One of the impressive open pits at Mogolokwena Platinum Mine. Picture taken by Jackie Gauntlett.

Today’s Monday Geology Picture and description are courtesy of my husband Jackie Gauntlett, who is sharing another picture from his recent field trip as part of his masters degree in Exploration Geology at Rhodes University.

From Jackie:

Mogolokwena Platinum Mine is the largest platinum mine in the world and is situated on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. This image shows one of four open pits currently being mined by Anglo Platinum on this mine. South Africa holds around 90% of the world’s platinum reserves, and it is envisioned that the Mogolokwena pits could one day extend almost 100 km in uninterrupted length. At the moment, Mogolokwena Mine has a life of mine of 130 years, a number that climbs by decades after every drilling program. At this rate the exploration team had better stop working so quickly as they’re likely to drill themselves out of a job! This mine truly represents a world class platinum deposit.