfang-Yuanbaoshan area since 830 Ma by multidisciplinary methods, including structural geology, geochronology, AMS, gravity modelling and Argon isotopic dating.Our study shows that : (i) The Jiangnan Orogenic Belt was built up due to the assembly of the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks between ca. 865 and 830 Ma ; (ii) The 830 Ma granitic magma intruded into the pre-existing folds and faults in the Sibao group, the tongue-and/orsill-shaped plutonswere constructed by anE-W lateral accumulation of N-S oriented dykeswith adominantly northward horizontal magma flow from south to north ; (iii)A top-to-the-W ductile shearband has been identified on the top of plutons, (iv) the coherent mica Ar-Ar age of ca. 420 Ma, obtained from the deformed muscovite, implies that this shearing may be formed either a)during the Early Paleozoicorogeny, or b) during the Neoproterozoic plutons emplacement, then the plutons were exhumed by the Paleozoic orogeny ; (iv) During the 420-240 Ma period, the Sanfang-Yuanbaoshan area has experienced a slow cool ingrate, which may correspond to the isostatic re-equilibration of the crust.