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The Bushveld Complex Drilling Project

Project Acronym: BVDP | State: Drilling | Expedition ID: 5067

With on the order of 1 million km3 of igneous rocks, the Bushveld Complex by itself constitutes a Large Igneous Province. Its size alone poses first-order questions about how such vast volumes of magma are generated from the mantle. However, apart from its size, the Bushveld has several other features that make it remarkable.

  1. Unlike most Large Igneous Provinces, the Bushveld Complex is largely plutonic and represents the roots of such systems...
  2. The Bushveld Complex is bimodal in composition, with subequal proportions of mafic and felsic igneous rocks...
  3. The Bushveld Complex contains fabulous mineral wealth, with resources of strategic and high-tech metals ...

Keywords: Africa, South Africa, Bushveld, Deep Biosphere, Layered Intrusions, Lips, Ore Formation

Project Details

Project Location

Project Timeline

Drilling

First core on deck 26 April 2024

Curation of 9 km of Donated Cores

Full Proposal Approved

First Full Proposal Submitted

Workshop Held

7 - 9 September 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa

Workshop Proposal Approved