earth sciences 6
E A R T H S C I E N C E S
Rhodes University (RU) petrology. These interests are still strongly
RU has a rich history of Bushveld and Ka- represented in the current department,
roo basalt research (led by respectively, which enjoys international leadership in
Hugh Eales and Julian Marsh, both previous these fields. Andrew Duncan and Anton
heads of the department), as well as Karoo le Roex continue to lead this department
sedimentology. RU has an MSc course in ex- within igneous petrology and geochemis-
ploration geology (run since 1978 by John try. Cooperation with the global diamond
Moore) which has gained international industry, particularly the De Beers Group is
recognition and critical support from the significant, and the accent remains on ma-
mining industry. The imminent retirement fic-ultramafic rocks rather than more acidic
of Moore affects the viability of this course types, which have been a long-time focus at
and, in the longer term, the future of such a the neighbouring Stellenbosch University
small department. (see below).
University of Fort Hare (UFH) Other specialist fields at UCT, particularly
Geological sciences at UFH started 44 years the structural and sedimentological as-
ago. The single undergraduate programme pects have never enjoyed quite the same
emphasising traditional fundamental sub- status, although the Precambrian Research
disciplines is complemented by a highly ap- Unit, which focused largely on the geology
plied Honours offering (economic geology, of highly deformed and metamorphosed
geophysics, engineering geology and hy- terranes in Namaqualand and Namibia in
drology). The current head is Baojin Zhao. the west of the southern African subcon-
tinent, contributed substantially to such
University of Cape Town (UCT) aspects locally and internationally. Despite
UCT has always had a strong bias towards this, the individual within this department
petrology and mineralogy, with geochem- in recent times with the greatest measure
istry indubitably tied into a focus particu- of international recognition is Maarten de
larly on igneous petrology. A separate, yet Wit, who joined the university in 1986. De
allied geochemistry department, founded Wit has a notable global reputation, within
in 1962 under the world-renowned Louis several fields: greenstone and cratonic evo-
Ahrens, laid an important foundation for lutionary studies; the history of the Gond-
this still extant focus of the UCT geology wana supercontinent; spatial aspects of the
department. Two products of the geochem- geosciences; structural and geodynamic
istry department, John Gurney and Tony Er- studies; and analytical geosciences. He is
lank, rose to great prominence, locally and probably best known for his ’intra-oceanic
abroad. Erlank succeeded Ahrens as the model‘ for early island arc and continental
second and last head of this discipline, from crustal genesis, one of the standard models
1978-1992 when the two departments accepted worldwide, encompassing also
amalgamated once again. Gurney achieved the chronological aspects of ocean volume
international prominence through work on growth leading to drowning of previously
kimberlites, diamonds and upper-mantle exposed mid-ocean ridges. This research,
171
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