Intro: The precambrian of south africa contains many different terranes all with a varied amount of modern outcropping. The terranes that are here outlined are all given in their original area and environment. This outline in no way covers all the precambrian environments but is rather an outline of major time periods and their respective depositions. I followed the form outlined in the book "The Precambrian of the Southern hemisphere" in that I followed each different type of environment through the precambrian.

I. The Archean Basement

A. Gneiss Terranes at 3.3 Ga

B. Today's exposed Archean on Kaapvaal Craton

1. Granitic Rocks= 91%

2.Greenstone belts=9%

-For more on South Africa's greenstone belts click here Greenstone.html

II.Older Cratons/ Sedimentary basins

A. Pongola Group (SE Transvaal, S Swaziland Approx.3.0 Ga)

-For more details click here pongola.html

B.Witwatersrand Supergroup (S. Transvaal, approx. 2.9 Ga)

1. Major depositional environment

2.Huge goldfields on uncomformities between sedimentation

3.Marine shelf sediments on a slowly subsiding basin on a craton

C. Vendersdorp (approx. 2.7 Ga)

1.Subaerial flood basalts (Pre-rift)

2.Volcanic intervals with synrift basin sediments

a.Mixed sedimentary and mafic rocks in a subsiding basin

b.Also, alluvial fans deposition and alkaline lake deposition

c. All equal a rift basin

D. Transvaal Supergroup-2 huge basins divided by Limpopo providence

-For details click here Transvaal.html

III. Younger Cratonic Basins

A.Waterberg-intracratonic (approx. 2.0-1.3 Ga)

1.Continental Redbeds, Fluvial/ Shallow Marine with some coarse clastics

2.Created by block faulting along basin rims

3.Minimal volcanism

B.Soutpansberg=Aulacogen

IV. Plutonic Events

A.Granitic events after basement formation

1.~3.0 Ga, Southern Kaapvaal, Pongola basement

2.~2.7 Ga, Northern Craton, intrudes Pongola group

3. Many smaller events athat are useful in putting age constraints on depostional environments

B.Usushevana Complex (Approx. 2.87 Ga)

1.SE Transvaal

2. Two huge Dykes running NW about 35 Km apart

C. Bushveld complex (Approx. 2.095 Ga)

-For details click here bushveld.html

V.Mobile Belts

1.Limpopo Belt

a.High grade metamorphosed mainly volcanic with some marbles

b.Cuts craton

c.mainly mafic volcanism that has gome through many episodes of deformation

VI. For refernces click here references.html