ICDPInternational Continental Scientific Drilling Program

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 ...