UJ’s Geology Department was honoured to host the 9th Annual Meeting of the Igneous and Metamorphic Studies Group (IMSG) from 15 to 18 January 2017. The IMSG started in Pretoria in 2008 as a forum for geologists with an interest in igneous and metamorphic petrology and related topics to present and share their latest research findings.

Instead of the confines of a lecture hall, the event was held in the Glenwillow Meeting Room at Glenburn Lodge, in the Muldersdrift area about 33km northwest of Johannesburg city centre. A morning field trip took in two traverses across the 3 200 or so million-year old granitic rocks that comprise part of South Africa’s geological foundation. The highest number ever, 106 registered delegates, indicated the popularity of the meeting, kicking off with a welcoming address by Professor John Clemens of Stellenbosch University, and featuring presentations on, amongst others, aspects of metamorphic geology, granitic intrusions, Bushveld Complex mineralization, and meteorite impact systematics.

Robyn Ormond, a 2016 UJ Geology Honours student, won the IMSG prize for the best student presentation. Ormond studied the enigmatic Zwartkops rocks in the Muldersdrift area for her Honours project, and has enrolled for a Masters’ degree at UJ on a related topic.

The meeting and field trip were an unqualified success, said the Geology Department which also thanked the various sponsors of the event.