Growth of bultfonteinite and hydrogarnet in metasomatized basalt xenoliths in the B/K9 kimberlite, Damtshaa, Botswana: insights into hydrothermal metamorphism in kimberlite pipes

Metamorphic assemblages within Karoo basalt xenoliths, found within volcaniclastic kimberlite of the B/K9 pipe, Damtshaa, Botswana, constrain conditions of kimberlite alteration. Bultfonteinite and chlorite partially replace the original augite-plagioclase assemblage, driven by the serpentinisation of the kimberlite creating strong chemical potential gradients for Si and Mg. Hydrogarnet and serpentine replace these earlier metamorphic assemblages as the deposits cool. The bultfonteinite (ideally Ca₂SiO₂[OH,F]₄) and hydrogarnet assemblages require a water-rich fluid containing F⁻, and imply hydrothermal alteration dominated by external fluids rather than autometamorphism from deuteric fluids. Bultfonteinite and hydrogarnet are estimated to form at temperatures of ca. 350–250°C, which are similar to those for serpentinisation. Alteration within the B/K9 kimberlite predominantly occurs between 250 and 400°C. We attribute these conditions to increased efficiency of mass transfer and chemical reactions below the critical point of water and a consequence of volume-increasing serpentinisation and metasomatic reactions that take place over this temperature range. A comparison of the B/K9 kimberlite with kimberlites from Venetia, South Africa suggests that the composition and mineralogy of included xenoliths affects the alteration assemblages within kimberlite deposits.