Abstract
Petrographic, trace element and sulfur isotopic analyses were conducted on various detrital pyrite types from the greater Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa. Samples were derived from the Dominion Group and the Witwatersrand and Transvaal supergroups, comprising a range of rocks from 3.07 to 2.65 Ga in age. Following detailed petrographic analyses, a review of the main detrital pyrite classifications available in the literature was done and used as a basis for the development of a new classification scheme. New pyrite categories were created in order to provide a non-genetic scheme that allows more reliable identification with a broad applicability to pyrite-bearing conglomerates. A review of terms used for epigenetic pyrite was also done and existing terminology was thoroughly revised...
Ph.D. (Geology)