11th Annual CGS Field School

Once again it's nearly that time of the year when the Council for Geoscience (CGS) hosts it's annual geological field school. This year will be the 11th installment of the CGS field school and the organising team is going all out to ensure that the 2016 participants experience the best of South African geology, while being exposed to the fundamental principles of field-based geological observations and interpretations.

Overview of the 11th CGS Field School 2016

South Africa has exceptional geological exposures that provide important evidence of the intricate workings of the early Earth, the origins of Life and of course, an extensive array of economical mineral commodities. The 2016 CGS Field School will aim to expose the participants to much of this with a trip across South Africa.

Notable geological features that will be visited include: 

The Barberton Greenstone Belt - here we will discuss the Archean Earth and how did it function, how was early continental crust created and we will look for early evidence of life. We will also have a two-day mapping exercise across a notable highly strained region and look for evidence supporting early Earth theories.

The Pongola Supergroup - one of the earliest volcano-sedimentary sequences that likely formed atop a continental platform, at a time where much of the Earth was still producing Greenstone Belts. What implications does this region have for the workings of the early Earth?

The Karoo Supergroup - this covers more than two thirds of the surface area of South Africa and hosts some of the world's largest coal reserves and potentially vast shale gas. This is also hosts a significant Permian vertebrate fossil record.

We will also have a mapping exercise of the Gariep Supergroup, in the Gariep Belt, see: Geology of the Gariep Belt and for our participants, do see: Things to Bring

This is just some of the geology we will encounter, for more of the geology we expect to cover, see: (CGS Field School 2015 Day 1&2); and (CGS Field School Day 3-5) and follow us for regular updates about the CGS Field School 2016 edition!