Articles | Volume 35, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-35-39-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-35-39-2026
Science report
 | 
27 Feb 2026
Science report |  | 27 Feb 2026

Geochemical and structural indicators for hydrothermal fluid migration: a case study in the Bushveld Complex

Rolene Lubbe, Amy J. Allwright, Stephanus S. de Lange, and Frederick Roelofse

Cited articles

Bilenker, L. D., VanTongeren, J. A., Lundstrom, C. C., and Simon, A. C.: Iron isotopic evolution during fractional crystallisation of the uppermost Bushveld Complex layered mafic intrusion, Geochem. Geophys. Geosy., 18, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GC006660, 2017. 
Boumaiza, L., Stotler, R., and Frape, S.: A review of the major chemical and isotopic characteristics of groundwater in crystalline rocks of the Canadian Shield, Chemical Geology, 669, 122366, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.122366, 2024. 
Brown, R. T.: A review of the origins of methane and its occurrences at the RPM Rustenburg section, ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362391929_A_REVIEW_OF_THE_ORIGINS_OF_METHANE_AND_ITS_OCCURRENCE_AT_RPM_RUSTENBURG_SECTION (last access: 18 February 2026), 1992. 
Cawthorn, R. G.: The Bushveld Complex, in: The Geology of South Africa, edite by: Johnson, M., Anhaeusser, C. R., and Thomas, R. J., Geological Society of South Africa Council for Geoscience Johannesburg, Pretoria, South Africa, ISBN 978-1-919908-77-9, 2006. 
Cole, J., Finn, C. A., and Webb, S. J.: Deep magmatic chambers for crustal layered mafic intrusions: An example from the Bushveld Complex in southern Africa, Precambrian Research, 403, 107306, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107306, 2024. 
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Short summary
This study investigated previously underexplored deep-water movement in the Bushveld Complex. Analysis of water and rock data from a deep exploration well revealed distinct changes in water chemistry at 450 m below ground level, associated with a severely fractured rock layer and a deep rock conduit. These features indicate potential deep, saline, gas-rich water pathways containing high dissolved salts and specific metals, providing insight into deep fluid migration in fractured hard rocks.
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