Rocks forming part of the Main-Bird Series and the Kimberley-Elsburg Series of the Upper Division of the Witwatersrand System are found in the mine. The sequence studied starts with the Middle or MB 6 Zone of the Livingstone Stage followed by the Upper or MB 5 Zone. The Vaal Roof, forming the base of the Vaal Stage, rests disconformably on the older rocks. The Stage is subdivided into the Vaal Reef Zone, the Lower Vaal Zone, the Argillaceous Zone and the Upper Vaal Zone. The lower and upper contacts of the Argillaceous Zone are gradational. The Kimberley Stage follows unconformably and comprises the basal Gold Estates Conglomerate Zone, the Denny's Zone and the Gold Estates Zone. The overlying Elsburg Stage may be subdivided into the Bastard Zone and the Upper Elsburg Zone on lithological grounds. Most of the rocks are indurated quartz wackes with only a few orthoquartzite horizons such as the Denny's Zone and the immediate hangingwall of the Vaal Reef. Microscopically the rocks consist of detrital quartz and chert grains in a fine-grained sericitic to partly siliceous matrix which may constitute more than 50 per cent of the rock. Heavy minerals, such as zircon, chromite, rutile, leucoxone, pyrite, tourmaline, epidete, apetite and magnetite, occur in most of the zones. The Vaal Reef, the economic horizon, is of small-pebble, oligomictic conglomerate, often containing thucholite seams and granules, and varying in thickness from a mere parting to more than five feet. There appears to be a correlation between greater pebble size and higher ore grade but no correlation of sorting coefficients and gold value. The mineralogy of the Vaal Reef was studied by means of polished sections and heavy mineral concentrates. The minerals identified include gold, pyrite of several ages, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, uraninite, galena, brannerite, gersdorffite or cobaltite, skutterudite, linnacite, danaite, niccolite, pentlandite, magnotite, zircon, chromite, rutile, leucoxine, monazite, sphalerite, tourmaline, and fluorite. From a study of the silver content of gold in the Vaal Roof it is concluded that the variations in apparent fineness are a reflection of the composition of the gold in the original source rocks. There is a definite uranium-gold relationship in the Vaal Roof. With increase in grade the amount of U₃O₈ increases but the U₃O₈:AU ratio decreases. Use of these reations may indciate the payability in cases of incomplete core recovery.The intrusive rocks were studies in detail. Six types of intrusive rocks were found. From oldest to youngest those are quartz diabase (of three varieties), amygdaloidal diabase, ilmenite mela-microdiorite, mottled microdiorite, olivine lamprophyre and ankeritic beforsite, ranging in age from Lower Ventersdorp to post-Karroo. Most of the intrusives are highly altered due to the effects of regional metamorphism and deuteric alteration. Later formations, such as the Langgeleven and Allanridge Formations of the Ventersdorp System and the Black Roof and Dolomite Series of the Transvaal System, occur on the property. The various formations have been subjected to faulting and folding.

D.Phil. Geology) / This study presents detailed petrographic, mineral-chemical and geochemical characteristics ofmafic intrusions from three iron oremining areas - Thabazimbi, Sishen and Hotazel - in southern Africa In addition, as themafic intrusions at the Thabazimbi, Sishen and Hotazel mines occur in close spatial association with iron and manganese ore, this study addresses the aspect of whether these intrusions have a bearing on the localization of these ores. Precise geochronologic data of these previously undated mafic dykes and sills is presented to classify them into a regional context. particularly in considering whether these dykes and sills are part of known Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) in sonthem Africa. The Thabazimbi dykes are coarse grained dolerites while the sills are diabases. The dykes are younger than the sills. Composition wise, sills are dominantly basaltic andesites, while the dykes are dominantly hasaltic. Different to the sills, the dykes are characterized byrestriction of olivine, higher HFSE and LREE as well as less prominent negative Bu" anomaly. Geochemical and isotope chemical characteristics of the Thabazimhi dykes and sills are explained in terms of a combined partial melting, followed by fractional crystallization and crustal contamination with differentiation model. with the dykes showing greater crustal assimilation. The petrogenetic characteristics of the Sishen dolerite dykes in many ways resemble both the Colombia River Basalts and the typical Umkondo dolerites, and point to significant crustal contamination, typical of continental tholeiites. Geochemical characteristics of the Sishen dolerites is acconnted by the partial melting followed by fractional crystallization and crustal contamination, but unlike the Thabazimbi dykes and sills crustal assimilation is significant. At Hotazel, the petrographyand geochemistry of 'bostonites' bas been used to define their true composition while at the same time highlighting the presence of a -2 - 3 m thick iron ore unit associated with banded iron formation and manganese ore. Geochemically, the Hotazel 'bostonites' are "basaltic andesites' while textnra1ly, the Hotazel <bostonites' are essentially diabases. Regarding the iron ores that occurs in the Hotazel Formation at the base of the Pre-Mapedi nnconformity, they are composed of various forms of hematite with variable minor chlorite. quartz and carbonates. Iron ore genesis is attributed to supergene processes similar to those that have affected Sishentype iron ore below the Gamagara unconformity on the Maremane Dome. A U-Pb 2046.6±3.4 Ma age has been obtained for the crystallization of a Thabazimbi sill by dating titanite. This is interpreted to indicate that while the mafic/ultramafic component ofthe Bushveld Complex may have been emplaced over a short period, there was later magmatic activity at 2046 Ma, represented by the Thabazimbi sill and other late Bushveld Complex related intrusions such as the Uitkomst Complex at 2044 Ma. The 1044.3±7.5 Ma age obtained for the Sishen dolerites has resulted into two major interpretations. Firstly. the age is interpreted to be the minimum age for Umkondo LIP. The age shows that while large sections of the Umkondo LIP may have been emplaced within a short time interval, emplacement of end members ofthis LIP was in progress at least - 50 Ma later. Secondly. the age of these dolerites shows that they were emplaced subsequent to major iron ore genesis at Sishen. The new age. coupled with the limited extent ofthese intrusions shows that they played a no part in the origin ofthe bulk ofthe iron ore at the mine.

D.Phil. (Geology) / This study examines the nature, distribution and origin of a distinctive chert-like fault rock in the West Rand Goldfield of the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa. These fault rocks, termed pseudotachylites, are characterized by an aphanitic groundmass enclosing subangular to rounded clasts of the host rocks. No glass has been observed in the matrix but features such as spherulites, coronas and altered margins to the host rocks as well as geochemical evidence, suggest that the pseudotachylite formed as a result of melting of the host rocks due to the heat generated by friction on faults. The colour of the pseudotachylite is a function of its chemical composition and parentage. The pseudotachylite has abrupt contacts with the host rocks which comprise a lower Proterozoic to Archaean succession of rocks belonging to the predominantly sedimentary Transvaal Sequence, the predominantly volcanic Ventersdorp Supergroup and the predominantly . sedimentary Witwatersrand Supergroup. The orientation of many of the pseudotachylite fault veins parallels a pre-existing set of mylonitic faults. These pseudotachylite fault veins most commonly occur in sub parallel southward dipping pairs and are accompanied by injection veins. If treated on a statistical basis, the vergence concept can be extended to injection veins to give the approximate movement direction of the fault system. The pseudotachylite is thought to be genetically related to brittle or semi-brittle extensional faulting of post-Transvaal age.

The giant Palaeoproterozoic manganese deposits of the Kalahari manganese field (KMF), Northern Cape Province, South Mrica, have been a world renowned resource of manganese ore for many decades. In recent years, the mineralogical composition, geochemistry and genesis of these deposits have been the objects of many geological investigations, yet their origin remains contentious up to the present day. A characteristic feature of the Kalahari deposits is the intimate association of manganese ore and iron-formation of the Superior-type, in the form of three discrete sedimentary cycles constituting the Hotazel Formation. This striking lithological association is an almost unique feature on a global scale. From that point of view, the present study is effectively the first attempt to shed light on the origin and post-depositional history of the Hotazel succession, using as prime focus the petrographic and geochemical characteristics ofthe host iron-formation. Petrographic and whole-rock geochemical information of iron-formation from the southern parts of the KMF, suggests that the Hotazel iron-formation is almost identical to other iron-formations of the world of similar age and petrological character. The rock exhibits essentially no high-grade metamorphic or low-temperature alteration effects. Mineralogically, it contains abundant chert, magnetite, subordinate amounts of silicate minerals (greenalite, minnesotaite, stilpnomelane) and appreciable concentrations of carbonate constituents in the form of coexisting calcite and ankerite. Such mineralogical composition is indicative of processes occurring in a diagenetic" to burial (up to very low-greenschist facies) metamorphic environment. Bulk-rock geochemical data point towards a simple composition with Si02, total Fe-oxide and CaO being the chief major oxide components. Whole-rock rare-earth element data suggest that the iron-formation precipitated from a water column with chemical signatures comparable to modern, shallow oceanic seawater. The virtual absence of positive Eu anomalies is a feature that compares well with similar data from Neoproterozoic, glaciogenic iron-formations of the Rapitan type, and suggests but only a dilute hydrothermal signal, poten!ially derived from distal submarine volcanic activity. Carbon and oxygen isotope data from iron-formation and Mn-bearing carbonates as well as overlying ferriferous limestone of the Mooidraai Formation, compare well with the literature. The former exhibit variable depletion relative to seawater in terms of both BC and 180, while the latter have signatures comparable to normal marine bicarbonate. Isotopic variations appear to be related to fluctuations in the amount of co-precipitated marine carbonate, in conjunction with processes of coupled organic matter oxidation - FelMn reduction in the diagenetic environment. Oxygen isotope data from quartz-magnetite-calcite triplets suggest that crystallisation took place under open-system conditions, with magnetite being the most susceptible phase in terms of fluid-rock isotopic exchange. Data also suggest that the calcite-magnetite pair may constitute a more reliable geothermometer than the quartz-magnetite one, mainly due to the interlinked diagenetic histories between calcite and magnetite. Iron-formation from the northern parts of the KMF can by categorised into three main classes, namely pristine, altered and oxidised. Pristine iron-formation is identical to the one seen in the southernmost parts of the field. Altered iron-formation corresponds to a carbonate-free derivative of intense oxidation and leaching processes at the expense ofpristine iron-formation, and contains almost exclusively binary quartz-hematite mixtures. The rock appears to have lost essentially its entire pre-existing carbonate-related components (i.e., Ca, Mg, Sr, most Mn and Ba) and displays residual enrichments in elements such as Cr, Th, V, Ni and Pb, which would have behaved as immobile constituents during low-temperature alteration. The low temperature origin of altered iron-formation is supported by oxygen isotope data from quartz-hematite pairs which indicate that isotopically light hematite would have derived from oxidation of magneftte and other ferroussilicate compounds in the presence of a low-temperature meteoric fluid, while quartz would have remained isotopically unchanged. Occasional occurrences of acmite-hematite assemblages suggest localised metasomatic processes related to the action ofNaCI-rich fluids at the expense of altered iron-formation. The conditions of acmite genesis are very poorly constrained due to the very broad stability limits of the mineral in environments ranging from magmatic to surface-related. Oxidised iron-formation constitutes a distinct rock-type and shares common attributes with both the pristine and the altered iron-formation. The rock contains hematite as an important constituent while the amount of magnetite is substantially reduced. With regard to carbonate nlinerals, calcite contents are clearly very low or absent, having being replaced in most instances by a single, Mgenriched, dolomite/ankerite:type species. Oxidised iron-formation contains somewhat higher amounts of iron and reduced amounts of Sr and Ba relative to pristine iron-formation, whereas enrichments in elements such as Ni, Th, Pb, Cr, and V are seen, similar to altered iron-formation. Oxidised iron-formation appears to have originated from processes of dissolution-mobilisationreprecipitation of solutes derived primarily from leaching that produced altered iron-formation. It is proposed that the Hotazel iron-formation and associated manganese deposits were formed as a result of episodic sea-level fluctuations in a stratified depositional environment that gradually evolved into a shallow carbonate platform. A critical parameter in the development of manganese sediment may include regional climatic patterns related to a glacial event (Makganyene diamictite) prior to deposition of the Hotazel strata. This suggestion draws parallels with processes that are believed to have led to the formation of worldwide iron-formations and associated manganese deposits subsequent to Neoproterozoic episodes of glaciation. Submarine volcanism related to the underlying Ongeluk lavas appears to have had very little (if any) metallogenic significance, while evidence for a sudden rise in the oxygen contents of the atmosphere and ambient waters is lacking. With regard to later alteration processes, combination of geological and geochemical data point towards the potential influence of surface weathering prior to deposition of rocks of the unconformably overlying Olifantshoek Supergroup, possibly coupled with fault- and/or thrustcontrolled fluid-flow and leaching of the Hotazel succession during post-Olifantshoek times.

M.Sc. (Geology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Phil. (Geology) / The structural history and mechanisms of bedding-parallel faulting associated with the Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR) on the Kloof Gold Mine are discussed. Pre-VCR deformation is determined by folding of the Booysens Shale Formation and the Turffontein Subgroup. Extension of Ventersdorp age (± 2700 Ma) probably took place by the simultaneous operation of normal, strike-slip and oblique slip faults (mixed-mode extension). Because the strikeslip and oblique-slip faults were extensional, they could be utilised as conduits for dykes, forming "Fault and Dyke Zones". Northwestward directed thrusting, which postdates the normal faulting, resulted in positive inversion. The thrust faults have a ramp-flat symmetry with ramps forming in the VCR horizon and the overlying Alberton Formation and flats forming in the underlying Booysens Shale Formation and along the contact between the VCR and the Alberton Formation. The thrust faults follow complex deformation paths, indicated by out-of-sequence thrusting, simultaneous folding and thrusting, underthrusting and compressed boudins. Hanging-wall ripouts, which can be related to this thrust event, are introduced as a shear sense indicator. No northwestward verging thrust faults of post-Transvaal age (post 2430 Ma) could be identified, indicating that this compressional event occurred prior to the deposition of the Black Reef Quartzite Formation. The minimum amount of shortening due to northwestward directed thrusting was estimated as 37 % with the help of restored sections. However, due to the out-of-sequence propagation of thrust faults, a control of the strain estimation was possible and true shortening probably exceeded the calculated amount of shortening considerably. The restoration of sections with out-of sequence thrusts is discussed in detail. Sheath fold-like structures in pseudotachylyte can be related to northwestward directed thrusting and are introduced as a new shear sense indicator.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 1989. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Ceres Syntaxis comprises that part of the Cape Fold Belt Syntaxis that lies north of the Worcester Fault. Most of the area consists of folded Cape Supergroup (primarily Witteberg Group) rocks. Fold styles of all fold trends are essentially the same. However, different multilayer rheologies led to the development of either sinusoidal or kink-like fold geometries in different parts of the cover sequence. The character of Witteberg sediments led to the development of large megakink folds and peculiar fold zones in this part of the sequence. Fold trends in the Ceres Syntaxis vary between NW-SE, NE-SW and E-W. The southern part of the area is dominated by the NE-SW trend, with the NW-SE trend being only important in the west. Interference between these two trends only exists in the Witteberg Group, where it occurs as crossing linear fold zones and conjugate, intersecting kink folds . Cross-folding relationships in the north-eastern part of the Ceres Syntaxis indicate that the area had been affected by two contemporaneous, orthogonally opposed compressions that worked simultaneously in different parts of the multilayer. Differences in the magnitude of strain, or in the local timing of fold initiation, produced local refolding or transecting relationships. The microfabric of Witteberg sandstones suggests deformation under conditions of low temperature and pressure, as well as low strain rates. Some microfabrics also indicate that substantial buckle shortening occurred while the Middle and Upper Witteberg beds were still unlithified. Isotopic dating of Cedarberg shale from both main trends did not yield unequivocal results, mainly due to the deformatio~al intensity. The positioning of the Cape low Fold Belt Syntaxis was strongly influenced by basement tectonic grain and basin floor relief. The NW and NE fold trends formed on a heterogeneous basement that resolved the stress configuration into components which external . acted simultaneously towards the north-west and north-east. Ecca and Beaufort Group sedimentation patterns in the western Karoo corroborate the above findings. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Ceres-sintaks beslaan daardie deel van die sintaks van die Kaapse Plooigordel wat noord van die Worcesterverskuiwing Ie. Die gebied bestaan grotendeels uit geplooide gesteentes van die Supergroep Kaap (hoofsaaklik Groep Witteberg). AIle plooirigtings openbaar dieselfde plooistyl. Reologiese verskille in'die rnultilaehet egter gelei tot die ontwikkeling van of sinusoidale ~f knikvorrnigeplooie in verskillende dele van die dekgesteentes. Die Wittebergsedirnente se aard het veroorsaak dat rnegaknikkeen eienaardige plooisones in hierdie deel van die opeenvolging ontstaan het. Plooirigtings in die Ceres-sintaks wissel tussen NW-SO, NO-SW en O-W. Die NO-SW plooirigting oorheers in die suidelike deel van die gebied, terwyl die NW-SO plooirigting eintlik net in. die weste belangrik is. Interferensie van hierdie twee.hoofrigtings korn slegs voor in die Groep Witteberg, waar dit as dwarssnydende lineere plooisones en snydende, konjugerende knikke aanwesig is. Onderlinge verhoudings tussen kruisplooie in die noordoostelike Ceres-sintaks, toon dat die gebied beinvloed is deur twee gelyktydige drukspannings wat reghoekig op rnekaar ingewerk het, sorntyds in effens verskillende dele van die rnultilaag.Verskille in die spanningsbedrag en tydsberekening het lokale herplooiing of dwarssnydende strukture veroorsaak. Die mikrornaaksel van die Wittebergsandsteen toon dat die vervorming onder lae temperatuur- en druktoestande, tesame met 'n lae vervorrningsternpo, plaasgevind het. Die rnaaksel toon ook aan dat heelwat buigplooiing plaasgevind het terwyl die Middel- en Bo-Witteberglae nog ongekonsolideer was. Isotopiese datering van Sederbergskalie afkornstigvan die twee hoofplooirigtings, het weens die lae vervormingsintensiteit swak resultate gelewer. Die posisie van die sintaks van die Kaapse Plooigordel, insluitende die van die Ceres-sintaks, is sterk' belnvioed deur die tektoniese grein en re~i~f van die vloergesteentes. Die heterogene vloer waarop die NW en NO plooie gevorrn het, het daartoe gelei dat die eksterne spanningsopset verdeel is in kornponentewat gelyktydig na die noordweste en noordooste gewerk het. Sedirnentasiepatrone in die Groepe Ecca en Beaufort ondersteun bostaande afleidings.

The general aim of this thesis is to investigate heterogeneity in the structure of the crust and uppermost mantle of Archaean and Proterozoic terrains in southern Africa and to use the findings to advance our understanding of Precambrian crustal genesis. Teleseismic, regional and local seismic recordings by the broadband stations of the Southern African Seismic Experiment (SASE), Kimberley array, South African National Seismograph Network (SANSN) and the Global Seismic Network (GSN) are used in the inversion procedures to address the aim of this thesis. In the first part of the thesis, the nature of the lower crust across the southern African shield is investigated by jointly inverting receiver functions and Rayleigh wave group velocities. The resultant Vs models show that much of southern Africa has a lower crust that is mafic in composition, whereas the western parts of the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons have a lower crust that is intermediate-to-felsic in composition probably due to rifting. The second part of the thesis evaluates the “dipping-sheet” and “continuous-sheet” models of the Bushveld Complex using better-resolved seismic models derived in a two-step approach, employing high-frequency Rayleigh wave group velocity tomography and the joint inversion of high-frequency receiver functions and 2–60 sec Rayleigh wave group velocities. The resultant seismic models favor a “continuous-sheet” model of the Bushveld Complex, although detailed modelling near the centre of the Complex shows that the subsurface mafic layering could be disrupted. The third part of the thesis, is focused on jointly inverting high-frequency teleseismic receiver functions and 10–60 sec Rayleigh wave group velocities to place shear wave velocity constraints on the source of the Beattie Magnetic Anomaly (BMA) at depth and to evaluate existing geophysical models of the BMA source. The resultant Vs models across the BMA suggest the BMA source to be at upper to middle crustal depths (5–20 km) with high velocity layers (≥ 3.5 km/s). Further to this, is a lower crust that is highly mafic (Vs ≥ 4.0 km/s) and a crust beneath the BMA that is on average thicker than 40 km. Plausible models of the BMA source are massive sulphide ore bodies and/or mineralized granulite-facies mid-crustal rocks and/or mineralized Proterozoic anorthosites. v Overall, the findings in this research project are consistent with the broad features of a previous model of Precambrian lithospheric evolution but allows for refinements of that model.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Science Faculty (Geology), 1997. / The Sterkspruit Intrusion, in the south-western portion of the Barberton greenstone belt, is a sill-like body containing rocks of gabbroic to dioritic composition. It is hosted by a sequence of komatiitic basalts and komatiites of the Lower Onverwacht Group. The intrusion is considered unique in this area in that it lacks ultramafic components and has no affinities with the surrounding mafic- to- ultramafic lavas. The gabbroic suite also contains an unusual abundance of quartz, and the chill margin shows an evolved quartz-normative, tholeiitic parental magma. Based on petrographic and geochemical evidence, the intrusion can be subdivided into four gabbroic zones and a quartz diorite, which is an end product of a differentiating magma. The chill margin records an MgO content of 4.8%, an Mg# of 42, an Si02 value of 52.5% and a normative plagioclase composition of An44. The sill-like nature of the body, indicated by geochemical trends, and the steep sub-vertical layering, point to a body that has been tilted along with the surrounding lavas. This constrains the relative age of the body to be older than the emplacement of the Kaap Valley and Nelshoogte Plutons, which caused the regional deformation observed in the Nelshoogte Schist Belt. A sequence of tholeiitic to andesitic basalts from the Kromberg Formation in the Upper Onverwacht Group, have compositions which can be correlated with the Sterkspruit Intrusion. It is possible that this body represents a subvolcanic magma chamber, which acted as a feeder to tholeiitic lavas higher up in the volcanic sequence. The Sterkspruit Mafic Dyke Swarm intruded the southern Nelshoogte Schist Belt and displays intra-dyke chemical variation. / AC2017

Several seismic reflection surveys were conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the auspices of the SA National Geophysics Programme. These surveys targeted the Bushveld Complex, Limpopo Mobile Belt (Limpopo Province), Witwatersrand Basin, Vredefort Dome and the Beattie magnetic anomaly (BMA) in the Southern Karoo. The ~100 km seismic reflection profile described in this study (SAGS-03-92) covers the BMA, the Southern Cape Conductive Belt (SCCB) and the Karoo/Cape Fold Belt boundary. The profile runs from approximately Droëkloof in the south to Beaufort West in the north along the N12 national road. The profile was acquired in 1992, but the complete profile was not interpreted or published prior to this study. The purpose of this study is to successfully reprocess the data and to do a structural and stratigraphic interpretation in order to try and understand the geological history and processes that led up to the formation of the rocks in that area. SAGS-03-92 reveals a clear image of the crust in the southern Karoo. The crust is interpreted to be around 37 km thick in the area of investigation and can be classed into three parts: upper crust, middle crust and lower crust. The upper crust consists of the Karoo and Cape Supergroup rocks that dip slightly to the south. This interpretation has been confirmed by two deep boreholes (BH No. 3 and KW 1/67). The seismic fabric shows quite a strong character in the upper crust and the interpreted boundaries between the different lithologies (The Table Mountain, Bokkeveld and Witteberg Groups of the Cape Supergroup and the Dwyka, Ecca and Beaufort Groups of the Karoo Supergroup) are for the most part quite easy to identify. Within the Cape Fold Belt (CFB), however, the seismic character becomes distorted in such a way that it is very difficult to make out any features. This is possibly due to the severe faulting and folding that occurred when the CFB formed. An unconformity that can continually be followed throughout the profile (although it disappears in the south of the profile possibly due to deformation when the CFB formed) separates the upper crust from the middle crust and the unconformity is clearly indicated by a strong series of reflectors on the seismic profile. The middle crust is interpreted to consist of granitic-gneisses belonging to the Bushmanland Terrane (part of the Namaqua-Natal Belt (NNB)). The seismic profile suggests that the NNB gneisses continue beneath the Cape Fold Belt. The seismic fabric dips steeply to the north. The middle crust also hosts the source of the Beattie Magnetic Anomaly (BMA). There is an area of high reflectivity under the BMA on the seismic profile that differs significantly from the surrounding seismic character. This area is characterised by a beanshaped cluster of strong reflections dipping north and south. It is ~10 km wide, with a thickness of ~8 km and occurs at a depth of ~6 km to ~10 km. The lower crust is interpreted to consist of either granites belonging to the Areachap Terrane, Richtersveld or Kheis Province (NNB) or rocks belonging to the Kheis Province. The seismic fabric of the lower crust dips moderately to the south. The Moho is recognised at ~37 km depth at ~68 km from the south of the profile, but for the rest of the profile, it is unclear where the Moho is encountered. The research done for this study correlates well with work done under the auspices of Inkaba yeAfrica, especially the work done by Ansa Lindeque