PROF. ANTON LE ROEX
 
    PROFESSOR RELATED WEBSITES
  Department of Geological Sciences Kimberlite Research Group
  Louis Ahrens Building, Library Road ICP-MS Laboratory
  University of Cape Town  
  Rondebosch, 7701, RSA  
  Room 311  
  ph: #27 (0)21 650 2902  
  fax: #27 (0)21 650 3783  
  email: anton.leroex@uct.ac.za  
     
     
  Biography Research Publications Teaching Students Personal  
 
   
 
Degrees
  • BS University of Stellenbosch, 1975.
  • BS (Hons) University of Cape Town, 1976.
  • PhD University of Cape Town, 1980.
 
Employment
  • Research Officer, Department of Geochemistry, University of Cape Town, 1979-1980.
  • Post-doctoral Fellow, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts, USA, 1980-1981.
  • Research Officer/Senior Research Officer, University of Cape Town, 1982-1985.
  • Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, University of Cape Town, 1986- 1988.
  • Visiting Professor, University of Hawaii, 1989- 1990.
  • Associate Professor, University of Cape Town, 1989-1997
  • Professor, University of Cape Town, 1997-present.
  • Deputy Dean of Science, 2001-present.
 
Professional Associations
 
 
 
My research interests lie in understanding the geochemical composition and evolution of mafic igneous rocks, their differentiates and their mantle source regions. The role of mantle plumes in the generation of intra-plate magmatism, both within oceanic and continental regions, the origin of their geochemical characteristics and their interaction with surrounding asthenospheric and overlying lithospheric mantle are fundamental foci of my current research. To this end I am currently involved in the following research projects:
 
  • Geochemistry of Southern Ocean ridge system basalts
  • Geochemistry of Southern Ocean island and seamount basalts
  • Petrology and geochemistry of the alkaline ring complexes in northwestern Namibia and their relation to hotspot tracks in the South Atlantic
  • Geochemistry of the early phase of the Tristan mantle plume, northwestern Namibia, and characterisation of the mantle source region of the Etendeka-Parana flood basalts
  • Isoptope and trace element characterization of the sub-Gondwana mantle lithosphere, and the origin of LOMU signatures in mantle beneath the South Atlantic
  • The geochemical characterisation and petrogenesis of southern African kimberlites and melilitites, and their relationship to mantle plume upwelling
 
 
Coe N, le Roex AP, Gurney JJ, Pearson G and Nowell G (2008) Petrogenesis of the Swartruggens and Star Group II kimberlite dyke swarms, South Africa: constraints from whole rock geochemistry. Contib. Mineral. Petrol. 10.1007/s00410-008-0305-1

Becker, M, le Roex, AP and Class C (2007) Geochemistry and petrogenesis of South African transitional kimberlites located on and off the Kaapvaal Craton. South African Journal of Geology 110, 631-646

Class, C and le Roex AP (2008) Ce anomalies in Gough Island Lavas – Trace Element Characteristics of a Recycled Sediment Component. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 265, 475-486.

Merry, M and le Roex AP (2007) Megacryst suites from the Lekkerfontein and Uintjiesberg kimberlites, southern Africa: evidence for a non-cognate origin. South African Journal of Geology 110, 597-610.

Appleyard CM, Bell DR and le Roex, AP (2007) Petrology and geochemistry of eclogite xenoliths from the Rietfontein kimberlite, Northern Cape, South Africa. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 154, 309-333.

Barry TL, Pearce JA, Leat PT, Millar IL and le Roex, AP (2006) Hf isotope evidence for selective mobility of high-field-strength-elements in a subduction setting: South Sandwich Islands. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 252, 223-244

Class, C and le Roex, AP (2006) Continental material in the shallow oceanic mantle – how does it get there? Geology 34, 129-132.

Dludla S, le Roex AP and Gurney JJ (2006) Eclogite xenoliths from the Premier kimberlite, South Africa: geochemical evidence for a subduction origin. South African Journal of Geology 109, 351-366.

Becker M and le Roex AP (2006) Geochemistry of South African on- and off-craton, group I and group II kimberlites: petrogenesis and source region evolution. J. Petrol. 47: 673-703

Gregoire M, Tinguely C, Bell DR and le Roex AP (2005) Spinel lherzolite xenoliths from the Premier kimberlite (Kaapvaal craton, South Africa): nature and evolution of the shallow upper mantle beneath the Bushveld complex. Lithos 84, 185-205

Janney PE, le Roex AP and Carlson RW (2005) Hafnium isotope and trace element constraints on the nature of mantle heterogeneity beneath the central Southwest Indian Ridge (13°E to 47°E). J. Petrol. 46, 2427-2464

Gurney JJ, Helmstaedt HH, le Roex AP, Richardson SH, Westerlund KJ (2005) Diamonds: crustal distribution and formation processes in time and space integrated into an advanced deposit model. In Hedenquist, J.W., Thompson, J.F.H., Goldfarb, R.J., and Richards, J.P. (eds.), One Hundredth Anniversary Volume, Society of Economic Geologists, p. 143 to 178.

Harris MJ, le Roex AP and Class C (2004) Geochemistry of the Uintjiesberg kimberlite, South Africa: petrogenesis of an off-craton kimberlite. Lithos 74, 149-165.

le Roex AP, Bell DR and Davis, P (2003). Petrogenesis of Group I kimberlites from Kimberley, South Africa: evidence from bulk rock geochemistry. J. Petrol. 44, 2261-2286.

Gregoire M, Bell D.R. and le Roex A.P. (2003) Garnet lherzolites from the Kaapvaal Craton (South Africa): trace element evidence for a metasomatic history. J. Petrol. 44, 629-657.

Whitehead K, le Roex A.P., Class C. and Bell, D.R. (2002) Composition and Cretaceous thermal structure of the upper mantle beneath the Damara Mobile Belt: evidence from nephelinite-hosted peridotite xenoliths, Swakopmund, Namibia. J. Geol Soc London,159, 307-321

le Roux, P.J. le Roex, A.P. and Schilling, J.G., Shimizu, N., Perkins, W.W. and Pearce, N.J.G. (2002) Mantle heterogeneity beneath the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge: trace element evidence for contamination of ambient asthenospheric mantle. Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 203, 479-498.

Gregoire, M, Bell, D.R. and le Roex, A.P. (2002) Trace element geochemistry of glimmerite and MARID mantle xenoliths: their relationship to kimberlite and to phlogopite-bearing peridotite revisited. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 142, 603-625.

Janney P.E., le Roex A.P. Carlson R.W. and Viljoen K.S. (2002) A chemical and multi?isotopic study of olivine melilitites and associated rocks from the Western Cape, South Africa: implications for the sources of group 1 kimberlites and constraints on the origin of the HIMU component in Africa. J. Petrol 43, 2330-2370

le Roux P.J., le Roex A.P., Schilling J.G. (2002). Crystallisation processes beneath the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (40-55oS), evidence for high-pressure initiation of crystallisation. Contrib. Mineral Petrol. 142, 582-602.

le Roux P.J., le Roex A.P. and Schilling J.G (2002) MORB melting processes beneath the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (40-55oS): a role for pyroxenite and residual garnet. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 144, 206-229.

Späth A, le Roex A.P. and Opiyo-Akech N. (2001) Plume-lithosphere interaction and the origin of continental rift-related alkaline volcanism - the Chyulu Hills volcanic province, southern Kenya. J. Petrol. 42, 765-787

le Roex A.P., Späth A. and Zartman R.E. (2001) Lithospheric thickness beneath the southern Kenya Rift: implications from basalt geochemistry. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol. 142, 89-106

 
 
  • Igneous Petrology/Geochemistry (2nd, 3rd and 4th year level)
  • Phase diagrams (3rd year level)
  • Geochronology
  • Ocean Floor Basalts
  • Quantitative petrogenetic modelling
  • Analytical techniques
 
 
 
 
Current Postgraduate students
 
Z. Bagai (PhD)
Geochemistry and petrogenesis of greenstone belts in northeastern Botswana
(co-supervised with H. Kampunzu and M. de Wit)

A. Hanekom (MSc)
Petrology of the DuToitspan kimberlite, Kimberly, South Africa

M. Al Tarawneh (PhD)
A 4-D geological model of the north Jordan highlands
(co-supervised with Z. Ben-Avraham)

C. Tinguely (PhD)
Geochemistry of southern African on- and off-craton eclogites: a comparative study of protolith formation

D. Long (MSc)
Evidence for recycled sediment in the source of Gough Island magmas

K. Smit (MSc)
Geochemistry of inclusions in diamonds from the Ellendale lamproites, Australia