Earth Materials: Minerals
For over a century, minerals have been an essential aspect of the country’s economy. Gold, platinum-group metals and steel making metals, as well as diamonds, iron ore, coal, titanium, and zirconium are found. South Africa is one of the world’s leading producers for the minerals just mentioned.
Why does South Africa have a land so rich with minerals? It is because of the Greenstone belt that underlies the Geological history of this nation. The greenstone belt is what hosts many of the fold, antimony, copper, zinc, iron, asbestos, talc, mercury, magnesite, barite and gemstone deposits.
As Cape Town, the target city of this website, is the provincial capital city of the Western Cape, let’s focus on the mineral resources of this Western Cape Province in particular.The predominant mineral resources are industrial; in which marine diamonds are exploited by open cast mining. On the other hand, there are the following minerals that are currently being found in this area:
1. limestone/dolomite
2. Clay minerals
3. Dimension stone
4. Diamonds
5. Glass and building sand
6. Stone aggregate
7. Mineral pigment and iron
8. Gypsum and salt
In terms of Cape Town in specific, here is a map that indicates the areas in which major minerals are found:
Why does South Africa have a land so rich with minerals? It is because of the Greenstone belt that underlies the Geological history of this nation. The greenstone belt is what hosts many of the fold, antimony, copper, zinc, iron, asbestos, talc, mercury, magnesite, barite and gemstone deposits.
As Cape Town, the target city of this website, is the provincial capital city of the Western Cape, let’s focus on the mineral resources of this Western Cape Province in particular.The predominant mineral resources are industrial; in which marine diamonds are exploited by open cast mining. On the other hand, there are the following minerals that are currently being found in this area:
1. limestone/dolomite
2. Clay minerals
3. Dimension stone
4. Diamonds
5. Glass and building sand
6. Stone aggregate
7. Mineral pigment and iron
8. Gypsum and salt
In terms of Cape Town in specific, here is a map that indicates the areas in which major minerals are found:
Image:
Cole, D. I. (2011, June). Report on economically-viable mineral resources in the city of Cape Town's administrative area. City of Cape Town.
Let’s look at some of the minerals in detail:
Granite
This is a coarse-grained, porphyritic granite form which are extracted for the purpose of concrete aggregate and road-construction material.
Table Mountain sandstone
This is found in the mountainous region of the Northeast, East and Southeast. The yare exploited for the purposes of road construction material and also good quality concrete aggregate as well.
Silica Sand
This is an unconsolidated sand that isu sed for glass manufacture.
Kaolin
Kaolin are deposits resulting from residual weather of Cape Granite. They are used for a variety of purposes: ceramic manufacture, paper filling, paint filling, pesticides, medicines, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Cole, D. I. (2011, June). Report on economically-viable mineral resources in the city of Cape Town's administrative area. City of Cape Town.
Let’s look at some of the minerals in detail:
Granite
This is a coarse-grained, porphyritic granite form which are extracted for the purpose of concrete aggregate and road-construction material.
Table Mountain sandstone
This is found in the mountainous region of the Northeast, East and Southeast. The yare exploited for the purposes of road construction material and also good quality concrete aggregate as well.
Silica Sand
This is an unconsolidated sand that isu sed for glass manufacture.
Kaolin
Kaolin are deposits resulting from residual weather of Cape Granite. They are used for a variety of purposes: ceramic manufacture, paper filling, paint filling, pesticides, medicines, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.