Our People

Directors

Co-Directors

Prof. Raymond Durrheim

Ray Durrheim holds the South African Research Chair in Exploration, Earthquake and Mining Seismology at the University of the Witwatersrand and is a Fellow in the Natural Resources and the Environment Unit of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He has participated in many studies dealing with deep level mining and rockbursting. From 1998 to 2002 he was the manager of the DeepMine and FutureMine Collaborative Research Programmes. In 2005 he was commissioned by Chief Inspector of Mines to lead an investigation into the risks to miners, mines and the public associated with large seismic events in the gold mining districts. He is currently the leader of the research project entitled “Minimising the Rockburst Risk”, sponsored by the Mine Health & Safety Council. This project encompasses research on topics such as seismic source mechanisms, the dynamics of fault zones, rockburst damage mechanisms, and seismic hazard assessment methods. He can be reached at: raymond.durrheim@wits.ac.za

Prof. Andy Nyblade

Andy Nyblade, professor of geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University, has served as co-Director of AfricaArray since its launch in 2004. Born and raised in Tanzania, he has been leading geophysical research in eastern and southern Africa for more than 20 years. Prior to his involvement in AfricaArray, Dr. Nyblade conducted broadband seismic projects in Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia and Cameroon, and heat flow and gravity projects in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, and Kenya. Dr, Nyblade is a geophysicist who has worked globally on the structure and evolution of continental lithosphere and its relation to mantle dynamics. In Africa, some of his most recent work has focused on the origin of continental rifting, the causes of plateau uplift, and the nature of Precambrian lower crust. Dr. Nyblade can be reached at: aan2@psu.edu

Academic Staff and Faculty

Prof. Susan Webb

Sue Webb, Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her current research is focused on the application of 3D modelling of the southern African regional gravity field to constrain properties of the Kaapvaal tectosphere. These gravity models are constrained by and integrated with the results from the seismological and geochemical studies of the Kaapvaal project. I am particularly interested in projects integrating diverse data sets, including geophysical, geological, petrologic, isotopic and geochemical information.On a smaller scale I am currently developing a consistent gravity, magnetic and seismological model of the Bushveld Complex that accounts for thickened crust under the Bushveld.I am also interested in the integration of geophysical methods applied to exploration, environmental and archaeological problems with a special focus on potential field methods. This includes high-resolution studies, including the practical aspects of data collection. She can be reached at: susan.webb@wits.ac.za

Prof. Musa Manzi

University of the Witwatersrand Prof Musa Manzi is a Senior Researcher and Director of the Wits Seismic Research Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand. His research focuses mainly on the area of reflection seismology as applied to the search for oil, gas, and mineral deposits, with a view to developing new mathematical algorithms to reprocess old seismic datasets acquired for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration. This would not only assist in the discovery of new deposits of valuable ore and minerals, but also expand the knowledge of how they are formed as well as mitigate the hazards involved in their recovery. The Wits Seismic Research Centre, which he established in 2015, specialises in providing geophysical training to undergraduate and postgraduate students from Africa and beyond. Prof Manzi’s research outputs include 22 peer-reviewed papers since 2011, and he has garnered numerous awards for his work. He can be reached at: musa.manzi@wits.ac.za

Current Students


Obehi Atita MSc. Degree Candidate, Analysis and interpretation of geophysical logs from DSEIS boreholes using machine learning methods, University of the Witwatersrand,. South Africa
Nombuso Maduna Ph.D. Degree Candidate, Structural evolution of the deep-water Orange Basin; from a Cretaceuous DWFTB system to Cenozoic mass transport systems, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Thiashen Nadan MSc. Degree Candidate, Near-surface geophysical investigation of the Far Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Ndamulelo Mutshafa Ph.D. Degree Candidate, Reprocessing of legacy seismic data for gold exploration: case study from Witwatersrand goldfields, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Nandipha Masondo MSc. Degree Candidate, Micromechanics of heat and stress induced rock fracture, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Salizwa Plaatjie MSc. Degree Candidate, A statistical and machine learning approach to analysing dykes and faults at South Deep gold mine, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Mpofana Sihoyiya Ph.D. Degree Candidate, Re-appraising legacy seismic data using modern processing algorithms: case studies from South African Goldfields, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Sharon Matloga MSc. Degree Candidate, Structural interpretation of 3D reflection seismic legacy data in South African Platinum mines; Implication for mine safety, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Thulani Maupa MSc. Degree Candidate, A geological investigation of the possible source and quantity of coal bed methane in the Highveld coalfield, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Moyagabo Kenneth Rapetsoa Ph.D. Degree Candidate, Seismic solutions utilizing existing in-mine infrastructures for mineral explorations, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Lebogang Madisha MSc. Degree Candidate, Seismic ambient noise study in the suburbs of Johannesburg: Revealing patterns in daily human activity, seasonal variations and the effects of the COVID-19 national lock-down, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Meshaclick Bopape MSc. Degree Candidate, Mapping the Whitehill Formation and Karoo dolerite intrusions in the southeastern Karoo Basin, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa

Post-Doctoral

Dr. Michael Westgate

Michael Westgate obtained his PhD in reflection seismics at the University of the Witwatersrand. The central topic of his research was reappraisal of legacy seismic data using modern processing and interpretation techniques for mineral exploration, tectonic investigations, and hydrocarbon prospection. He has continued this theme into his post-doctoral research by developing numerical and computational techniques that enhance legacy data and provide renewed insights therein. He has published papers that tackle modern questions about the South African tectonic and mineral hardrock setting and has gained generalized skills in the fields of signal and image processing and analysis, numerical programming, data analysis and visualization, and integration of multiple datasets. He is currently working on processing and interpreting multiple crustal-scale seismic profiles across South Africa with the goal of constraining the tectonic evolution thereof. He can be reached at: michael.westgate@wits.ac.za

Dr. Elamahalala Fenitra Andriampenomanana Ny Ony

Fenitra Andriampenomanana is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Seismology at the School of Geosciences - the University of the Witwatersrand. His research interests focus on the structure and dynamics of the Earth's interior to understand the tectonic and geodynamic processes, primarily in eastern and southern Africa. This involves analysing signals from local and distant earthquakes using techniques of earthquake seismology such as receiver function analysis, travel time tomography, surface wave tomography, and shear wave splitting. He can be reached at: fenitra.andriampenomanana@wits.ac.za

Dr Emmanuel Onyebueke

Emmanuel Onyebueke, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Seismic Research Centre, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand. His current research focused on the In-mine integrated seismic experiments in South Africa mines and application of integrated geophysical methods for mineral and groundwater exploration, environmental and geoengineering problems. My research interest also includes high-resolution near-surface geophysical studies with special interest in reflection seismic, MASW and geoelectrical methods, and hydrogeophysics. He can be reached at: Emmanuel.Onyebueke@wits.ac.za.