ESTUDIO DE KIMBERLITAS

How to Find
Diamond Deposits
Diamonds are a Geologist's Best Friend

Links

KIMBERLITE
Kimberlite is just one of several rock types found at the earth's
surface that sometimes
contains diamonds. More
than 40 kimberlites were
initially mapped in the
Colorado-Wyoming State
Line district (1), this was
followed by mapping of a
small kimberlite blow in the
Sheep Rock district (2), a
major dike-blow complex in the Iron Mountain district (3), and the
mapping of a major lamproite district in the Leucite Hills field (4).
During research of this region, hundreds of other anomalies were
found.
Highwall exposing (blue-ground) kimberlite breccia at the Kelsey
Lake diamond mine, Colorado.
The kimberlites occur as pipes, dikes and blows.
Most appear to be deeply eroded suggsting a
possibility for significant diamond placers

downstream. Even so, there has been absolutely no exploration for

diamond placers in this region although one Ft. Collins prospector
recovered diamonds in the early 1970s while looking for gold in
Rabbit Creek, another panned a diamond with little effort in George
Creek, and placer diamonds were recovered in Fish Creek during
exploration of Kelsey Lake (including a 6.2 carat diamond).
Cross section of Colorado-Wyoming kimberlite.
Kimberlites found to date are primarily diatreme facies with lesser
hypabyssal facies. Many were initially found based on blue ground
exposures, vegetation anomalies, KIMs,
mantle nodues, and depressions. Others
were found by geophysics which led to
the discovery of another group of
kimberlite in the State Line district that
were found with IMPUT geophysics, but
all remain unexplored and none drilled!
Left to right - blue
ground at Aultman
kimberlite, Wyoming
exposed by badger.
Drilling at Aultman
kimberlite intersects
kimberlite at shallow depth (dark gray soil) and
granite (reddish soil). Contact exposed at
Schaffer kimberlite showing the knife sharp
contact between the blue ground kimberlite and the sheared
granite.
Diamond grades of kimberlites range from a trace diamond to 135
carats/100 tonnes based on diamond mills in the district that were
inefficient and typically rejected diamonds of all sizes. Thus actual
grades are greater. The size of recovered diamonds ranged from
micros to the largest diamond - 28.3 carat gemstone. One fragment
from a broken octahedron orignated from a diamond of at least 80

to 90 carats. Much larger diamonds may have been rejected by mills

- for instance, the mill at Kelsey Lake Colorado was poorly designed
and rejected any diamond >40 carats in weight! It also rejected
smaller diamonds.
Bernie Free poses next to large granite xenolith in
mine rib at the Sloan 2 kimberlite, Colorado.
During recent exploration of the region by the author,
several hundred cryptovolcanic structures were
identified within the State Line district as well as to
the south and north. Most are likely kimberlites based
on the distinct presence of blue ground, circular to elliptical
depressions that are structually controlled, and most enclosing
large, rounded boulders. Potentially, 10 to 12 previously unknown
kimberlite districts were discovered along with the numerous
kimberlites overlooked within the State Line district. It is likely that
the Colorado-Wyoming region is underlain by one of the largest
kimberlite-lamproite-lamprophyre provinces in the world!
A few kimberlites in the district had drilled resources. These include
the Kelsey Lake group and theSloan Ranch group of kimberlites.
Because of the large number of kimberlites in this region that are
diamondiferous and are deeply eroded, it is estimated that as much
as 2,000 feet of the vertical column of the pipes have eroded and
their diamond content carried downstream. Thus it is highly likely
that streams like Fish Creek, Rabbit Creek, George Creek and many
others draining into the Poudre River in Colorado contain millions of
diamonds from large to small - some potentially worth several
thousand to more than a hundred thousand dollars based on
diamonds sold from Kelsey Lake. Diamonds are the hardest natural
substance on earth and in southern Africa, have been shown to
transport as far as 600 miles from their known source kimberlites in
the Kimberley region to the ocean shores along western Africa.
Prospecting streams for diamonds in this region of Colorado for
many miles downstream could be very productive.

Left - Hypabyssal facies

diamondiferous kimberlite at
the Sloan Ranch, Colorado.
Note the large pyrope
megacryst (gem-quality Cape
Ruby).
Below - Hypabyssal facies
diamondiferous kimberlite
with large chromian diopside (Cape Emerald) in matrix.

Kimberlite Pipes

Carrot-shaped volcanic pipes rising from the upper mantle 100-300km

beneath the crust. They are formed through the high-pressure eruption of
kimberlite magma, which expands and breaks rock as it reaches the crust.
Kimberlites often contain diamonds, which require an extreme amount of
pressure to form. This condition is satisfied because of the depth at which
kimberlites originate. The photograph shows the very top of a kimberlite pipe
that was already mined.
PARA BAJAR INFORMACION EN PDF ENTRAR A maixmail
http://imagenes.mailxmail.com/cursos/pdf/ejemplo-completo.pdf

http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/~oesis/field/medium/kimberlite.jpg

MAJOR DIAMOND PROVINCE

DISCOVERED
Exploration of the Wyoming Craton
began in 1975 following the accidental
discovery of diamonds in a garnet
harzburgite (peridotite) nodule
collected from a Wyoming
kimberlite. Since this discovery, the
two largest kimberlite districts in the
US and the largest lamproite field in
the North American craton were recognized and later mapped by the author

(W. Dan Hausel). Exploration of these regions resulted in more than

130,000 diamonds recovered by various companies that ranged from
microdiamonds to 28.3 carats (including one broken octahedral fragment
from a larger stone estimated by Howard Coopersmith to have been as
much as 80 to 90 carats in weight). However, mills built in this region were
so poorly designed that one can provide evidence that the facilities likely
rejected more diamonds than they recovered.
Of the 40 kimberlites mapped in the State Line district alone, all yielded
diamonds, but the grade of the deposits remains unresolved. Just in 200607, Hausel found 12 prviously unknown districts in this region along with
more than 300 high-quality cryptovolcanic structures - many are likely
kimberlites and a few represent two of the largest in the world.
In addition to these structures, >300
kimberlitic indicator mineral anomalies
were identified to the north in research
study in the 1980s headed by Hausel.
As incredible as it sounds, only a
handful of thesewere ever explored.
Within the State Line district, one
geophysical firm identified a large
group of EM and mag anomalies that are thought to be related to blind
(hidden) diamond pipes.
14.2 carat octahedron from Kelsey Lake Colorado.
Hundreds of other KIM anomalies were identified to the west in a region
covering >250 square miles where diamondiferous lamprophyres were
discovered. KIM anomalies & diamonds have also been identified in the
Front Range, Laramie Range, Hartville uplift, Seminoe Mountains, Medicine
Bow Mountains, Green River Basin, Powder River Basin, Sweetgrass Hills,
Bighorn Mountains etc.
Raw Wyoming diamond showing
excellent trigons on surface of stone.

In the Leucite Hills lamproite field and other localities, several diamondstability indicator minerals were recovered and no follow-up work ever
conducted (as of 2009).
The Wyoming Craton, based on these discoveries, is a major (unexplored)
kimberlite-lamproite-lamprophyre province. During the past 30 years, we
have collected a very sizable data base on
these anomalies.
Assortment of kimberlitic indicator minerals
including purple pyrope, red, orange and
pink pyrope garnets (Cape rubies), chromian
diopside (Cape emeralds), picroilmenite and
chromite.
Below - two faceted Cape rubies from diamondiferous lamprophyres and
anthills in the Cedar Mountain region, Green River Basin, southwestern,
Wyoming.

Kimberlites Discovered at Chidliak Projec

Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. discovered eight kimberlites at the

Chidliak Project. The kimberlites were discovered during Peregrine Diamonds Ltds
exploration of diamond deposits in the Canadian Arctic alongside BHP Billiton Ltd. The

Vancouver based Peregrine noted that the price of drilling and rock sampling in this
area, Baffin Island, will increase from $13.5 million to $15.3 million in this year alone. It
is believed by John Kaiser, publisher of Kaiser Bottom-Fish Online, a mining industry
newsletter, that Chidliak, which is located more than 4,000 kilometers north of Ottawa,
is a great new discovery and will yield a large amount of loose diamonds.
This summers exploration was intended for the purpose of discovering new
kimberlites. This endeavor has recently discovered eight new ones, six of which were
located on the surface and two located by drilling. With this sort of success it is no
surprise that BHP is financially supporting the exploration in hopes of obtaining a
majority stake in Chidliak, as the financial outcome will be very beneficial for them in
the long run. BHP will consider working towards gaining 58% of the ownership, but that
wont be discussed until later on this year.
Peregrine is also striving for a mine in Chidliak and, according to Brooke Clements,
their president, already have a good chance for a mine. It is now a matter of finding out
if their mine will size up to the BHP mine that has already been established. These
ongoing projects and discoveries in Chidliak have confirmed to Brooke Clements that
the exploration in Chidliak has started well with room for improvement. Clements went
on stating that the recent discoveries prove the value of this area and their overall
potential to yield large quantities of diamonds in the future. Clements believes that the
experience gained from recent exploration will result in further advancements as well
as the increase of exploration will result in exponential diamond finds in Chidliak and
beyond.
The eight new kimberlites have brought the total number discovered during the
duration of this exploration to 26. CH-19, located farthest south, extends approximately
60 kilometers in a northern direction and 40 kilometers in the eastern direction. CH-21is
located roughly five kilometers from CH -19 and CH-23 through CH-26 are positioned
relatively close to one another on the eastern portion of the Project. The kimberlite at
CH-20 is considered similar to that of CH-6 and Ch-10. Finally, Ch-22 is considered to
be a magmatic kimberlite. The samples from these kimberlite regions are all being sent
to Saskatchewan Research Council for diamond examination.
It is obvious that the exploration taking place at the Chidliak Project has been quite
successful thus far. The 26 kimberlites discovered there is great evidence that there is
a good deal of diamonds to offset the costs of the drilling occurring at Chidliak.
Peregrine Chief Executive Officer Eric Friedland is confident that the future diamonds
that will be discovered will ultimately make up for the development costs.

File:Kimberlite picture.jpg
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

File

File history

File links

Global file usage

Metadata

Size of this preview: 800 600 pixels

Full resolution (3,072 2,304 pixels, file size: 1.54 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

Description

Picture of a diamond-bearing kimberlite rock, from a mine somewhere in the US. (Diamonds are
Date
Source
Own work
Author
Woudloper
Permission
(Reusing this file)

See below.

[edit]Licensing

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution

You are free:

to share to copy, distribute and transmit the work

to remix to adapt the work

Under the following conditions:

attribution You must attribute the work in the manner specified by

suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).

share alike If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you ma
or similar license to this one.

File history
Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time.
Date/Time

Thumbnail

curr 09:55, 22
ent March 2008

Dimension User
s

Comment

3,0722,30 Woudlo ({{Information |

4(1.54 MB) per
Description=Picture of
a diamond-bearing
kimberlite rock, from
a mine somewhere in
the US. (Diamonds are
not visible) |
Source=self-made |
Date= |
Author= Woudloper |
Permission= |
other_versions= }} Ca
tegory:Kimberlite)

File links
The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects
are not listed):

Kimberlite

Global file usage

The following other wikis use this file:

Usage on he.wikipedia.org

-
Usage on it.wikipedia.org

Kimberlite

Usage on nl.wikipedia.org

Kimberliet

Xenocryst
Usage on nn.wikipedia.org

Kimberlitt

Metadata
This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or
scanner used to create or digitize it. If the file has been modified from its original state,
some details may not fully reflect the modified file.
Camera
manufacturer

EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY

Camera model

KODAK EASYSHARE Z710

ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA

Exposure time

1/200 sec (0.005)

F-number

f/3.3

ISO speed rating

64

Date and time of

data generation

15:20, 13 December 2007

Lens focal length

26.4 mm

Show extended details

14 Pictures of Kimberlite

DIAMANTE
Etimologa:
Del griego adamantos, indomable, duro.
Frmula qumica:
C
Propiedades fsicas:
Sistema: Cristalino, siempre se presenta en
cristales que a veces, poseen caras curvas y
estras. Hbito: la forma ms frecuente es el
octaedro, y el cubo, menos comn es el
dodecaedro; el cubo y el tetraedro son raros.
Dureza: 10. Densidad: 3,5. Color: las especies
puras son incoloras, transparentes, a veces con
matices de color rojo, marrn, amarillo, azul y otros
colores. Brillo: muy intenso (adamantino). Puede
estar maclado, y es frecuente la macla tipo
espinela.

Descripcin:
Se distinguen las siguientes variedades: Diamante, cristales aislados y grupos de cristales
(piedra preciosa); esferas de bort o bals, masas densas e irregulares, frecuentemente
fibrosorradiadas, en pocas palabras, abarca toda suerte de Diamante que no puede utilizarse
como piedra preciosa; y carbonado, que son cantos rodados del tamao de un guisante al de un
huevo, de aspecto semejante al del coque o de una escoria de carbn, compacto a granudo,
negro a gris, de superficie negra y brillante y fractura concoidea y mate. En concepto tcnico se
distingue entre la mercanca para tallar y la industrial. Las tallas ms frecuentes son el brillante
(no constituye una variedad de Diamante), la rosa y la tabla. La industrial es, el que debido a
efectos de diversa ndole no puede ser convertido en joya y se utiliza en la industria en forma de
sierras, muelas, perforadoras, etc.
Origen:
El Diamante se ha formado a grandes profundidades (altas presiones y temperaturas) y aparece
en la superficie, ligado siempre a fenmenos volcnicos, en el interior de una roca bsica (pobre
en slice) llamada kimberlita. Se puede hallar tambin en arenas a causa de la meteorizacin de
la roca y posterior transporte. La formacin de diamantes est vinculada principalmente con la
cristalizacin del magma residual de composicin ultrabsica rica en compuestos voltiles.
Antecedentes en Venezuela:
Las zonas diamantferas venezolanas se encuentran situadas en el Estado Bolvar, en la parte

noreste y en la Gran Sabana. El descubrimiento de las riquezas diamantferas en la Gran

Sabana, se debe al doctor Lucas Fernndez Pea, que lleg a ella en el ao de 1924, se
estableci a 20 Km., de la frontera con el Brasil en el cerro Acurim, cerca del ro Uairn y fund
el pueblo de Santa Elena de Uairn en 1927.
La explotacin minera de la Gran Sabana data de 1931, cuando el doctor Fernndez Pea
descubri oro y Diamante en las inmediaciones del cerro Paratepuy, en las cercanas del cerro
Surukum, a 40 Km al oeste de Santa Elena, hecho que despert un gran inters tanto por parte
del gobierno Nacional como de los particulares.
En Venezuela se producen los tres tipos de diamantes conocidos ampliamente en el mercado
mundial, como son el tipo industrial, el tipo talla y el tipo bort.
Localizacin:
En Venezuela todos los distritos diamantferos se relacionan ntimamente con la Formacin
Roraima, una extensa unidad precmbrica constituida por conglomerados, areniscas lutitas y
cuerpos de diabasas, que ocupa gran parte de la regin sur del pas. Muy probablemente la
fuente de diamantes est directamente asociada con conglomerados basales de esa formacin.
En trminos generales, se pueden reconocer tres tipos principales de depsitos diamantferos
aluvionales:
1. Los sedimentos y concentraciones secundarias en los lechos de los ros y quebradas.
2. Los aluviones de planadas bajas y los antiguos cursos de los ros.
3. Los aluviones de terrazas.
De todos estos tipos de aluviones, los que ms se han trabajado en Venezuela, son los
asociados con los ros y quebradas. Es muy probable que la razn de esto sea la cercana a
fuentes de agua; pero de acuerdo a las experiencias mineras en Guayana, los aluviones que ms
se han destacado por su riqueza diamantfera son los de tipo de planadas y antiguos cursos de
los ros, tal como sucede en San Salvador de Pal y en Guainiamo.
Con respecto a los depsitos asociados a los aluviones de terrazas, poco se ha hecho para
explorar esas extensas zonas tan comunes en muchos de los grandes ros de Estado Bolvar.
Desde el punto de vista mineralgico, se observan dos tipos de aluviones, conforme al contenido
y la composicin de las gravas diamantferas, lo que a la vez est ntimamente ligado con la
ubicacin geogrfica de los yacimientos. Estos son:
1. Los aluviones cuyos concentrados de surruca presentan un color muy claro.
2. Los aluviones cuyos concentrados se presentan con colores oscuros.
Los del primer caso, son los aluviones diamantferos localizados dentro o al pie de la Formacin
Roraima en su extensin actual: la Gran Sabana, Uriman, Avequi, Parupa, San Salvador de Pal,
Paramuchi, Alto Paragua, Casabe, Aza, Alto Caron, etc. Los concentrados de surruca, se
caracterizan por un color blanco y estn compuestos principalmente por Cuarzo, Rutilo y bajos
contenidos de Limonita, Hematita y Magnetita.
En el segundo caso, los concentrados resultantes de la operacin de surruca, tienen aspecto
muy oscuro y la forma es de gran tamao. Se caracterizan por un alto contenido de minerales de
Hierro y escasa presencia de Jaspe, Rutilo y Circn, que en este caso son reemplazados por
gran abundancia de Ilmelita, Limonita y Hematita. Estos son los aluviones ubicados fuera, e
inclusive, lejos de la extensin actual de la Formacin Roraima, tal como Bajo Caron (Caruachu,
Playa Blanca, Ro Claro, etc), Coroima, Paviche, la regin cubierta por el Lago de Guri, San

Pedro de las Bocas, Ro Yuruary y Ro Yurun.

Depsitos del Ro Caron, Estado Bolvar: uno de los drenajes ms importantes desde el punto
de vista de aluviones diamantferos, lo constituye el Ro Caron, este como sus principales
tributarios en la Gran Sabana, con mayor o menor intensidad, muestran presencia de diamantes
en aluviones. La abundancia se incrementa al entrar el ro en los profundos valles de al
Formacin Roraima, caracterizndose por las concentraciones de Diamante al igual que en
Urimn, Avequi, Parupa y San Salvador de Pal. La presencia de Diamante se ha comprobado
hasta aproximadamente la desembocadura del ro Antabare; desde aqu hasta los raudales de
Tuyucay, el ro Caron disminuye significativamente su contenido de diamantes hasta casi quedar
estril.
Depsitos del rea de Guaniamo, Estado Bolvar: es una de las reas que ha influido
notablemente en el incremento de la produccin diamantfera en nuestro pas. Los yacimientos
diamantferos que cubren la llanura aluvional de la Quebrada Grande y sus principales afluentes,
la zona de mayor produccin en el Distrito Minero de Guaniamo, comprenden dos tipos
esenciales: la grava diamantfera que se asienta sobre el sustrato formado por rocas gneas
(diabasas) como por ejemplo en la mina de La Salvacin, y la que reposa sobre una arcilla verde
azulada proveniente de la descomposicin de esa y otras rocas esencialmente
ferromagnesianas. Ambos tipos estn fuertemente mineralizados, especialmente el segundo,
donde la naturaleza plstica y lubricante de la arcilla acta como mesa de grasa natural que
almacena los diamantes.
Las gravas, que aparentan derivarse directamente de rocas granticas y rocas bsicas, tienen un
espesor muy bajo y por lo general muy angulares. El material de recubrimiento consiste en
sedimentos finos: arenas finas con estratificacin cruzada, limos, arcillas y niveles con materia
orgnica. La roca basal sobre la cual reposan las gravas diamantferas por lo general est muy
alterada y su perfil longitudinal en muy irregular, circunstancia favorable para la concentracin de
minerales.
Aplicacin:
El Diamante se utiliza como piedra preciosa, en cantera para dentar las coronas de las
perforadoras, como hilera para alambres, preparacin de carburos, para cortar vidrio, se aade a
los aceros de tornear, etc. Es quizs el mineral ms apreciado por el hombre por sus propiedades
y escasez. En la industria, al ser la sustancia ms dura, se ha usado siempre como elemento de
corte y de pulido; es imprescindible en las obras pblicas y en minera para perforar todo tipo de
rocas.
Asociaciones:
Piropo, olivino y flogopita.
Referencias:
GOLD G, G, & J JUBANY CASANOVAS. Atlas de mineraloga. s.l.,Coleccin de ATLAS DE
CIENCIAS, EDIBOOK, SA, 94 p.
HOCHLEITNER, R.(1997). Gran gua de la naturaleza Minerales y Cristales. Madrid. Edit.
Everest S.A, 255 p.
KLOCKMANN, F.. RAMDOHR P. (1955). Tratado de Mineraloga, Barcelona. Edit. Gustavo Gili
S.A. 716 p.
MILOVSKI, A. V & O. V. KNONOV. (1982). Mineraloga, Mosc, MIR, 319 p.

MINISTERIO DE MINAS E HIDROCARBUROS DIRECCIN GENERAL (1963). La industria

minera de Venezuela, Caracas, 79 p.
RODRIGUEZ, S. (1986). Recursos Minerales de Venezuela. Boletn del Ministerio de Energa y
Minas, 15(27). Caracas, 215 p.

Return to Alkaline Rocks

Kimberlites are fascinating rocks derived from
small-volume ultramafic magmas enriched in
alkalis and volatiles (especially, K and CO2). Most
kimberlites show a conspicuously inequigranular
texture consisting of large crystals (macrocrysts)
and/or rock fragments (xenoliths) enclosed in a
much finer-grained matrix (groundmass). There
seems little doubt that some of the macrocrysts are
actually phenocrysts precipitated from the parental
kimberlitic magma at high pressures, while the rest
are probably xenocrysts formed by fragmentation
of mantle rocks (peridotite, eclogite, dunite, etc.)
and transported to shallow crustal levels. The
macrocryst suite usually consists of olivine
(forsterite), garnet (pyrope), Mg-rich ilmenite,
pyroxenes (enstatite and diopside), phlogopite, and
Cr-rich spinel-group minerals. Diamonds, which are
extracted mostly from kimberlites, are also
xenocrysts of mantle provenance. The fine-grained
fabric of fresh kimberlite is made up of Mg silicates
(olivine, monticellite, serpentine, diopside), calcite,
apatite, oxides (spinel-group
minerals,perovskite and ilmenite), and pulverized
country-rock material. Progressive alteration
gradually converts kimberlite into a friable mixture
of serpentine, hematite, calcite and clays.
Depending on the local geological and tectonic
setting, kimberlitic magma may solidify below the
surface as dikes and sills, erupt to form a crater
filled with volcaniclastic and resedimented
volcaniclastic material (and, possibly, also a tuff
cone surrounding the crater), or burst explosively
through hundreds of meters of crustal rocks
producing a steep-sided carrot- or cylinder-shaped
body (diatreme) filled with strongly fragmented and
jumbled kimberlitic and country-rock material.
Despite their seemingly idiosyncratic petrographic
characteristics, kimberlites are very difficult to
recognize. A cursory examination of hand
specimens or thin sections (even if accompanied
by whole-rock chemical analysis) would be
insufficient because many other rock types

(e.g.,ultramafic
lamprophyres, carbonatites and olivine lamproites)
look superficially similar to kimberlites. Geologists
involved in diamond exploration use a wide array
of analytical tools and methods when searching for
these unique and beautiful rocks.
Shown on this page are:
[Upper right] Kimberlite intrusion (greenish gray) in
granite (red). Kelsey Lake diamond mine, Colorado;
[Middle right] Volcaniclastic kimberlite (dark gray in
the near view) exposed by mining in the A154 pit,
Diavik diamond mines (Northwest Territories,
Canada); light-gray rocks in the background are
Archean granites of the Slave craton;
[Lower right] Small outcrop of macrocryst-rich
kimberlite dike near the Iron Mountain, Wyoming;
large black spots are ilmenite macrocrysts;

[Upper left] The three major

kimberlite facies: hypabyssal
kimberlite containing numerous
olivine macrocrysts, Lac de Gras
kimberlite field, NWT (left);
diatreme-facies tuffisitic kimberlite
breccia containing abundant
xenoliths of sedimentary countryrock, "Triple B" diatreme, Ontario
(middle); resedimented
volcaniclastic kimberlite (right) with
abundant macrocrysts of
serpentinized olivine, diopside and
pyrope in a clay-rich matrix, Lac de
Gras, NWT.
[Lower left] Hypabyssal-facies
kimberlite from the Lac de Gras
kimberlite field (NWT) as seen under
the petrographic microscope in
plane-polarized light (left) and
crossed polars (right). Note the
presence of xenoliths (X) and
olivine macrocrysts (M). Xenolith CX
is of crustal origin, whereas MX is a
fragment of harzburgite from the
Earth's upper mantle. The field of
view is ~4 mm across.

Geological Survey of Canada

Mineralogical and geochemical signatures of kimberlites in glacial
sediments, Kirkland Lake, Ontario
Kimberlite Indicator Minerals
Several minerals, when found in glacial sediments, are useful indicators of
the presence of kimberlite, and to a certain extent, in evaluation of the
diamond potential of kimberlite. These minerals are far more abundant in
kimberlite than diamond, survive glacial transport, and are visually and
chemically distinct. Cr-pyrope (purple colour, kelyphite rims), eclogitic
garnet (orange-red), Cr-diopside (pale to emerald green), Mg-ilmenite
(black, conchoidal fracture), chromite (reddish-black, irregular to octahedral
crystal shape), and olivine (pale yellow-green) are the most commonly used
kimberlite indicator minerals in drift prospecting, although in rare cases,
diamond is abundant enough to be its own indicator. Kimberlite indicator
minerals are recovered from the medium to very coarse sand-sized fraction
of glacial sediments, and analyzed by electron microprobe to confirm their
identification. For this study, indicator minerals were picked from the 0.250.5 mm, 0.5-1.0 mm, and 1.0 to 2.0 mm non-ferromagnetic heavy mineral

concentrates of 10 to 20 kg glacial sediment samples and analyzed at the

GSC using a four spectrometer Cameca SX50 electron microprobe.

Mg-ilmenite

Mg-ilmenite
larger image
[JPEG, 48.8 kb, 400 X 352,notice]

Mg-ilmenite Mg-Ilmenite occurs in many of the Archean rocks in the

Kirkland Lake area as well as in kimberlite. Kimberlitic ilmenites can be
distinguished from other ilmenites by their high MgO content, typically
containing >4 wt.%. Ilmenites from the A4, B30, C14 and Diamond Lake
kimberlites (red dots) contain 4 to 15 wt.% MgO, and are low in Cr 2O3, most
grains contain <1 wt.% Cr2O3. Glacial sediments (blue dots) contain
kimberlitic ilmenite as well as ilmenite form other sources. Each kimberlite
has a distinct Cr2O3 versus MgO signature that is mimicked by the glacial
sediments and kimberlite boulders collected down-ice, as shown in the
Cr2O3 versus MgO plots. For example, one 25 kg kimberlite boulder found 3
km southeast of the Diamond Lake pipe, has a similar Cr2O3 versus MgO
signature indicating it was derived from the Diamond Lake pipe.
Mg-ilmenite

Distribution of Mg-ilmenite grains in overburden drill holes south of the

Diamond Lake kimberlite.
larger image
[GIF, 26.6 kb, 553 X 572, notice]

Top of page
Pyrope

Cr-pyrope
larger image
[JPEG, 45.1 kb, 400 X 351,notice]

Subcalcic harzburgitic garnets are associated with diamondiferous

kimberlites. They can be differentiated from other lherzolitic, harzburgitic or
dunitic garnets by plotting CaO versus Cr2O3. The diagonal line separating
lherzolitic and harzburgitic garnets is the 85% line defined by Gurney
(1984). Garnets that fall below the 85% line, i.e. low-Ca Cr-pyropes, are
"subcalcic" or G10 garnets derived from harzburgite. The high chrome
content gives these garnets a distinct lilac purple colour. The vertical line
separates Cr-poor, orange-red garnets having <2 wt. % Cr2O3 from the
purple peridotitic garnets. Garnets from the A4, B30, C14 and Diamond
Lake kimberlites (red dots) are mostly G9 (lherzolitic), and only a few are
subcalcic-G10 garnets. Garnets in the glacial sediments (blue dots), in
general, have similar compositions to those in the kimberlites. The low

abundance of G10 garnets in the kimberlites and glacial sediments is

consistent with the low diamond grades of these pipes.
Pyrope

Top of page
Chromite

Chromite
larger image
[JPEG, 32.7 kb, 400 X 324,notice]

Chromite associated with diamonds has a high Cr2O3 content (>60 wt. %)
and moderate to high level (12-16 wt.%) of MgO. The compositions of
chromites from the A4, B30, C14 and Diamond Lake kimberlites represent a
"poor" chromite population with only a few chromite xenocrysts approaching
the diamond inclusion field. This is consistent with the trace quantities of
diamonds found in these pipes. Chromite grains in glacial sediments show
similar compositions to those from the kimberlites, suggesting many of the
grains are from kimberlite.
Top of page

Cr-diopside

Cr-diopside
larger image
[JPEG, 137.4 kb, 400 X 351, notice]

Cr-diopside Cr-rich (>0.5 wt.% Cr2O3) diopside is easily identified by its

distinctive green colour. It indicates the presence of kimberlite but provides
little information on the presence of diamonds in the kimberlite. Crdiopsides in the Kirkland Lake area occur in ultramafic rocks as well as
kimberlites, although only kimberlites contain very Cr-rich (>1.5 wt.%
Cr2O3) diopsides. The B30, A4, C14 and Diamond Lake kimberlites contain
pale green (0.5 wt.% Cr2O3) to bright green (1.0 to 4.0 wt.% Cr2O3) Crdiopside. The presence of Cr-diopside is not a useful kimberlite indicator on
its own, because of the ubiquitous distribution of Cr-diopside grains in
glacial sediments across the Kirkland Lake region and the difficulty in
distinguishing between Cr-diopsides from kimberlite and those from other
rocks.
Top of page
Olivine

Olivine
larger image
[JPEG, 41.9 kb, 400 X 351,notice]

Olivine has hitherto rarely been used as kimberlite indicator mineral since it
occurs in abundance in basalts and other ultramafic rocks and is not unique
to kimberlite. It is, however, the most abundant mineral in the upper mantle
(main component of peridotite) and occurs as a macrocryst and phenocryst

phase in kimberlite. It is often the most abundant mineral in heavy mineral

concentrates from kimberlites. Olivine from kimberlite and peridotite is
MgO-rich (close to the forsterite endmember of the olivine solid solution
series) and is colourless to pale yellow or pale green. Its chemistry is
characterized by high Mg-number (Mg/(Mg+Fe) between 84 and 95 and
notable traces of NiO.

GeoDynamo
Adventures of a geology student.

Skip to content

Home
About
Field Trip: Oxbow Park
What Im Reading: National Geographic

Kimberlites
Posted on May 23, 2010 by geodynamo

Ive been reading about kimberlites, which are the main source
of diamonds. Kimberlites are named after the town of Kimberly in
South Africa, which is the site of the Big Hole which is one of the
largest mines excavated by hand, as well as the site of a major diamond
rush at the turn of the last century.
Kimberlite formation is a fascinating process; they are something of a
geological anomaly.

Big Hole in Kimberly, South Africa

kimberlite model

kimberlite pipe

kimberlite pipe

formation of kimberlite pipe

Kimberlite Volcanoes

As the kimberlite magma approaches the earth's surface,

an explosive reaction takes place between groundwater,
the molten kimberlite, and dissolved gases in the
kimberlite. An explosive volcanic eruption follows, resulting
in the formation of a kimberlite pipe or vent.
In the classic South African model, the kimberlite magma
begins at depth as a series of dykes, sills, and blows that
flare into a tapered carrot-shaped subvolcanic "diatreme"
about one kilometre below the surface. Due to explosive
release of pressure near the surface, a kimberlite crater is
developed which is filled by shallow crater-facies deposits.
Kimberlite volcanoes have breached the crust throughout
geological history with the youngest event recognized in
Canada as about 50 million years before present.

Kimberlitic Rocks of New York State

Western New York State is noted for its flat-lying, sandstones, limestones, dolostones, siltstones, and shales
However, some very interesting igneous rocks can be found as dikes* intruding these Paleozoic sedimentar
in a narrow band that extends from the vicinity of Ithaca, through the Syracuse area, and beyond to Ogdens
the St. Lawrence River. The greatest concentration of known dikes is centered near Ithaca, along the southe
portion of the Cayuga Lake valley. This is part of a belt of similar rocks that trends north-south from Tenne
Quebec.

These unusual rocks occur as narrow dikes that formed as molten rock from the upper portion of the earth's
pushed upwards into joints (vertical cracks) in the surrounding rock, then cooled, and solidified. The dikes
size from an inch (2.5 cm.) or less, to 195 feet (60 m.) in width.

Originally called serpentine or serpentinite, the rocks were first discovered in 1837 within the city of Syrac
Other occurrences were soon located in West Canada Creek near Little Falls to the east, and in Ludlowville
south. Then, in 1887, similar rocks were described from the South African diamond fields and named "kim
after Kimberly, South Africa. These kimberlites are well known because their magmas brought diamonds th
formed deep in the mantle to the surface. Hence, the South African kimberlite is famous, while the similar
"kimberlitic rocks" of New York are little known.

Although the kimberlite from both Kimberly and North America have been largely altered to serpentine, th
original composition was largely olivine (peridot) and phlogopite mica; hence, they have been called mica
peridotites. Detailed study of thin sections of the rock has revealed its composition as crystals (2-15 mm.) o
olivine, phlogophite, garnet, phlogopite, and spinel, which are floating in a fine-grained groundmass of phl
calcite, serpentine, perovskite, and magnetite. Other minor minerals that may be present in some specimens
clinopyroxene, clinoamphibole, epidote, chlorite, barite, celestine, spinels, ilmenite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite,
pyrite. However, one mineral that is found in the South African kimberlites but has never been found in tho
New York is diamond. Furthermore, the mineral assemblage in our "kimberlites" indicates that they formed
uppermost portion of the mantle, and were too cool for diamonds to be stable. Therefore, diamonds are not
to be present in any of the currently known New York dikes.

Although igneous rocks characteristically contain radioisotopes that make it possible to determine their age
several factors make it difficult to date these kimberlitic rocks. For example, different crystals in a sample f
different times, and sometimes chunks of crystalline rock from the lower crust or upper mantle can become
incorporated in the kimberlitic magma as it works its way upward. This results in an incorrect date if portio
are sampled. Furthermore, post-crystallization alteration and weathering makes it difficult to extract suitabl
material for dating. Because of these difficulties, various researchers have obtained dates ranging from
approximately 104 - 439 million years for these rocks. Because the youngest rocks that they intrude are aro
million, clearly the oldest date is incorrect! General consensus for the intrusion of the dikes is from the late
to the early Cretaceous periods, or roughly 160 to 135 million years ago.
*dike - a tabular body of igneous rock that cuts across the structure of adjacent rocks.

Reference:
Bailey, David G. and Lupulescu, Marian, 2007, Kimberlitic Rocks of Central New York, Trip A-3: New Y
State Geological Association 79th Annual Meeting Field Trip Guidebook, p. 53-81.

The images below illustrate both field occurrences, and collected specimens, of a few of the more
currently known to occur in central New York State from Syracuse to Ithaca. There are undoubtedl
glacial cover, under water, or that just haven't been recognized yet.
Field and specimen images by Paul Dudley; photomicrographs courtesy of David Bailey.

This is all that's left exposed of the original "serpentine body" that was
discovered by Oren Root on Green Street, Syracuse in 1837. This highly
serpentinized (chemically altered) mica peridotite apparently is the first
description of this type of rock anywhere in the world. Such rocks are now
generally known as kimberlites, although the term kimberlitic may be a
better word due to a lack of a definitive definition of what should constitute
a true kimberlite.

The right-hand portion of this t

shows the interlocking crystals
lose and incorporated in the ma
Street dike. Such chunks of "c
are calledxenoliths, or foreign
This small portion of the outcrop is being engulfed by a box alder tree on a the serpentinized kimberlite.
vacant city lot, just north of the Syracuse University campus, and is in
danger of being forever lost to urban development.

Several large chunks of loose "kimberlite" were found near the outcrop
pictured below and salvaged by participants on the NYSGA field trip to the
locality on 28 September 2007. This freshly broken surface shows large
dark crystals enclosed in a the fine groundmass. The larger crystals are
primarily olivine that has been largely altered to serpentine through the
addition of water. However, some of the crystals may have cores of
unaltered olivine.
Olivine
Mg,Fe2SiO4

Serpentine
Mg3SiO5 (OH)4

This specimen shows a fres

weathered surface on the r
tend to more closely resem
in which they intrude. This
the field.

The brown mineral in this thin section from the Dewitt Reservoir
site is phlogopite mica.

This Dewitt thin section shows a serpentinized olivine crystal in

the upper-left, and a pyrope garnet with a dark reaction ring in
the lower-right. The remainder of the rock is the fine-grained
ground mass primarily of serpentinized olivine, magnetite,
phlogopite mica, and diopside.

This is the side of the valley w

The area bounded by the yello
parallel, dikes. The main reaso
recognized may be due to less
the surrounding shales. Also, t
to the surrounding rocks.

The rock in the center is one of the three dikes in the Clintonville
dike zone outlined in the previous picture. Note the distinct
contacts between the kimberlite and the surrounding grey shale.
This dike is about a foot wide.

The large, boat-shaped crystal

well formed olivine crystal tha

Several dikes are exposed in the bed of Taughannock Creek, both This is a portion of a Taugh
above and below the 215 foot waterfall. The brownish colored
difference in color between
rocks shown here are weathered kimberlite. Note that the dike
intruded grey shale.
splits into two, which is a common occurrence. Taughannock

Creek flows into the west side of Cayuga Lake a few miles north
of Ithaca.

A specimen showing a fresh surface of the Taughannock Creek

dike. Note that the groundmass has become brown, whereas the
olivine and clinopyroxene (diopside) crystals have remained dark.
The grey rock at the bottom is shale.

Thin section of Taughannoc

crystals labeled. Small bla
the isometric, or cubic, cry
etc.).

This dike on the floor of Glenwood Creek, about 3 miles south of

Taughannock Creek, eroded a bit slower than the surrounding
shale. Therefore, this dike shows up as a slight dam extending
across the creek during times of low water.

This highly weathered dike

just to the right of the gree
and extends to near the tre
illustrates how difficult it ca
dikes in the field.

During our club field trip to the Cargill Corp. salt mine in Lansing
this summer--just across the lake from the Ithaca area dikes
shown above-- we were told in response to a question that the
underground salt mining had not encountered any of these dikes.

However, it turns out that this is not true. At least one dike has
been intersected and studied. It occurred at a depth of 0.4 mile,
and was exposed for 300 feet in the mine workings. This sample
of kimberlite and surrounding halite was collected in the mine,
and is in the collection of the New York State Museum.

The Portland Point limeston

the older underground salt
collected at this quarry, an
limestone host rock. The p
the mine geologists to pred

This is the same as the ima

This thin section from a Portland Point sample is viewed under
crossed polarized light. Th
plain polarized light (polarized in one direction only). Mineral
because of its birefringenc
crystals appear in their natural colors. The large grey crystal in
speed at which light is tran
the lower-left is diopside with a reaction rim of spinels. The yellow of the crystal. The colorful
crystals are serpentinized olivine. The small dark, square-shaped mica, and the serpentinize
crystals are probably perovskite (CaTiO3).
looking. The pale, pastel m
magnesite (MgCO3).

DIAMOND NEWS

SHEAR DIAMONDS' JERICHO DRILLING INTERSECTS MORE KIMBERLITE

THAN EXPECTED

08.05.11, 12:02 / Mining

Shear Diamonds has announced the

commencement of its spring drilling program at its
100% owned Jericho Diamond Project in
Nunavut, Canada. The first drill hole within the
Jericho open pit into the Jericho Kimberlite
Complex has been completed and intersected
more kimberlite than expected based on the past
models.
Enlarge

As part of the ongoing exploration program, a

series of six angled drill holes have been planned
to test areas of the Jericho Kimberlite Complex
where it is felt that additional data points are
required.

A kimberlite rock

Drilling is also underway on the second hole from the ice surface at the bottom of
the open pit to test a contact in the Central Lobe on the kimberlite's west side.
"The goal for 2011 is to refine and augment the existing geological model for the
Jericho Kimberlite Complex as well as discover new kimberlites nearby," said
Shear President and CEO Pamela Strand. "The results from our first hole are
extremely encouraging."
Shear currently has a portfolio of eight diamond projects, including three
advanced projects with development potential. Shear bought the Jericho Mine
from the now-defunct Tahera Diamond Corporation last year. The mine is
estimated to contain some 375,000 carats of diamonds valued at C$24.5 billion.

omentarios(1)

stefkuna, El 23 Noviembre 2008, dijo:

Jwaneng kimberlite yields about 1.3 carats of diamonds per ton of rock. The high proportion
of gem-quality diamonds makes it the richest diamond mine in the World. The ore contains
other minerals such as garnets, visible here, but they are not recovered.
Translate

Regstrate para comentar. Entra si ya ests registrado.

2011 Google - Imgenes 2011, Datos de mapa 2011 - Trminos de uso

2000 pies
1 km

en Jwaneng District, Botswana

Les diamants : une origine plus complexe que prvue

Par Laurent Sacco, Futura-Sciences

On pensait assez bien comprendre les conditions gophysiques et

gochimiques de la formation des diamants. Si l'on excepte les
carbonado , ils proviennent tous de zones profondes sous
lacrote terrestre et sont amens en surface par des ruptionsvolcaniques.
De rcentes analyses isotopiques viennent de perturber quelque peu les
images simples sur ces conditions de formation.

Coupe d'une Kimberlite (Crdits : Rudy Wahl).

Le Dr Emilie Thomassot est post-doc dans le Dpartement des sciences de la terre

et des plantes de l'Universit Mc Gill. Elle vient d'tudier prs de 60 diamants
provenant d'un chantillon d'une roche volcanique appeleKimberlite, originaire
du manteau terrestre, et que l'on rcolte en Afrique du Sud l'intrieur des
chemines diamantifres. Les rsultats d'tudes auspectromtre de masse ont t
tonnants. Ce qui fait que la dcouverte d'Emilie Thomassot lui a valu d'tre
slectionne pour publier un article ce sujet dans le clbre journal Science.
Les gobaromtres, les gothermomtres et les chronomtres gochimique
indiquent que la Kimberlite de cette chemine provient d'une profondeur de 160
kilomtres, et qu'elle a franchi la surface au cours d'une ruption volcanique
explosive qui s'est produite il y a plus d'un milliard d'annes. Ce n'est pas tout, la
chercheuse a aussi mesur les quantits prsentes dans les diamants de diffrents
lments, comme l'azote ainsi qu'un de sesisotopes et un autre du carbone. D'un
diamant l'autre les variations d'abondance mesures de ces atomes taient,
contrairement ce qu'on attendait, assez marques !
Comme l'indique le Dr Thomassot C'est la premire fois que des recherches
indiquent une diversit des compositions chimiques d'une telle ampleur dans le cas
de diamants extraits d'un seul chantillon. L'observation tait compltement
inattendue et dboulonne entirement les interprtations entourant la formation
des diamants
Ces rsultats tranges pour un gochimiste laissent penser que les diamants se
forment partir de fluides contenant du mthane, circulant localement dans les
profondeurs de la Terre du fait par exemple de lasubduction de sdiments, plutt
que par l'intermdiaire d'un mlange godynamique issu de divers rservoirs de
carbone dans le manteau l'chelle mondiale. Bien que la prsence de fluides
riches en mthane, pouvant intervenir dans la formation des diamants, avait t
avance thoriquement auparavant, des preuves permettant de soutenir cette
hypothse faisaient jusqu'ici dfaut.

Ce sujet vous a intress ? Plus d'infos en cliquant ici...

Commenter cette actualit ou lire les commentaires

Chemine diamantifre, Kimberley

Sur le mme sujet