Johannes (Hans) Merensky, South African mining engineer and prospector (Middelburg District, Mpumalanga Province 16 March 1871 – Duiwelskloof, Limpopo Province 21 October 1952)

From German parents

With Andries Lombaard and the brothers Schalk & Willem Schoeman discovered the Merensky Reef, the largest known platinum deposit in the world of this day (1924)

How we discovered platinum. Mining Industry Mag. South Africa 1:265-6, 1925

Die neuentdeckten Platinfelder in mittleren Transvaal, und ihre wirtshaftliche Bedeutung. Berl. Z. Der. Deut. Geol. Ges. 78:296-314, 1926

Speculated that diamonds were associated with an oyster line formed by shells of fossil species Ostrea prismatica

Warum Muessen die Diamant Vorkommen in der Sogenannten “river and oyster” linie bei Alexander Bay zum Teil Moeglichst Schnell Ausgearbeitet werden? (1927)

Discovered one the world’s richest deposits of vermiculite near Phalarbowa (1928)

Developed new methods of combating soil erosion

SOME BIBLIOGRAPHY

The discovery of Namaqualand diamonds. S. Afr. Min. Engng. J. (1928-9)

With P.A. Wagner. The diamond deposits on the coast of Little Namaqualand. Trans. Geol. Soc. S. Afr. 31:1-41, 1928

Artesian water in Namaqualand. S. Afr. Min. Engng. J. 38(1898):627-8, 1928

How I found the richest diamond fields in the world. Mining Ind. Mag. Southern Africa 4:267-8, 1927

The platinum areas of Lydenburg. S. Afr. Min. Engng. J. 35:474-5, 1925

Report of Potgietersrust Platinum (1925)

Geological observations in the Lace Diamond Mine known as Crown Diamond Mine. Trans. Geol. Soc. South Africa 12:203, 1909

The rocks belonging to the area of Bushveld’s granite complex, in which tin may be expected with description of the deposits actually found. Trans. Geol. Soc. South Africa 11:25-42, 1908

Diamanten in Diabasen. Zeitschr. f. Prakt. Geol. (1908)

The origin of the river diamonds within the area of the Vaal. Trans. Geol. Soc. S. Africa 10:107-11, 1907

The gold deposit of the Murchison Range in the north-east Transvaal. Trans. Geol. Soc. S. Africa 8:42-6, 1905

The diamond deposits of Luderitzland, German South-west Africa. Trans. Geol. Soc. South Africa 12:13-23, 1905

Technical Report on the Premier Diamond Mine. South African Mining 2(2):582-4, 1904

Neue Zinnerzvorkommen in Transvaal. Zeitschr. f. Prakt. Geol. 12(12):409-11, 1904

Ore in the Transvaal. S. Afr. Mines (1904)

HONORS

Merenskyite Kingston 1966 (Mineral)