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THE MYTH ABOUT GOLD CONGLOMERATES OF THE WITWATERSRAND PROVINCE IN SOUTH AFRICA

S. S. Dolgushin

Siberian Research Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineral Resources, Novosibirsk, Russia

Based on a critical analysis of the published literature on the Witwatersrand uranium-gold deposits (South Africa) and the use of modern experimental data on the structure and composition of ore-magmatic systems, it is concluded that quartz uranium-gold-bearing rocks of these deposits defined as conglomerates are pseudoconglomerates. It is shown that their formation is associated with the ore-bearing (uranium-goldbearing) fluid magma of a substantially silica composition occurred from deeply differentiated maternal silicate magma of liquation differentiate, and the intrusion of which is accompanied by local closed explosions and the formation of quartz uranium-gold-bearing rocks of various texture – from conglomerate to breccia-like and breccia, composing these deposits. It justifies the notion that these deposits, previously attributed to the exogenous formation of gold-bearing conglomerates, are endogenous formations and represent only a special case of a widespread quartz-vein formation characterized by exclusively diverse forms of its manifestation in the world, one of which is the Witwatersranda deposits.

Keywords: deposit, uranium, gold, fluid magma, conglomerate, pseudoconglomerates, silica melt, gel, colloid, Witwatersrand.

DOI 10.20403/2078-0575-2019-1-57-70