辽宁复县地区古生代岩石圈地幔特征

本文通过对辽宁复县地区50号金伯利岩管的研究,根据金伯利岩的地球化学和其中地幔矿物及深源捕虏体特征初步推测,复县地区古生代的上地幔反映了该区自早古生代以来上地幔的各种深部事件。它的岩石圈地幔组成与南非金伯利岩发育地区不完全相同。本区是由二辉橄榄岩、纯橄岩、方辉橄榄岩、少量云母石榴长石岩以及金伯利岩的早期堆积物——各种金云母岩所组成。特别值得注意的是,与金刚石平衡共存的是含石榴石及铬铁矿的二辉橄榄岩和方辉橄榄岩,而南非地区与金刚石平衡共存的只是方辉橄榄岩,它是该区在克拉通化过程中通过岩石圈垫底作用增生于其底部的岩石类型。复县地区上地幔中部分橄揽岩仍保留有早期地幔熔体结晶时的火成结构,方辉橄揽岩为提取苦橄质玄武岩-玄武质科马提岩的难熔残余。17亿年本区转变为稳定克拉通后,11亿年(或更晚一些)有交代作用发生,使上地幔富集不相容元素,为熔融金伯利岩准备了源区条件。50号岩管的金伯利岩相当于南非Ⅰ型与Ⅱ型金伯利岩的过渡类型,表明上地幔富集程度较高。复县地区古生代岩石圈厚度至少为170km,其下部上地幔温度为1130℃左右,fo_2接近WM缓冲反应线,与西伯利亚和西非加纳金刚石结晶时的氧逸度相似。     

金伯利岩:地球深部探测的重要探针

金伯利岩是一种偏碱性的超基性岩,来源于地幔深部,富含挥发份和钾质,属于火成岩类,金伯利岩中主要含有镁铝榴石、金刚石、橄榄石、铬铁矿、铬透辉石、镁钛铁矿,锆石、碳硅石等造岩矿物.同时金伯利岩也被认为是含金刚石最主要的岩石.本文通过文献调研方法,野外现场表明金伯利岩中含有深源包裹体;全球金伯利岩主要分布在俄罗斯、博茨瓦纳、加拿大、安哥拉、南非、刚果民主和纳米比亚;中国金伯利岩主要分布在华北地台,在山东、辽宁、吉林、山西、河南和新疆等地.这些金伯利岩常常与深大断裂甚至地幔深部地质作用关系密切,常出现标志性矿物橄榄石、石榴石、高铬磁铁矿,伴有烃类或氢气.但含金刚石金伯利岩主要沿郯庐断裂带分布,如辽宁瓦房店、山东蒙阴等地.从时代上看,以往认为的早古生代的金伯利岩,更可能都是在早期形成于华北地台之岩石圈底部,而在中生代白垩纪时期才在大规模岩石圈拆沉的地质背景下的以快速上升的,尤其是那些含金刚石的金伯利岩岩管更是快速上升的典型代表,其标型矿物是镁铝榴石、高铬磁铁矿、钙钛矿等.国内辽宁瓦房店含金刚石金伯利岩产于郯庐断裂带东侧,有着与同期金伯利岩相同的岩石矿物学特征,其中的以50号岩管为代表的金刚石矿床是我国重要的战略矿产.金伯利岩及其中的金刚石带来众多直接的深部地幔信息,中国瓦房店、蒙阴一带的金刚石来自上地幔,而一些含硼蓝色金刚石则来自下地幔,不同层圈的金刚石携带不同的标志矿物,以橄榄石为例:来自上地幔金刚石携带的橄榄石为橄榄石;过渡带金刚石携带的主要为瓦兹利石和林伍德石;下地幔的金刚石则为布里奇曼石,它们是深部探测的重要探针.     

玄武岩深源岩石包体及金伯利岩中的尖晶石

我国东部新生代玄武岩中深源岩石包体内的尖晶石类矿物属铬尖晶石和铁尖晶石，金伯利岩及其地幔岩包体和金刚石中的尖晶石类矿物主要为铝铬铁矿。玄武岩中橄榄岩类包体内的尖晶石比其辉石岩类包体中的尖晶石含Ｃｒ高，含Ａｌ低，这与Ｃｒ为相容元素、Ａｌ为不相容元素、玄武岩中橄榄岩类包体是上地幔部分熔融出玄武岩浆后的残留物及其上地幔岩石的捕虏体、而辉石岩类是玄武岩浆结晶的产物有关。玄武岩中深源岩石包体中的尖晶石明显地比金伯利岩中的粗晶、地幔岩石包体及金刚石中的尖晶石含Ｃｒ低，含Ａｌ高，其主要原因是前者比后者形成的压力低     

山东金伯利岩同位素地球化学特征的初步研究

本文对山东省蒙阴地区金伯利岩及金刚石,分别就sm-Nd、Rb-sr、C、O等同位素特征进行了初步研究。提出山东金伯利岩与世界其它地区一些金伯利岩中产出的金刚石,其δ~(13)C值完全一致,并认为金刚石的碳来源于上地幔,金刚石的的生长是不连续的。通过对金伯利岩Sm、Nd、Rb、Sr等的研究认为,山东金伯利岩来源于富集型上地幔,且有向亏损型上地幔转换的趋势;山东金伯利岩的岩石类型复杂多样,除金伯利岩自身原因外,另一原因是金伯利岩在上侵过程中与壳层岩石发生了同位素的强烈交代混染作用。     

鲁西中生代辉长-闪长岩中辉石岩捕虏体的岩石成因

鲁西中生代辉长-闪长岩中包含有变晶结构和堆积结构两种类型辉石岩类捕虏体,它们的矿物化学和岩石地球化学特征可同中国东部新生代玄武岩中的辉石岩类包体相对比.它们代表了上地幔两次岩浆底侵事件的产物.辉石岩类捕虏体母岩浆来自于含有陆壳物质的软流圈及其上部岩石圈地幔的部分熔融.辉石岩类捕虏体是由该母岩浆高压分离结晶堆积的产物.辉石岩的母岩浆在上地幔的运移是引起鲁西中生代岩石圈地幔富硅质交代作用的主要因素.     

博茨瓦纳和中国含金刚石金伯利岩的地质特征及对寻找类似岩体的启示

金刚石及其寄主岩石是人类认识地球深部物质组成和性质、壳幔和核幔物质循环重要研究对象。本文总结了中国不同金刚石类型的分布,着重对比了博茨瓦纳和中国含金刚石金伯利岩的地质特征,取得如下认识:(1)博茨瓦纳含矿原生岩石仅为金伯利岩,而中国含矿岩石成分复杂,金伯利岩主要出露在华北克拉通,展布于郯庐、华北中央和华北北缘金伯利岩带,具有工业价值的蒙阴和瓦房店矿床分布于郯庐金伯利岩带中;钾镁煌斑岩主要出露在华南克拉通,重点分布在江南和华南北缘钾镁煌斑岩带中;(2)钙钛矿原位U-Pb年龄和Sr、Nd同位素显示,86～97 Ma奥拉帕金伯利岩群和456～470 Ma蒙阴和瓦房店金伯利岩均具有低87Sr/86Sr(0.703～0.705)和中等εNd(t)(-0.09～+5)特征,指示金伯利岩浆源自弱亏损地幔或初始地幔源区;(3)博茨瓦纳金伯利岩体绝大多数以岩筒产出,而中国以脉状为主岩筒次之;博茨瓦纳岩筒绝大部分为火山口相,中国均为根部相,岩筒地表面积普遍小于前者;(4)奥拉帕A/K1和朱瓦能金伯利岩体是世界上为数不多的主要产出榴辉岩捕虏体和E型金刚石的岩筒之一,而同位于奥拉帕岩群的莱特拉卡内、丹姆沙和卡罗韦岩体与我国郯庐带的金伯利岩体类似,均主要产出地幔橄榄岩捕虏体以及P型和E型金刚石;(5)寻找含矿金伯利岩重点注意以下几点:克拉通内部和周缘深大断裂带是重要的控岩构造;镁铝榴石、镁钛铁矿、铬透辉石、铬尖晶石和铬金红石等是寻找含金刚石金伯利岩重要的指示矿物;航磁等地球物理测量需与土壤取样找矿方法相结合才能取得更好效果;(6)郯庐金伯利岩带、江南钾镁煌斑岩带和塔里木地块是中国重要含矿岩石的找矿靶区,冲积型金刚石成矿潜力巨大。     

上地幔中的流体和熔体

玄武质和金伯利岩质火山岩浆从地幔深处挟带的橄榄岩捕虏体为研究上地幔中流体和熔体的性质提供了非常丰富的直接证据。本文通过考察中国东部新生代碱性玄武岩(碧玄岩、橄榄霞石岩、碱性橄榄玄武岩)所含地幔橄榄岩捕虏体中的流体包裹体、熔体包裹体和玻璃,直接研究上地幔中的流体和熔体     

中国东部金伯利岩捕虏体 Sr-Nd 同位素特征研究

本文报道了中国东部古生代侵位金伯利岩中捕虏体的 Sr-Nd 同位素组成，并同中生代火山岩和新生代玄武岩进行了对比。金伯利岩中捕虏体→金伯利岩→中生代火山岩→新生代玄武岩存在自EM2端元向DMM端元逐渐过渡的同位素演变趋势。占老岩石圈地幔存在多发事件。     

贵州镇远马坪金伯利岩及其捕虏晶对金刚石成矿条件的指示意义

贵州镇远是中国金刚石原生矿找矿的重点区域之一。镇远地区马坪D1号岩体是1965年中国首次发现的含原生金刚石金伯利岩。该岩体岩石具典型的金伯利岩结构和组成特征,其中的锆石捕虏晶U–Pb年代学和Hf同位素分析结果表明,该地区存在未暴露的太古宙基底物质残余。基于壳幔耦合性规律,可能对应有古老的岩石圈地幔,这种古老的克拉通属性是金刚石形成的有利因素。但另一方面,马坪金伯利岩普遍含有伴生矿物含铬镁铝榴石,其CaO含量较高,多数属于G9(二辉橄榄岩)类型,不是全球富含金刚石的方辉橄榄岩原岩类型(G10),暗示当时的岩石圈发生了部分改造而可能不利于高品质金刚石的形成。需要注意的是,在金刚石找矿过程中,应该以详细的野外工作与岩石学对比研究为基础,同时依赖于金伯利岩及其相关的岩浆活动所携带的捕虏体/捕虏晶的研究,配合以岩浆成分来反演地幔源区特征,才能较全面地揭示古老大陆岩石圈的形成年龄与演化历史、物质组成与精细结构,以及大陆岩石圈根的厚度、热状态、氧逸度、流体作用等,进而为寻找金刚石提供重要的依据。     

山东金刚石原生矿找矿前景探讨

金刚石形成于地幔深处，含金刚石的岩石只是一种运载和保存“工具”，凡是来自上地幔的岩石均有可能携带早已形成的金刚石而形成金刚石原生矿床。世界上已知金刚石原生矿除金伯利岩，钾镁煌斑岩型外，尚在橄榄岩，橄榄玄武岩，千枚岩，科马提岩，榴辉岩等岩石中发现了金刚石，可能存在金刚石原生矿新的岩石。山东位于华北地台的南东部，鲁西，鲁东基底属A型克拉通，幔源岩浆活动强烈，具备良好的金刚石原生矿成矿地质条件，已获得的大量的成矿信息和找矿线索表明，除已发现的蒙阴金伯利岩型金刚石原生矿外，应该存在着尚未发现的金刚石原生矿，找矿前景广阔，应进一步加强金刚石原生矿勘查工作。     

New data on kimberlite magmatism in southwestern Angola

First data on the geologic and geochemical compositions of kimberlites from nine kimberlite pipes of southwestern Angola are presented. In the north of the study area, there are the Chikolongo and Chicuatite kimberlite pipes; in the south, a bunch of four Galange pipes (I–IV); and in the central part, the Ochinjau, Palue, and Viniaty pipes. By geochemical parameters, these rocks are referred to as classical kimberlites: They bear mantle inclusions of ultrabasites, eclogites, various barophilic minerals (including ones of diamond facies), and diamonds. The kimberlite pipes are composed of petrographically diverse rocks: tuffstones, tuff breccias, kimberlite breccias, autolithic kimberlite breccias, and massive porphyritic kimberlites. In mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical compositions the studied kimberlites are most similar to group I kimberlites of South Africa and Fe-Ti-kimberlites of the Arkhangel’sk diamondiferous province. Comparison of the mineralogical compositions of kimberlites from southwestern Angola showed that the portion of mantle (including diamondiferous) material of depth facies in kimberlite pipes regularly increases in the S-N direction. The northern diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes are localized in large destructive zones of NE strike, and the central and southern diamond-free pipes, in faults of N-S strike.     

Trace element geochemistry of phlogopite-rich mafic mantle xenoliths: their classification and their relationship to phlogopite-bearing peridotites and kimberlites revisited

Kimberlite magmas from the Kimberley area of South Africa have sampled two main types of phlogopite-rich mafic xenoliths which represent deep mantle segregations from highly alkaline melts. The first group corresponds to the MARID rocks characterised by the mineral association mica (phlogopite)-amphibole (K-richterite)-rutile-ilmenite-clinopyroxene and the second group consists of the PIC rocks characterised by the mineral association mica (phlogopite)-ilmenite-clinopyroxene-minor rutile. The two groups are clearly distinguished from one another by their mineral paragenesis, by the major element composition of their phlogopite and ilmenite, by the trace element content of their clinopyroxene and by their clinopyroxene and whole rock Sr and Nd isotope ratios. The combined major and trace element variations are interpreted to indicate a genetic relationship between the PIC rocks and group I kimberlite magma, and between the MARID rocks and group II kimberlite magma. The two types of parental melts percolated through, and metasomatised, the upper mantle beneath the Kimberley area as indicated by the trace element characteristics of the clinopyroxenes of the studied phlogopite-bearing peridotites.     

Strontium isotope and alkali element abundances in ultramafic rocks

The concentrations of the trace elements Na, K, Rb and Sr and the isotopic composition of Sr have been measured in a suite of ultramafic rocks, including alpine-type intrusions, inclusions in basalts and kimberlite pipes, zones from stratiform sheets, and a mica peridotite. From these data and those available in the literature the following conclusions can be drawn. Alpine-type ultramafic material appears to be residual in nature and can be neither the source material for the derivation of basalts nor the refractory residue of modern basalts. Alpine-type ultramafic intrusions appear to have no relationship with ultramafic zones in stratiform sheets and were probably derived from the upper mantle. A genetic relationship exists between basalts and their ultramafic inclusions, but it is extremely doubtful that this inclusion material could give rise to basalts by partial fusion. There is a possible genetic relationship between basalts and ultramafic inclusions in kimberlite pipes, and this ultramafic material is a potential source for the derivation of basalts. Ultramafic inclusions in basalts are probably not fragments of an alpine-type ultramafic zone in the mantle. An attempt has been made to synthesize the data and interpretations of this study by way of speculations on the role of ultramafic rocks in the differentiation history of the earth.     

Mesoproterozoic diamondiferous ultramafic pipes at Majhgawan and Hinota, Panna area, central India: Key to the nature of sub-continental lithospheric mantle beneath the Vindhyan basin

Amongst all the perceptible igneous manifestations (volcanic tuffs and agglomerates, minor rhyolitic flows and andesites, dolerite dykes and sills near the basin margins, etc.) in the Vindhyan basin, the two Mesoproterozoic diamondiferous ultramafic pipes intruding the Kaimur Group of sediments at Majhgawan and Hinota in the Panna area are not only the most conspicuous but also well-known and have relatively deeper mantle origin. Hence, these pipes constitute the only yet available ‘direct’ mantle samples from this region and their petrology, geochemistry and isotope systematics are of profound significance in understanding the nature of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle beneath the Vindhyan basin. Their emplacement age (∼ 1100 Ma) also constitutes the only reliable minimum age constrain on the Lower Vindhyan Group of rocks. The Majhgawan and Hinota pipes share the petrological, geochemical and isotope characteristics of kimberlite, orangeite (Group II kimberlite) and lamproite and hence are recognised as belonging to a ‘transitional kimberlite-orangeite-lamproite’ rock type. The namemajhagwanite has been proposed by this author to distinguish them from other primary diamond source rocks. The parent magma of the Majhgawan and Hinota pipes is envisaged to have been derived by very small (<1%) degrees of partial melting of a phlogopite-garnet lherzolite source (rich in titanium and barium) that has been previously subjected to an episode of initial depletion (extensive melting during continent formation) and subsequent metasomatism (enrichment). There is absence of any subduction-related characteristics, such as large negative anomalies at Ta and Nb, and therefore, the source enrichment (metasomatism) of both these pipes is attributed to the volatile- and K-rich, extremely low-viscosity melts that leak continuously to semi-continuously from the asthenosphere and accumulate in the overlying lithosphere. Lithospheric/crustal extension, rather than decompression melting induced by a mantle plume, is favoured as the cause of melting of the source regions of Majhgawan and Hinota pipes. This paper is a review of the critical evaluation of the published work on these pipes based on contemporary knowledge derived from similar occurrences elsewhere.     

Letšeng diamond mine,Lesotho: a variant of Kimberley-type pyroclastic kimberlite emplacement

The Letšeng Diamond Mine comprises two ~91 Ma kimberlite pipes. An update of the geology is presented based on the 2012–2017 detailed investigation of open pit exposures and all available drillcores which included mapping, logging and petrography. Each of the steep-sided volcanic pipes comprises a number of phases of kimberlite with contrasting diamond contents which were formed by the emplacement of at least four batches of mantle-derived magma. The resulting range of textures includes resedimented volcaniclastic kimberlite (RVK), Kimberley-type pyroclastic kimberlite (KPK), coherent kimberlite (CK) and minor amounts of hypabyssal kimberlite (HK). The pipes are compared with KPK occurrences from southern Africa and worldwide. Many features of the Letšeng pipes are similar to KPK infilled pipes particularly those of the widespread Cretaceous kimberlite province of southern Africa. The differences displayed at Letšeng compared to other large KPK pipe infills described from around the world are attributed to the marginal or melnoitic nature of the magma and the upper diatreme to crater setting of the Letšeng pipes, where processes become extrusive. It is concluded that the pipes comprise a variant of Kimberley-type pyroclastic kimberlite emplacement. The classification of many of the Letšeng rocks as KPK is important for developing the internal geology of the pipes as well as for predicting the distribution of diamonds within the bodies.

     

Distinct kimberlite pipe classes with contrasting eruption processes

Field and Scott Smith [Field, M., Scott Smith, B.H., 1999. Contrasting geology and near-surface emplacement of kimberlite pipes in southern Africa and Canada. Proc. 7th Int. Kimb. Conf. (Eds. Gurney et al.) 1, 214–237.] propose that kimberlite pipes can be grouped into three types or classes. Classical or Class 1 pipes are the only class with characteristic low temperature, diatreme-facies kimberlite in addition to hypabyssal- and crater-facies kimberlite. Class 2 and 3 pipes are characterized only by hypabyssal-and crater-facies kimberlite. In an increasing number of Class 1 pipes a new kimberlite facies, transitional-facies kimberlite, is being found. In most cases this facies forms a zone several metres wide at the interface between the hypabyssal- and diatreme-facies. The transitional-facies exhibits textural and mineralogical features, which are continuously gradational between the hypabyssal and the diatreme types. The textural gradations are from a coherent magmatic texture to one where the rock becomes increasingly magmaclastic and this is accompanied by concomitant mineralogical gradations involving the decline and eventual elimination of primary calcite at the expense of microlitic diopside. Both transitional- and diatreme-facies kimberlites are considered to have formed in situ from intruding hypabyssal kimberlite magma as a consequence of exsolution of initially CO₂-rich volatiles from the volatile-rich kimberlite magma. The transitional-facies is initiated by volatile exsolution at depths of about 3 km below the original surface. With subsequent cracking through to the surface and resultant rapid decompression, the further catastrophic exsolution of volatiles and their expansion leads to the formation of the diatreme facies. Thus diatreme-facies kimberlite and Class 1 pipes are emplaced by essentially magmatic processes rather than by phreatomagmatism.

Distinctly different petrographic features characterize crater-facies kimberlite in each of the three pipe classes. In crater-facies kimberlites of Class 1 pipes, small pelletal magmaclasts and abundant microlitic diopside are characteristic. These features appear to reflect the derivation of the crater-facies material from the underlying diatreme zone. Most Class 2 pipes have shallow craters and the crater-facies rocks are predominantly pyroclastic kimberlites with diagnostic amoeboid lapilli, which are sometimes welded and have vesicles as well as glass. Possible kimberlite lava also occurs at two Class 2 pipes in N Angola. The possible presence of lava as well as the features of the pyroclastic kimberlite is indicative of hot kimberlite magma being able to rise to levels close to the surface to form Class 2 pipes. Most Class 3 kimberlites have very steep craters and crater-facies rocks are predominantly resedimented volcaniclastic kimberlites, in some cases characterized by the presence of abundant angular magmaclasts, which are petrographically very similar to typical hypabyssal-facies kimberlite found in Class 1 pipes. The differences in crater-facies kimberlite of the three classes of pipe reflect different formation and depositional processes as well as differences in kimberlite composition, specifically volatile composition. Kimberlite forming pipe Classes 1 and 3 is thought to be relatively water-rich and is emplaced by processes involving magmatic exsolution of volatiles. The kimberlite magma forming Class 2 pipes is CO₂-rich, can rise to shallow levels, and can initiate phreatomagmatic emplacement processes.     

The age of unusual xenogenic zircons from Yakutian kimberlites

Several spindle-shaped grains of zircon, which have a small size (<0.25 mm) and a distinct purplish pink coloration were found in the crushed samples of kimberlites from the Aykhal, Komsomolskaya-Magnitnaya, Botuobinskaya (Siberian platform), and Nyurbinskaya (Yakutia) pipes and olivine lamproites of the Khani massif (West Aldan). U-Pb SHRIMP II zircon dating performed at the VSEGEI Center for Isotopic Research yielded the ages of 1870–1890 Ma for the pipes of the Western province (Aykhal and Komsomolskaya) and 2200–2750 Ma for the pipes of the eastern province (Nyurbinskaya and Botuobinskaya), which allowed us to consider these zircons to be xenogenic to kimberlites. Although these zircons resemble in their age and color those from the granulite xenoliths in the Udachnaya pipe [2], no other granulite minerals are found there. Thus, major geological events in the mantle and lower crust, which led to the formation of zircon-bearing rocks, happened at 1800–1900 Ma in the northern part of the kimberlite province, whereas in the Eastern part of the province (Nakyn field) these events were much older (2220–2700 Ma). It is known that the period of 1800–1900 Ma in the Earth’s history was accompanied by intense tectonic movements and widespread alkaline-carbonatite magmatism. This magmatism was related to plume activity responsible for overheating the large portions of the mantle to the temperatures at which some diamonds in mantle rocks would burn (northern part of the kimberlite province). In the Nakyn area, the mantle underwent few or no geological processes at that time, and perhaps for this reason this area hosts more diamondiferous kimberlites. The age of olivine lamproites from the Khani massif is 2672–2732 Ma. Thus, these are some of the world’s oldest known K-alkaline rocks.     

Petrology of the Renard igneous bodies: host rocks for diamond in the northern Otish Mountains region, Quebec

The Renard igneous bodies were discovered in late 2001 as part of a regional diamond exploration program launched by Ashton Mining of Canada and SOQUEM. Nine bodies have been discovered within a 2-km-diameter area, and are comprised of root zone to lower diatreme facies rocks including kimberlitic breccia, olivine macrocrystic hypabyssal material, and brecciated country rock with minor amounts of kimberlitic material. Many mineralogical and petrographic features are common to both kimberlite and melnoite, and strict assignment of the rocks as kimberlite is not possible with these criteria alone. Whole rock trace element compositions suggest a closer affinity to Group I kimberlite, with derivation from a garnet-bearing mantle. Exceptions to conventional classification of the rocks along petrographic or mineralogical lines may be due in part to assimilation of felsic country rock into the Renard magmas at the time of emplacement. The Renard magmas were emplaced into northeastern Laurentia at 630 Ma, when the supercontinent was undergoing a change from convergent margin magmatism to rifting, the latter being associated ultimately with the opening of the Iapetus ocean.     

Eclogite xenoliths from stockdale kimberlite,Kansas

Six kimberlite pipes of late Cretaceous or Tertiary age occur in Riley Co., east-central Kansas. Within the pipes xenoliths of local sedimentary and exotic igneous rocks are common, especially in the Stockdale pipe. Igneous rocks which occur as xenoliths include granite, gabbro, metagabbro, pyroxenite and eclogite. In the eclogites omphacitic clinopyroxene (approx. Di₅₂Jd₂₄mol%) and pyropic garnet (approx. Py₄₇Al₃₅Gr₁₂mol%) are the predominant minerals with subordinate amounts of rutile and sulphides (pyrrotite-pentlandite (?)-chalcopyrite). Interstitial kaersutitic amphibole is a minor constituent. The eclogites are chemically equivalent to olivine-basalt. The texture, composition and mineralogy of the eclogites from Kansas are similar to those of eclogites from kimberlite pipes in South Africa and Siberia. Whereas the rocks from these latter localities display a range in composition, those examined to date from Kansas are of fairly restricted composition. Furthermore it seems probable that the eclogites from Stockdale formed under limited P-T conditions within the mantle. This is the first record of such eclogites on the North American continent.