(1st Term) Fall 2024
(Ph.D. Earth Resources)
Geology of Mineral Resources in Africa
(Res 604)
Class: Faculty of Postgraduate African Studies
Time: Sunday 3:00 - 6:00 pm
Instructor: Prof. Abbas M. Sharaky
Office Hours: Sunday 3:00 – 6:00 pm or by an appointment
e-mail: sharaky@geologist.com
Phone: (02) 3567-5549 (Office)
0100 361 9699 (Mobile-WhatsApp)
INTRODUCTION:
Earth is a very small part of a vast universe, but it is our home. It provides the resources that support our modern society and the ingredients necessary to maintain life. Therefore, knowledge and understanding of our planet is critical to our social well being and indeed, vital to our survival.
Our mineral supplies come from mineral deposits that are concentrations of elements or minerals formed by geologic processes. Mineral deposits have two geologic characteristics that make them a real challenge to modern civilization. First almost all of them are nonrenewable resources; they form by geologic processes that are much slower than the rate at which we exploit them. Second, mineral deposits have a place value. We cannot decide where to extract them until they are found. Consumption of minerals is growing faster than the population that is growing faster than at any time in history. Modern civilization and growing population make the search for mineral deposits ever more challenging as the demand increases and the number of high-grade deposits decreases.
Africa plays a dominant role as a source of strategic metals such as chromium, cobalt, manganese and platinum. It ranks first in the production of diamond, gold and uranium. Africa holds large resources of mineral deposits that need geologists to discover and leaders to properly use.
OBJECTIVES:
This course is intended to serve a useful information resource for professional geologists and non-geologists. It should also provide students with a critical understanding of selected mineral deposits: how are they formed and distributed in space and time?, what are the main characteristics of the mineral deposits?, how can we discover new deposits?, distribution of mineral deposits in Africa, production and reserves of mineral resources in Africa.
REQUIREMENTS AND TEXTBOOKS:
This course of mineral deposits requires a general background in geology. All of you had at least one course in geology. We will use several textbooks and lecture notes. They will be reserved in the library of Institute of African Research and Studies to use. There is no check out for these materials.
GRADING:
Mid Term Exam (Nov. 17, 2024) ………...….........… 10%
Research Paper (Dec. 22, 2024)………..............…... 10% (how to write term paper)
Oral Exam (Dec. 22, 2024) ................................... 10%
Final Exam ………………………..…….........……............. 70%
LECTURE Notes (Class Notes in pdf)
(Mineral resources in Africa paper)
الموارد المعدنية فى أفريقيا (paper in pdf)
LECTURE TOPICS
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Week 1 Introduction and classification of mineral deposits ......... (presentation in pdf)
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Week 3 Minerals ........ (presentation in pdf)
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Week 3 Magmatic deposits I (Layered intrusions (Bushveld Igneous Complex, BIC) (presentation in pdf)
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Week 4 Magmatic II: Pegmatites, Bikita pegmatite (presentation in pdf)
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Week 5 Magmatic III: ophiolites, sulfides, kimberlites, carbonatites, volcanics. (presentation in pdf)
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Week 6 Hydrothermal deposits (porphyry) (presentation in pdf)
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Week 7 Hydrothermal deposits (epithermal deposits)
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Week 10 Sedimentary mineral deposits I
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Week 11 Sedimentary mineral deposits II
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Week 12 Papers
Last update on Nov. 18, 2024