Limpopo

Hoemes S, Van Reenen DC (1992) The oxygen isotopic composition of granuUtes and retrogressed granulites from the Limpopo Belt as a monitor of fluid-rock interaction. Precambrian Res 55 353-364... 

The morama bean is an underutilized leguminous oilseed native to the Kalahari Desert and neighboring sandy regions of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa (Limpopo, North-West, Gauteng, and Northern Cape provinces), and forms part of the diet of the indigenous population in these countries. It is also known as gemsbok bean. 

Sadiki, P. and Ramutsmdela, M. (2002). Peri-urban transformation in South Africa Experiences from Limpopo province. Geojournal 57, 75-81. 

Smit C. A. and Van Reenen D. D. (1997) Deep crustal shear zones, high-grade tectonites, and associated metasomatic alteration in the Limpopo Belt, South Africa Implications for deep crustal processes. J. Geol. 105, 37 -58. 

Fig. 1. Map showing station locations, topography and principal geological provinces in the region of study within southern Africa, Fifty-five broadband (REFTEK/STS-2) stations were installed in April 1997 in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Stations in light blue were redeployed in April 1998 to sites indicated in yellow. A total of 82 sites were occupied over the two year deployment. In addition, three global seismic network broadband stations (white triangles) are located in the region and their data incorporated in the analysis. The array extends from the Cape Fold Belt in the south, through the Proterozoic Namaqua-Natal Mobile Belt, across the Kaapvaal Craton and Bushveld Province, through the Archaean Limpopo Mobile Belt and into the Zimbabwe Craton. On the west, the array covers part of the Kheis and Okwa Proterozoic Fold and Thrust Belts of Botswana and western South Africa. To the east, the array extends into the Early Archaean Barberton terrane, near the NW border with Swaziland. Published in James et al., GRL28, 2001, fig. 1.

Fig. 2. Schematic map showing mean redepletion model ages determined for peridotite nodules from kimberlite pipes erupted in southern Africa. Cratonic regions are outlined in yellow, the Limpopo Belt in brown. Solid coloured circles indicate individual kimberlite pipes from which several xenoliths have been analysed. Published in Carlson et al., GSA Today, 2000, February issue, fig. 4.

Within the resolution of the data, the mantle structure of the Archaean Limpopo Belt does not differ significantly from that of the adjacent cratons. The similarity with cratonic mantle structure contrasts sharply with the results of crustal structure determinations (Nguuri et al. 2001), which show the Central Zone of the Limpopo Belt to be characterized by thick crust and poorly developed Moho relative to the adjacent cratons. Interestingly, the SKS splitting results for the southern Africa array show that the Limpopo Belt exhibits a consistent east-west mantle fabric, presumably acquired at the time of craton collision (Silver et al. 2001). 

Limpopo N. Marginal Zone Limpopo Central Zone... 

Fig. 11. Colour-coded contour map of depth to Moho beneath the southern Africa array based on phasing depth images of Figure 2 (from Nguuri et al. 2001). Crustal thickness colour scale is shown on right. Thin crust is associated with undisturbed areas of craton, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the Kaapvaal Craton and in the Zimbabwe Craton north of the Limpopo Belt. Greater crustal thickness is associated with the Bushveld region and its westward extension into the Okwa and Magondi Belts and with the Central Zone of the Limpopo Belt and the Proterozoic Namaqua-Natal Mobile Belt.

Gore, J. 2002. Seismological structure of the crust and upper mantle of the Zimbabwe craton and Limpopo belt, southern Africa. PhD thesis. University of Zimbabwe, Harare. 

Gwavava, O., Swain, C. J., Podmore, F. Fairhead, J. D. 1992. Evidence of crustal thinning beneath the Limpopo Belt and Lebombo monocline of southern Africa based on regional gravity studies and implications for the reconstruction of Gondwana. In VON Frese, R. B. Taylor, P. (eds) Lithospheric Analysis of Magnetic and Related Geophysical Anomalies. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1-20. 

Stuart, G. W., Zengeni, T. Clark, R. A. 1986. Crustal structure of the Limpopo mobile belt, Zimbabwe. In Abstracts, the Tenth UK Geophysical Assembly. Royal Astronomical Society, London, 261. 

Treloar, P. j.. Coward, M. P. Harris. N. B. W. 1992. Himalayan-Tibetan analogies for the evolution of the Zimbabwean Craton and Limpopo belt. Precambrian Research, 55, 571-587. 

VAN Reenen, D. D., Barton, J. M., Roering, C. A., Smith, C. A. van Schalkwyk, J. F. 1987. Deep crustal response to continental collision the Limpopo belt of southern Africa. Geology (Boulder), 15, 11-14. 

The Kalahari Craton of southern Africa, consisting of the Kaapvaal and Zimbabwe Cratons and the Limpopo Mobile Belt, has formed a stable unit for the past 2.3 Ga (McElhinny ... 

Fig. 11. Location map of kimberlites on and around the Kaapvaal Craton from which peridotite xenolith suites have been dated by Re-Os isotopes (after Carlson et al. 2000 Irvine et al. 2001). Data sources Pearson et al. (1994, 1995a, 1998) Pearson (1999) Carlson et al. (1999) Janney et al. (1999) Irvine et al. (2001). Kaapvaal Craton is outlined in dark grey with the Archean Limpopo Metamorphic Belt shaded in light grey.

Limpopo NMZ Charnockite suite Chamo-enderbite Renco Mine 36... 

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