Michiel de Kock

Michiel de Kock
(Ph.D. University of Johannesburg)

Post-Doctoral Associate
Yale University
Department of Geology and Geophysics
PO Box 208109
New Haven, CT 06511
tel: (203) 436 4049
e-mail: michiel.dekock@yale.edu

Last updated: January 2008

Research Publications and Reprints Abstracts

Image Galleries

Research

I am currently doing a postdoc at Yale University, where my research is focused on the paleomagnetism of the Ghaap Group. It is a Late Archean to Early Proterozoic carbonate/banded-iron formation succession from the Kaapvaal Craton in South Africa. This study is part of the Agouron-Griqualand Paleoproterozoic Drilling Project.

Of particular interest is the correlation of the Ghaap Group with a similar succession from the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia. Were the two cratons ever amalgamated to form the hypothetical Vaalbara? When did Vaalbara exists, and when did it break up? How did global tectonics influence paleoclimate, the biosphere and the atmosphere? Was the geomagnetic field to the first order always dipolar? This is the so-called GAD hypothesis. Presently we have a limited set of paleoclimatic indicators with which to test the GAD hypothesis. We use paleoclimatic indicators to test GAD through time, but how sensitive are they? Are there others indicators we could use, for example stromatolites in Archean and Paleoproterozoic aged rocks?

These are some of the questions I am interested in. My work also includes economic aspects such as the large iron ore deposits of South Africa, Western Australia and India and their place within a global tectonic reference frame.

... back to top

Publications and Reprints

2007

Articles in press
De Kock, M.O., Evans, D.A.D., Gutzmer, J., Beukes, N.J. and Dorland, H.C. (in press), Origin and timing of BIF-hosted high-grade hard hematite deposits - a paleomagnetic approach, in Hagemann, S.G., Rosiere, C.A., Gutzmer, J. and Beukes, N.J., BIF-Related High-Grade Iron Mineralization: Reviews in Economic Geology, v. 15, p

Articles in preparation
De Kock, M.O., Evans, D.A.D., Kirschvink, J.L., Beukes, N.J., Rose, E. and Hilburn, I. (in review), Paleomagnetism of a Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic carbonate ramp and carbonate platform succession (Transvaal Supergroup) from surface outcrop and drill core, Griqualand West region, South Africa. Precambrian Research

2006

De Kock, M.O., Evans, D.A.D., Dorland, H.C., Beukes, N.J. and Gutzmer, J. (2006). Paleomagnetism of the lower two unconformity-bounded sequences of the Waterberg Group South Africa: Towards a better defined apparent polar wander path for the Paleoproterozoic Kaapvaal Craton. South African Journal of Geology, 109, pp. 157-182.

2005

Ward, P.D., Botha, J., Buick, R, De Kock, M.O., Erwin, D.H., Garrison, G.H., Kirschvink, J.L., and Smith, R. (2005). Abrupt and gradual extinction among Late Permian land vertebrates in the Karoo Basin, South Africa. Science, 307, pp. 709-714.

Gutzmer, J., Beukes, N.J., De Kock, M.O. and Netshiozi, S., (2005). Origin of high-grade iron ores at the Thabazimbi deposit, South Africa, in Conference Proceedings Iron Ore 2005, Aus IMM, Publication Series 8, pp.99-110. AusIMM, Melbourne, Australia.

2004

De Kock, M.O., and Kirschvink, J.L. (2004). Paleomagnetic Constraints on the Permian-Triassic boundary in Terrestrial strata of the Karoo Supergroup, South Africa: Implications for causes of the End-Permian extinction event. Gondwana Research, 7(1), pp. 175-183.

... back to top

Abstracts

Oral presentations

De Kock, M.O., Evans, D.A.D., Beukes, N.J., Gutzmer, J., Armstrong, R.A. (2007). Rearranging Vaalbara with new geochronological and paleomagnetic data from the Neoarchean Ventersdorp Supergroup of Southern Africa. GSA Annual Meeting 2007, Denver, U.S.A.
De Kock, M.O., Dorland, H.C., Evans, D.A.D., Beukes, N.J. and Gutzmer, J., (2007). New insights into 1.87 Ga intraplate magmatism and the apparent polar wander path of the Kaapvaal Craton as drawn from the Soutpansberg Group. GSA Annual Meeting 2007, Denver, U.S.A.
De Kock, M.O., Dorland, H.C., Beukes, N.J. and Evans, D.A.D., (2005). Paleomagnetism ofthe Lower Waterberg Group of South Africa: Towards a better defined Apparent Polar Wander Path for the Paleoproterozoic Kaapvaal craton. Supercontinents and Earth Evolution Symposium 2005, Freemantle, Australia.
Gutzmer, J., Beukes, N.J., De Kock, M.O. and Netshiozi, S., (2005). Origin of high-grade iron ores at the Thabazimbi deposit, South Africa. AusIMM Iron Ore 2005, Freemantle, Australia.
De Kock, M.O., Beukes, N.J., Hancox, J., Kirschvink, J.L., Neveling, J., Rubidge R. and Ward, D., (2003). Permain-Triassic magnetostratigraphy in the Karoo Basin of South Africa. 13th Annual V.M. Goldschmidt Conference, Kurushiki, Japan.
De Kock, M.O.and Kirschvink, J.L., (2002). Magnetostratigraphy of the Permian-Triassic boundary in South Africa: correlation of non-marine and marine sections. Gondwana 11 Correlations and Connections, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Poster presentations

Gutzmer, J., Banks, D., De Kock, M.O., McClung, C.R., Strauss, H. and Mezger, K., (2006). The origin and paleoenvironmental significance of stratabound barites from the Mesoarchean Fig Tree Group, Barberton Mountainland, South Africa. V South American Symposium on Isotope Geology 2006, Uruguay.
De Kock, M.O., Beukes, N.J., Evans, D.A.D., Hilburn, I., Kirschvink, J.L. and Rose, E., (2005). Paleomagnetism of borehole GKP-01 of the Agouron-Griqualand Paleoproterozoic drilling project,South Africa. Supercontinents and Earth Evolution Symposium 2005, Freemantle, Australia.

... back to top

Research

Publications and Reprints

2007

2006

2005

2004

Abstracts

Oral presentations

Poster presentations

Image Galleries

The Pilbara (Australia)

The Bastar Craton (India)