Geology

The science that studies the origin, history, and structure of the earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the changes that it has undergone or is underging
Earth science including physical geology and geophysics; the history of the earth, stratigraphy, and paleontology; mineralogy, petrology; and environmental, engineering, and mining geology.

[Medieval Latin geologia, study of earthly things: Greek geo-, geo- + Greek -logia, -logy.]

Much of the research undertaken by UJ Geology relates to Economic Geology and Geometallurgy, undertaken under the banner of the PPM Research Group with Professors Nic Beukes and Fanus Viljoen as co-leaders, although there is also a strong research component on other geological topics that have importance in understanding Earth history. The Department has a professorial Chair of Geometallurgy funded by the South African Department of Science and Technology where Professor Fanus Viljoen and his group investigate metallurgical aspects of important geological deposits including gold, platinum, chrome, coal and diamonds.

The PPM Group (PalaeoProterozoic Mineralization Group) also has a strong economic geology niche and undertakes projects in geological formations containing commodities such as iron ore, manganese, gold, platinum, chrome and coal. In 2010, the University recognised the importance of the PPM research group by awarding it Research Centre status with a 3-year cycle of funding to be used for research and for building research capacity via training of post-graduate students and employing postdoctoral researchers.

The Geology Department has five postdoctoral staff members and plans to recruit another three during 2011. There are currently 25 Master’s and Doctoral students in the Department. Most of this research is logistically and financially supported by industry, the University and the NRF. Other important research projects not related to economic geology includes research on southern African geology in general including the Limpopo and Namaqualand regions, geoheritage and investigating early life on Earth and the origin and formation of some of the oldest rocks in South Africa. New techniques are also being formulated for analytical procedures in instruments in the UJ’s Central Analytical Facility and these have important applications for geological research in general.

In 2010, some staff were involved with organising official symposia and international conferences and field excursions. In January 2011, the Department of Geology organised a very successful international conference on African geology (CAG23). UJ Geology has a very strong international collaboration component and staff members regularly work with and visit research collaborators in Australia, Brazil, Cameroon,Canada, DRC (Congo), Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Italy, Japan, Namibia,Russia, Scotland, Sweden, UK and Zimbabwe,.

There is also extensive national collaboration within South Africa, between UJ Geology and the Council for Geoscience, NECSA, various national museums and universities.