Komatii Formation

3.475 billion year old rock formation in South Africa

Komati Formation

Stratigraphic range: Paleoarchean

3300 Ma

Pha.

Proterozoic

Archean

Had.

Type| Geological formation
Unit of| Onverwacht Group
Tjakastad Subgroup
Underlies| Geluk Subgroup
Hooggenoeg Formation
Overlies| Theespruit Formation
Thickness| 3,500 m (11,500 ft)
Lithology
Primary| Komatiite
Other| Tholeiite
Location
Coordinates| 25°48′S 31°00′E﻿ / ﻿25.8°S 31.0°E﻿ / -25.8; 31.0
Region| Barberton Greenstone Belt, Mpumalanga
Country|  South Africa
Extent| Kaapvaal Craton
Type section
Named for| Komati River

Location of the Barberton Greenstone Belt

The Komati Formation, also named as Komatii Formation, is a 3.475 billion year old Paleoarchean rock formation, named after the nearby Komati River in South Africa. It is the type locality for komatiite, a high temperature, magnesium-rich volcanic rock occurring in the Barberton Greenstone Belt, Mpumalanga.[1]

## Description[edit]

The formation, belonging to the Tjakastad Subgroup of the Onverwacht Group, overlies the Theespruit Formation and is overlain by the Hooggenoeg Formation of the Geluk Subgroup.[2] Komatiites and tholeiites from the Komati Formation were analyzed for sulfur and provided δ34S values between −0.7 and 5.2 ‰.[3]

The Komatii Formation comprises metamorphosed komatiites and basaltic komatiites, with minor mafic lavas and small intrusions. The lower part of the Komatii Formation is dominantly ultramafic, while the upper part is dominantly mafic.[4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Greenstone Belt Studies, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town
2. ^ Montinaro et al., 2015, p.314
3. ^ Montinaro et al., 2015, p.319
4. ^ Guice, 2019, p.143

### Bibliography[edit]

* Guice, George L (2019). Origin and geodynamic significance of ultramafic-mafic complexes in the North Atlantic and Kaapvaal Cratons (PhD thesis). Cardiff University. pp. 1–289.
* Montinaro, Alice; Strauss, Harald; Mason, Paul R.D.; Roerdink, Desiree; Münker, Carsten; Schwarz-Schamper, Ulrich; Arndt, Nicholas T.; Farquhar, James; Beukes, Jens Gutzmer and Marc Peters, Nicolas J. (2015). "Paleoarchean sulfur cycling: Multiple sulfur isotope constraints from the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa". Precambrian Research. 267: 311–322.

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