THE METAMORPHIC HISTORY OF THE VREDEFORT DOME AT APPROXIMATELY 2-GA AS REVEALED BY COESITE STISHOVITE-BEARING PSEUDOTACHYLITES

The Vredefort dome (2.0 Ga) represents the central uplift of a very large impact structure. This uplift exposed a nearly complete cross-section through the continental crust in the region, which is 25-30 km thick. Two metamorphic events took place at about the same time as the impact. The first event, so-called static metamorphism, is pre-impact and produced lithologies varying from low-grade shale to high-grade hornfels. It resembles contact metamorphism by its lack of schistosity, but is more regional as it extends over a large area and is not associated with large intrusions. The second event, the post-shock metamorphism, is responsible for the recrystallization of the shock features. The investigation of this event has been focused on the degree of alteration of the coesite-stishovite-bearing pseudotachylite veins that formed during the transit of the shock wave. These high-pressure silica polymorphs are only present in the upper part of the stratigraphic sequence; downward they have been converted to fibrous quartz. At the highest grade, the fibrous quartz is in turn replaced by triple-junctioned mosaic quartz. The post-shock metamorphism was generated by the heat of the rock before shock, plus the heat released by the shock wave. The isograds, plotted on a map, can be translated into depth of burial and therefore provide valuable information regarding the geological setting immediately before impact. At the time of impact, the rocks were relatively cool and the static metamorphism had ceased with several tens of millions of years separating the two metamorphic events. The static metamorphism was probably caused by continental crustal extension in a stress-free environment and the lack of deformation is probably due to rapid uplift during the later stages of the impact event.