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Unnamed kyanite occurrence, Farm 626, Matzikama Local Municipality, West Coast District Municipality, Western Cape, South Africai
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Unnamed kyanite occurrence | Occurrence |
| Farm 626 | Farm |
| Matzikama Local Municipality | Municipality |
| West Coast District Municipality | District |
| Western Cape | Province |
| South Africa | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
31° 28' 23'' South , 18° 18' 0'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
KÃķppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Vredendal | 14,806 (2012) | 28.9km |
Located 6 km north of Koekenaap, the occurrence comprises decomposed kyanite schist from the Aties Formation (Gariep Supergroup), which is exposed near and along a railway line. The unweathered rock consists of biotite schist and phyllite, which contain bands of large prisms and needles of kyanite.
North of the railway line, quartz veins within the schist contain large prisms of kyanite. The kyanite is apparently not very extensive, since cores that were drilled 300 m southwest of the railway exposure intersected up to 53 m of kyanite-deficient phyllite.
The kyanite had formed as a result of amphibolite-grade, regional dynamothermal metamorphism of aluminium-rich pelites of the Aties Formation during the Pan-African orogeny between ~650 Ma and ~480 Ma. Indicated metamorphic temperatures of up to 500°C and therefore pressures of up to 10 kb in order to keep within the kyanite phase rather than the lower-pressure andalusite phase. The dispersed distribution of the kyanite indicates that there is no economic potential. Amphibolite-grade metamorphism conducive to the formation of kyanite is restricted to a small region north of Koekenaap, but only sparse kyanite crystals have been recorded there (Cole, 2013).
Commodity List
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