Spilitization processes in the Proterozoic Ongeluk Andesite Formation in Griqualand West, South Africa

The Ongeluk Formation is a thick succession of lavas which crops out over a large portion of the region. The formation thickness is poorly constrained and considered to be equivalent to the Hekpoort Basalts in the Transvaal, but large facies changes in the sedimentary formations obscure the correlation. At least two alteration events can be recognized in the Ongeluk Lava: a spilitization process, and a locally restricted hydrothermal event and oxidation process which obscures the spilitization process. The Ongeluk lavas probably covered a much greater area of Griqualand West than at present and could have provided a significant source of manganese, deposited in the Kalahari Manganese Field. A connection between the volcanic origin and alteration of the Ongeluk Formation and the Kalahari Manganese-type mineralization is demonstrated by Gresens' equations. 2 figs., 1 tab