A study on the Bellingwe Greenstone Belt, presenting the stratigraphy of the belt, its structure and tectonic setting, the sedimentology of what may be a rift basin, the geochemistry of the freshest Archaean komatiites yet found, and models of the evolution of the region.

'What are we going to do with a parcel of old stones?' wrote the director of an African museum a century and a half ago, when one of my ancestors presented him with a splendid collection of fossils of mammal-like reptiles. Old stones, however intriguing, are difficult to interpret, dusty, and do not fit well in the neatly ordered contents of a house of learning. Archaean geology, which is the study of the Earth's history in the period from after 9 the end of planetary accretion (4.5-4.4 x 10 years ago) up to the beginning 9 of the Proterozoic (2.5 x 10 years ago) is much the same - a parcel of old stones seemingly impossible to understand. Yet these stones contain the history of our origins: they can tell us a story that is interesting not just to the geologist (for whom this book is primarily written) but instead addresses the human condition in general.

Precambrian of the Southern Hemisphere

Recent developments have shown that many full and partial ophiolites are preserved in Precambrian cratons. This book provides a comprehensive description and discussion of the field aspects, geochemistry, geochronology and structure of the best of these ophiolites. It also presents syntheses of the characteristics of ophiolites of different ages, and an analysis of what the characteristics of these ophiolites mean for the thermal and chemical evolution of the earth. This title emphasizes new studies of Precambrian Geology that have documented ophiolites, ophiolitic fragments, and ophiolitic melanges in many Precambrian terranes. Each chapter focuses on individual Precambrian ophiolites or regions with numerous Precambrian ophiolites, and covers field aspects, petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, and other descriptive aspects of these ophiolites, it also delves into more theoretical and speculative aspects about the interpretation of the significance of these ancient ophiolites.

Annotated Bibliographies of Mineral Deposits in Africa, Asia (Exclusive of the USSR) and Australasia brings together annotated bibliographies of mineral deposits in Africa, Asia (with the exception of the USSR), and Australasia. Each bibliography is followed by notes to show the deposit's location; geological framework; age and type; structural and stratigraphic relations; conditions of formation; and position in the modified Lindgren classification. Comprised of 25 chapters, this volume begins with an introduction to the more important sources of references in the bibliographies, set down in alphabetical order with the number of references provided by each source. The distribution of deposits by continent and country follows. The deposits include molybdenum, nickel, copper, lead, and tin. Eruptive rocks, the metamorphic cycle, and the mineralization process are addressed, along with liquid immiscibility between silicate magmas and sulfide melts; the geology, mineralogy, and petrology of ore deposits in various mines; and the significance of mineralized breccia pipes. This book will be of value to mineralogists, geologists, and earth and mineral scientists as well as students interested in ore deposits.