Modern Mining November 2015

COMMENT

A ‘must-have’ guide to South Africa’s top geosites

G reat to see that my old friend Gavin Whitfield, co-author with Nick Norman of the very success- ful Geological Journeys: A Trav- eller’s Guide to South Africa’s Rocks and Landforms , has once again put pen to paper to produce another indispensable book for anyone interested in South Africa’s geology. His latest work, which was launched recently at a well-attended function at the ‘War Museum’ in Johannesburg, is entitled 50 Must- see Geological Sites in South Africa . Lavishly illustrated with nearly a thousand high-qual- ity photos (and superb maps and diagrams), it ‘unpacks’ South Africa’s premier geosites, giving information on each site’s history and geological significance. As Gavin himself says, any list of this type is bound to be somewhat subjective but I think few would disagree to any significant extent with his selection, which covers South Africa’s unique geological record from nearly 3,6 billion years ago to ‘recent’ times. Some of the sites featured are – or were – mines, for example Kimberley’s Big Hole, the Cullinan diamond mine and the old Eersteling gold mine. Others – the Sudwala Caves, the Tswaing Meteorite Crater, the Knysna Heads and Table Mountain, to name just a few – have no connection whatsoever to mining. All, how- ever, are of compelling geological interest and all are accessible to the public. This, incidentally, is not a book aimed at geologists (though they would, I’m sure, find it of huge interest). The target market is rather the interested lay person and Gavin points out that he has kept geological jargon to a minimum. Having said this, there is an exceptionally good section at the beginning of the book which is a quick guide – it’s almost a miracle of com- pression – to the field of geology, as well as a glossary of all the geological terms used in the text. Gavin, of course, is the ideal person to write a guide of this type. He has an MSc in Geology from Rhodes University, is a retired Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa, and – earlier in his career – carried out mineral exploration in the field in many countries for a number of mining companies. In recent years

he has focused on the emerging geotourism sector – he is a qualified national tourist guide – and can fairly claim to be one of the pioneers in this field. To put together 50 Must-see Geological Sites in South Africa , he visited every single site himself over a period of three to four years, so readers can be assured that the text is fresh and not simply a distillation of previously pub- lished material. The book was introduced at the launch by Professor Richard Viljoen, who (along with his twin brother, Professor Morris Viljoen) is one of South Africa’s best-known geologists. He said its publication was very timely, given

that South Africa would be hosting the 35th International Geological Conference in Cape Town next year. This is an event which is expected to attract sev- eral thousand delegates, many of whom will be participating in pre- and post-congress tours. Getting back to the book, it’s not the type of publication that one necessarily reads cover to cover in one go. Having said this, I’ve already devoured most of the entries on mining sites and particularly enjoyed those on the Cullinan mine, which has produced a staggering 120 million carats of diamonds over its life, and

the old Koperberg copper mine near Springbok in Namaqualand. Koperberg (‘copper moun- tain’) can reasonably claim to be South Africa’s oldest mine, since it was first investigated for its mineral potential in 1685, when at least three prospect shafts were put into the moun- tain. This is the only mining site in the guide that I haven’t personally visited so it will be top of my list of things to see when I next visit that part of the world. Readers interested in getting a copy of 50 Must-see Geological Sites in South Africa shouldn’t have to look too hard. It is published by Struik Nature at a price of R300 and is cur- rently available in most bookshops. It is a superb piece of work and I hope it receives the success it so richly deserves. Arthur Tassell

November 2015  MODERN MINING  3