UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG

Prof Grant Cawthorn


BSc (Durham), PhD (Edinburgh)
011 717 6557
grant.cawthorn@wits.ac.za
Room G102, Geosciences building

 

Research Interests


Main fields of specialization:

Origin of mafic igneous intrusive rocks and their mineral deposits.

Main research interests:

Genesis of the Bushveld Complex and its chromite, platinum and vanadiferous magnetite deposits; the Insizwa intrusion and its copper and nickel deposits.
 

Current research projects:

The Bushveld Complex and its deposits.


Graduate/post-graduate projects available:

I have numerous research projects for which I would like to attract masters and Doctoral research students from South Africa, SADEC, and elsewhere in the world. Most of these projects relate to the Bushveld Complex, its mineralisation, its genesis, its structure, and some would involve interaction with some of the large Pt, Cr and V mining companies. Please contact me for further information.

Publications

2007

  • CAWTHORN, R.G. Cr and Sr: Keys to parental magmas and processes in the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Lithos. 95, 381-398.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. The centenary of the discovery of platinum in the Bushveld Complex (10th November 1906). Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 107, 1-3.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G., EALES, H.V., WALRAVEN, F., UKEN, R. and WATKEYS, M.K. The Bushveld Complex. In: Johnson, M.R., Anhaeusser, C.R. and Thomas, R.J. (Eds.), The Geology of South Africa. Geological Society of South Africa, Johannesburg/Council for Geoscience, Pretoria, 261-282.


2006

  • CAWTHORN, R.G. and BOERST, K. Origin of the pegmatitic pyroxenite in the Merensky Unit, Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Journal of Petrology, 47, 1509-1530.
  • CAWTHORN R.G. and McKENNA, N. The extension of the western limb, Bushveld Complex (South Africa), at Cullinan Diamond mine. Mineralogical Magazine, 70, 241-256.
  • LUNDG RD, K., TEGNER, C. and CAWTHORN, R.G. Trapped intercumulus liquid in the Main Zone of the eastern Bushveld Complex, South Africa. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 151, 352-369.
  • TEGNER, C., CAWTHORN, R.G. and KRUGER, F.J. Cyclicity in the Main and Upper Zones of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa: crystallization from a zoned magma sheet. Journal of Petrology, 47, 2257-2279.


2005

  • HARRIS, C., PRONOST, J.J.M., ASHWAL, L.D. and CAWTHORN, R.G. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope stratigraphy of the Rustenburg Layered Suite, Bushveld Complex: Constraints on crustal contamination. Journal of Petrology, 46, p. 579-602
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. Contrasting sulphide contents of the Bushveld and Sudbury Igneous Complexes. Mineralium Deposita, 40, p. 1-12.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. Pressure fluctuations and the formation of the PGE-rich Merensky and chromitite reefs, Bushveld Complex. Mineralium Deposita, 40, p. 231-235.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. Stratiform PGE deposits in layered intrusions. Mineralogical Association of Canada, Short Course Volume, 35, p. 57-73.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G., BARNES, S.J., BALLHAUS, C. and MALITCH, K.N. Platinum-group element, chromium, and vanadium deposits in mafic and ultramafic rocks. Economic Geology, 100th Anniversary Volume, p. 215-249.
  • VAN DER MERWE, J. and CAWTHORN, R.G. Structures at the base of the Upper Group 2 chromitite layer, Bushveld Complex, South Africa, on Karee Mine (Lonmin Platinum). Lithos, 83, p. 214-228.

2004

  • WEBB, S.J., CAWTHORN, R.G., NGUURI, T. and JAMES, D. Gravity modeling of the Bushveld Complex connectivity supported by southern African seismic experimental results. South African Journal of Geology, 107, p. 207-218.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. and KRUGER, F.J. Petrology and Ni-Cu-PGE potential of the Insizwa lobe, Mount Ayliff Intrusion, South Africa. Canadian Mineralogist, 42, p. 303-324.
  • KINNAIRD, J.A., KRUGER, F.J. and CAWTHORN, R.G. Rb-Sr and Nd-Sm isotopes in fluorite related to the granites of the Bushveld Complex. South African Journal of Geology, 107, p. 413-430.

2003

  • CAWTHORN, R.G. and SPIES, L. Plagioclase-rich cyclic units in the Bushveld Complex. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, v. 145, p. 47-60.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. Genesis of magmatic oxide deposits ? a view from the Bushveld Complex. Norges Geologiske Undersokelse, Spec. Publ. 9, 11-20.

2002

  • CAWTHORN, R.G., LEE, C.A., SCHOUWSTRA, R. and MELLOWSHIP, P. Relations between PGE and PGM in the Bushveld Complex. Canadian Mineralogist, v. 40, 311-328.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. The role of magma mixing in the genesis of PGE mineralization in the Bushveld Complex: thermodynamic calculations and new interpretations - discussion. Economic Geology v, 97, 663-666.
  • KINNAIRD, J.A., KRUGER, F.J., NEX, P.A.M., and CAWTHORN, R.G. Chromitite formation -a key to understanding processes of platinum enrichment. Transactions Institution Mining and Metallurgy, v. 111, B23-B35.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. Delayed accumulation of plagioclase in the Bushveld Complex. Mineralogical Magazine, v. 66, 881-893.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G., MERKLE, R.K.W and VILJOEN, M.V. Platinum-group element deposits in the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. In: The Geology, Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Beneficiation of the Platinum-Group Elements, Ed: L.J. Cabri, Canadian Institute of mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, v.54, 389-430.

2001

  • CAWTHORN, R.G. and WEBB, S.J. Connectivity between eastern and western limbs of the Bushveld Complex. Tectonophysics, v. 330, 195-209.
  • CAWTHORN, R.G. A stream sediment geochemical re-investigation of the discovery of the platiniferous Merensky Reef, Bushveld Complex. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, v. 72, 59-69.


2000

  • CAWTHORN, R.G., HARRIS, C. and KRUGER, F.J. Discordant ultramafic pegmatoidal pipes in the Bushveld Complex. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, v. 140, 119-133.