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School of Geological Sciences

 

101025 MKW Runde River.jpgMIKE WATKEYS

        (DHOS)                                                                                                                                                                                

Ph.D. University of Witwatersrand, 1984 

 

Professor (Structural Geology)

School of Geological Sciences

Room-126, H1 Building,

University of KwaZulu-Natal

Westville Campus

Private Bag X54001

Durban 4000

Tel:  +27(0)31 260 2519

Fax: +27(0)31 260 2280

watkeys AT ukzn.ac.za

 

 

 

Teaching

 

 

LEVEL I

GEOL 101:  EARTH AND ITS MATERIALS

 

LEVEL II

GEOL 220:  BRITTLE DEFORMATION OF ROCKS

GEOL 214:  PALAEONTOLOGY

 

LEVEL III

GEOL 303:  DUCTILE DEFORMATION OF ROCKS

GEOL 304:  ADVANCED FIELD MAPPING SKILLS

 

HONOURS

GEOL 710: Structural Geology

 

 

 

Research Interest

 

Structural geology and tectonics

Gondwana break-up

Kibaran and Pan-African evolution of southern Africa and Antarctica

Structural controls on mineralization Mechanisms of igneous intrusions

Evolution of the Earth’s magnetic field

 

 

Current Projects

 

Break-up of Gondwana

The process of break-up being investigated through studies along the Lebombo, combined with a South African-German cooperative programme involving onshore and offshore geophysical investigations.  The timing of Karoo volcanism and the nature of the proposed Karoo plume is the subject of a cooperative programme with a number of French institutions, in particular the University of Sophia Antipolis, Nice.  The relationship of the Karoo igneous rocks with similar rocks in Drönning Maud Land involves a cooperative study with the British Antarctic Survey.

 

Tectonic evolution of south-east Africa and Drönning Maud Land, Antarctica

This project is investigating the Precambrian and early Palaeozoic rocks of eastern South Africa, Mozambique and western Drönning Maud Land, Antarctica in order to understand the geological evolution of the region during the Kibaran and Pan-African orogenies.  It involves cooperation with the Australian National University and Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique.

 

Evolution of the Earth’s magnetic field

This study is examining the palaeointensity of the Earth’s magnetic field through time as well as closely examining the processes during a reversal recorded in the Karoo basalts.  In addition changes in the magnetic field over southern Africa during the Quaternary are being examined by investigations of archaeological sites.  This project involves cooperation with the University of Rochester, USA, the University of the Witwatersrand and the Natal Museum.

 

 

Recent Publications

 

Peer-reviewed publications

 

Hastie, W., Aubourg, C. & Watkeys, M.K., 2011, When an ‘inverse’ fabric is not inverse: an integrated AMS-SPO study in MORB-like dykes, Terra Nova, 23, 49-55. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3121.2010.00983.x.

 

Tarduno, J.A., Cottrell, R.D., Watkeys, M.K., Hofmann, A., Doubrovine, P.V., Mamajek, E.E., Liu, D., Sibeck, D.G., Neukirch, L.P. & Usui, Y., 2010,  Geodynamo, solarn wind and magnetopause 3.4 to 3.45 billion years ago,  Science, 327, 1238-1240.

 

Uenzelmann-Neben, G., Watkeys, M.K., Kretzinger, W., Frank, M. & Heuer, L., 2010, Palaeooceanographic changes identified using seismic and radiogenic isotope data from the Mozambique Ridge, SW Indian Ocean.  Geo-Temas, 7, 163-164.

 

Ovechkina, M. N., Watkeys, M.K. & Kretzinger, W.R., 2009, Nannoplankton in the manganese deposits of the Mozambique Ridge and Mozambique Basin, SW Indian Ocean, Palaeontologica Africana, 44, 126-128.

 

Ovechkina, M. N., Watkeys, M.K. & Mostovski, M.B., 2009, Calcareous nanofossils from the stratotype section of the Mzamba Formation, Eastern Cape, South Africa,  Palaeontologica Africana, 44, 129-133.

 

Jourdan, F., Féraud, G., Bertrand, H., Le Gall, & Watkeys, M.K., 2009,  Lithospheric mantle evolution monitored by overlapping large igneous provinces: case study from southern Africa,  Lithos, 107, 257-268.

 

Jourdan, F., Féraud, G., Bertrand, H., Watkeys, M.K. & Renne, P.R., 2008, 40Ar/39Ar ages of the sill complex of the Karoo large igneous province: implications for the Pliensbachian-Toarcian climate change, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 9, Q06009, doi:10.1029/2008GC001994, 2008.

 

Tarduno, J.A., Cottrell, R.D., Watkeys, M.K. & Bausch, D., 2007, Geomagnetic field strength 3.2 billion years ago recorded by single silicate crystals, Nature, 446, 657-660.

 

Jourdan, F., Féraud, G., Bertrand, H., Watkeys, M. K. & Renne, P.R., 2007, Distinct brief major events in the Karoo large igneous province clarified by new 40Ar/39Ar ages on the Lesotho basalts, Lithos, 98, 195-209.

 

Perritt, S. & Watkeys, M.K., 2007, The effects of environmental controls on the metal content in ferromanganese encrustations and nodules from the Mozambique Ridge and in the Mozambique Basin, southwestern Indian Ocean,  South African Journal of Geology, 110, 295-310.

 

Paulsen, T.S., Encarnacion, J., Grunow, A.M., Layer, P.W. & Watkeys, M.K., 2007, New age constraints for a short pulse in Ross orogen deformation triggered by East-West Gondwana suturing, Gondwana Research, 12, 417-427.

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Jourdan, F., Féraud, G., Bertrand, H., & Watkeys, M. K., 2007, From flood basalts to the inception of oceanization: Example from the 40Ar/39Ar high-resolution picture of the Karoo large igneous province, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 8, Q02002, doi.10.1029/2006GC001392.

 

Watkeys, M.K., 2006, The break-up of Gondwana: a South African perspective, In: Johnson, M.R, Anhaeusser, C.R. & Thomas, R. (eds.) The Geology of South Africa,  Geological Society of South Africa and Council for Geoscience, 531-539.

 

Riley, T.R., Curtis, M.L., Leat, P.T., Watkeys, M.K., Duncan, R.A., Millar, L. & Owens, R.H., 2006, Overlap of Karoo and Ferrar magma types in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Journal of Petrology, 47, 541-566.

 

Jourdan, F., Féraud, G., Bertrand, H., Watkeys, M.K., Kampunzu A.B., & Le Gall B., 2006, Basement control on dyke distribution in Large Igneous Provinces: dyke case study of the Karoo triple junction, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 241, 307-322.

 

Cawthorn, R.G., Eales, H., Walraven, F., Uken, R & Watkeys, M.K., 2006, The Bushveld Complex.  In: Johnson, M. R, Anhaeusser, C.R.  & Thomas, R. (eds.) The Geology of South Africa, Geological Society of South Africa and Council for Geoscience, 261-281.

 

Jourdan, F., Féraud, G., Bertrand, H., Kampunzu, A.B., Tshoso, G., Watkeys, M. K. & Le Gall, B., 2005, The Karoo large igneous province: Brevity, origin, and relation with mass extinction questioned by new 40Ar/39Ar age data, Geology, 33, 745-748.

 

Clarke, B.M., Uken, R., Watkeys, M.K. & Reinhardt, J., 2005, Folding of the Rustenberg Layered Suite adjacent to the Steelpoort pericline: implications for syn-Bushveld tectonism in the eastern Bushveld Complex,  South African Journal of Geology, 108, 395-410.

 

Basson, I.J., Watkeys, M.K. & Phillips, D., 2005, Structural evolution and tectonic context of the Mfongosi Group, Natal Thrust Front, Tugela Terrane, South Africa, Journal of African Earth Sciences, 43, 415-432.

 

Riley, T.R., Millar, L., Watkeys, M.K., Curtis, M.L., Leat, P.T., Klausen, M.B. & Fanning, C.M., 2004, U-Pb zircon (SHRIMP) ages for the Lebombo rhyolites, South Africa: refining the duration of Karoo volcanism, Journal of the Geological Society of London, 161, 547-550.

 

Gerya, T.V., Uken, R., Reinhardt, J., Watkeys, M.K., Maresch, W.V. & Clarke, B.M., 2004, “Cold” diapirs triggered by intrusion of the Bushveld Complex: insight from two-dimensional numerical modeling, In: Whitney, D.L., Teyssier, C & Siddoway, C.S. (eds) Gneiss Domes in Orogeny,   Geological Society of America Special Paper, 380, 117-127.

 

Basson. I.G., Perritt, S.H., Watkeys, M.K. & Menzies, A.H., 2004, Geochemical correlation between metasediments of the Mfongosi Group of the Natal Sector of the Namaqua-Natal Metamorphic Province, South Africa and the Ahlmannryggen Group of the Grunehogna Province, Antarctica, Gondwana Research, 73, 57-73.

 

Perritt, S.H. & Watkeys, M.K., 2003, Implications of late Pan-African shearing in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, In: Storti, F, Holdsworth, R.E. & Salvini, F. (eds)  Intraplate Strike-slip Deformation Belts, Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, 210, 135 -143.

 

Harris, N., McMillan, A., Holness, M., Uken, R., Watkeys, M.K., Rogers, N. & Fallick A., 2003, Melt generation and fluid flow in the thermal aureole of the Bushveld Complex,  Journal of Petrology, 44, 1031-1054.

 

Gerya, T.V., Uken, R., Reinhardt, J., Watkeys, M.K., Maresch, W.V. & Clarke, B.M., 2003, Cold fingers in a hot magma: country rock diapirs triggered by the Bushveld layered intrusion, South Africa, Geology, 31, 753-756.

 

Watkeys, M.K., 2002, Development of the Lebombo rifted volcanic margin of SE Africa.  In: Menzies, M.A., Baker, J., Ebinger, C. & Klemper, S. (eds) Magmatic Rifted Margins, Geological Society of America Special Paper, 362, 27-46.

 

Clarke, B. M., Uken, R. & Watkeys, M.K., 2000, Intrusion mechanism of the southwestern Rustenburg Layered Suite as deduced from the Spruitfontein inlier, South African Journal of Geology, 103, 120-127.

 

Watkeys, M.K. & Sokoutis, D., 1998, Transtension in south-east Africa during Gondwana break-up, In:  Holdsworth, R.E., Strachan, R. & Dewey, J.F. (eds.)  Continental Transpressional and Transtensional Tectonics, Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, 135, 203-214.

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Uken, R. & Watkeys, M.K., 1997, Diapirism initiated by the Bushveld Complex, South Africa, Geology, 25, 723-726.

 

Watkeys, M.K., 1996, The Klondike steep structure, Okiep Copper District, South Africa, South African Journal of Geology, 99, 169-183.

 

Kattenhorn, S.A. & Watkeys, M.K., 1995, Blunt-ended dyke segments, Journal of Structural Geology, 17, 1535-1542.

 

Sweeney, R.J. & Watkeys, M.K., 1990, A possible link between Mesozoic lithospheric architecture and Gondwana flood basalts, Journal of African Earth Sciences, 10, 707-716.

 

Watkeys, M.K., Light, M.P.R. & Broderick, T.J., 1983, A retrospective view of the Central Zone of the Limpopo Belt, Zimbabwe, Special Publication of the Geological Society of South Africa, 8, 65‑80.

 

Watkeys, M.K., 1983, Brief explanatory notes on the Provisional Geological Map of the Limpopo Belt and Environs, Special Publication of the Geological Society of South Africa, 8, 5‑8.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

last updated: September 2011

 

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