Mineralisation associated with early Precambrian basic magmatism

The Archaean hosts a wide variety of mineralisation including both precious and base metals, Cr, Li, asbestos and semi-precious stones. Deposits of Ni, Cr, the platinum group elements (PGE), Cu, Au and asbestos are found in direct association with mafic and ultramafic magmatism. This chapter first considers Archaean metallogenesis associated with volcanic suites and reviews the classical association between Fe–Ni sulphide mineralisation and komatiitic suites and is followed by a discussion of the role of mafic and ultramafic rocks in the extensive occurrence of gold mineralisation in Archaean volcanic suites. A review of the mineralisation associated with basic intrusive complexes is also presented, focusing on the chromite and PGE mineralisation of the major early Precambrian layered intrusions, and in particular the Bushveld, Stillwater and Great Dyke complexes.