Sinelethu Hashibi

PhD candidate & Senior Scientific Officer

Thesis title: Using kimberlite indicator mineral geochemistry to better constrain the chemical and thermal structure of the SCLM beneath the Kaapvaal Craton: insights from S-to-P Receiver Functions

Research interests: Mantle geochemistry, kimberlite indicator minerals, garnets, single mineral thermobarometry, seismic receiver functions, language and science communication

Sinelethu Hashibi is a fourth year PhD candidate, studying the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the Kaapvaal craton using single mineral geochemistry and thermobarometry. Her researh involves the use of "big data" statistical approaches to interpret pre-collected data. She combines her geochemical dataset with insights drawn from seismology, particularly receiver functions (Sp).

Sinelethu also has a passion for language and she is the head translator at Chosi Ndabazomhlaba, which translates the geological record of South Africa into isiXhosa (at the present moment). She won the prestigious Katia and Maurice Krafft Award for this particular project. 

Supervisors: A/Prof P.E. Janney, Dr R.A. Sloan and Dr D Quiros

Science Engagement: GeoLog interview

Selected Publications

More publications on: Google Scholar

  1. Qashani, Z., Hashibi, S., Howarth, G.H., Janney, P.E., le Roux, P. and Robey, J., 2024. Petrogenesis and indicator mineral chemistry of the K-richterite-and leucite-bearing diamondiferous Kareevlei Kaapvaal lamproite. Lithos, p.107527.
  2. Tostevin, R. and Hashibi, S., 2023, July. Translating the geological record into indigenous African languages. In Goldschmidt 2023 Conference. GOLDSCHMIDT.
  3. Janney, P., Nkere, B., Fillsmith Ndongani, L., Demaiffe, D., Thierry, D.P., Hashibi, S., Sloan, A. and Howarth, G., 2021, December. Mapping mantle terra incognita: using kimberlite indicator minerals to constrain the thermal and chemical structure of the lithosphere beneath central Africa. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts (Vol. 2021, pp. S51E-04).

Degrees

  1. BSc in Geology and Chemistry, UCT (2016-2018)
  2. BSc Honours in Geology, UCT (2019)

Awards

  1. Katia and Maurice Krafft Award - Awarded by the European Geosciences Union (EGU) 
  2. The John J. Gurney Postgraduate Scholarship (2020)
  3. 2019 South African Council for Natural Science Professions (SACNASCP) for Best Honours Thesis