Kaapvaal Craton greenstone belts

The greenstone belts of interest here formed between 3.8 and 2.5 Ga, although they are not unique to the Archaean and many Proterozoic and Phanerozoic examples are also known. Within individual cratons greenstone belt ages may vary by as much as 1 billion years (e.g. the Kaapvaal Craton), but normally the time span is much shorter, of the order of only a few hundred million years. Most... 

Wilson, A. H. Carlson, R. W. 1989. A Sm-Nd and Pb isotope study of Archaean greenstone belts in the southern Kaapvaal craton. South Africa. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 96, 89-105. 

FIGURE 3.25 The secular cooling curve for the potential temperature of the Earth s mantle (from Richter, 1988) and calculated upper mantle potential temperatures based on basalt chemistry (Abbott et al., 1994 - shaded field). Also shown are the potential temperatures for komatiites from Barberton Greenstone Belt (Barb) and the Belingwe Greenstone Belt (Bel), estimated komatiite temperatures from Grove and Parman (2004) and the calculated temperature of the subcontinental lithosphere from beneath the Kaapvaal Craton (Richardson et al., 1984). 

Wilson A.H. Versfeld J.A. 1994 - The Elary Archaean Nondweni greenstone belt, southern Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa Part 1, Stratigraphy, sedimentology, mineralization and depositional environment Precambrian Research, 67 243-276. http //minerals.usgs.gov/ minerals/ pubs/ commodity/... 

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