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The Karoo Basin, South Africa

We have several projects aimed at understanding how the Karoo Basin was affected by the intrusive volcanism of the Karoo Large igneous province. The research themes include 1) distribution, morphology, and emplacement of sill intrusions, 2) processes in contact aureoles, 3) formation of hydrothermal vent complexes, 4) seeps and seep deposits (including petroleum), and 5) formation of breccia pipes, and 6) effects of contact aureole degassing on the Lower Jurasic climate.

Some key maps, pictures and figures are given below.

 

Outline of the Karoo Basin showing our main study areas.



Breccia pipe in the Western Karoo




The Witkop III hydrothermal vent complex




Schematic view of the relationship between pipes, hydrothermal vent complexes and sill intrusions (from Svensen et al., in press).



Numerical modeling of boiling of pore fluids around a sill intrusion - ultimately resulting of overpressure  and formation of hydrothermal vent complexes (from Jamtveit et al., 2004).