Professor Bruce Cairncross

Bruce Cairncross is Professor of Geology and Head of Department at the University of Johannesburg. He holds an MSc from the University of Natal and a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand, both of which focused on sedimentological and stratigraphical aspects of the Karoo Basin coal deposits. Before joining academia, he worked for Rand Mines Ltd as a coal geologist. He has published extensively on the sedimentology, stratigraphy and associated coal of the Karoo-type (Permo-Carboniferous) successions, primarily in the main Karoo Basin and has been previously involved in coalbed methane research. He has supervised several Masters and Doctoral students working on coal-related topics. He also has an interest in southern African minerals and gemstones and geoheritage, in general. Many outputs from this line of research have also been achieved including eight books on the subject and dozens of public lectures. The aims of this latter research are to create greater public awareness in southern Africa’s rich mineralogical heritage.

BOOKS:

Cairncross, B. and Beukes, N.J. (2013). The Kalahari Manganese Field. Random House Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 384 pages.

Cairncross, B. (2013). First Field Guide to Rocks & Minerals of Southern Africa. Random House Struik Publishers, Cape Town, 57 pages. (Also in Afrikaans: Eerste Veldgids tot Gesteentes & Minerale van Suider Afrika)

Cairncross, B. (2013). Guide to borehole core in the Karoo Basin Coalfields. Random House Struik Publishers, Cape Town, COALTECH Publishers, 76 pages.

JOURNALS

Fraser, A. (2013). Collector profile: Bruce Cairncross and his collection. The Mineralogical Record, 44, 201-214.

Giester, G., Lengauer, C.L., Pristacz, H., Rieck, B. and von Bezing, K.-L. (2013) Cairncrossite, IMA 2013-012. CNMNC Newsletter No. 16, August 2013, page 2703; Mineralogical Magazine, 77, 2695[1]-2709.

Cairncross, B. (2014). South African diamonds: a photographic personal perspective. Rocks & Minerals, 89, 76-86. (INVITED ARTICLE).

Maré, L.P., De Kock, M.O., Cairncross, B. and Mouri, H. (2014). Application of magnetic geothermometers in sedimentary basins: an example from the western Karoo Basin, South Africa. South African Journal of Geology. IN PRESS.

CONGRESSES / CONFERENCES

Maré, L.P., de Kock, M., Cairncross, B. And Mouri, H. (2013). What rock magnetism reveals of the Karoo Basin. SAGA-AEM 13th Biennial Conference, Skukuza, Mpumalanga, 2-9 October 2013.

Pretorius, D., Cairncross, B. and Viljoen F. (2013). A new approach to the characterisation of coal from New Vaal colliery through MLA-based automated mineralogy, with a view on liberation. Abstracts Geoforum 2013, 3-5 July 2013, Geological Society of South Africa, Turbine Hall, Newtown, Johannesburg, South Africa, unpaginated.

Moitsi, E. And Cairncross, B. (2014). Afwillite to Willemseite: Biographical and mineralogical insights into South African type-minerals named after South Africans. Abstract. IMA 2014 – 21st General Meeting of the International Mineralogical Association, Sandton, Johannesburg.

Atanasova, M., Cairncross, B. and Windisch, W. (2014). Microminerals of the Bushveld Complex. Abstract. IMA 2014 – 21st General Meeting of the International Mineralogical Association, Sandton, Johannesburg.

Fraser, A., Viljoen, F. and Cairncross, B. (2014). Minimising Measurement Uncertainty and Improving

Limit of Detection in Gold Bearing Ores from Concentrations Predicted from Linear Regression. Abstract. IMA 2014 – 21st General Meeting of the International Mineralogical Association, Sandton, Johannesburg.

Pretorius, D., Viljoen, F. and Cairncross, B. (2014). Characterisation of New Vaal coal using automated mineralogy with a view on liberation. Abstract. IMA 2014 – 21st General Meeting of the International Mineralogical Association, Sandton, Johannesburg.