Petrogenesis of the crater-facies Tokapal kimberlite pipe,Indravati Basin,Central India

New geochemical data of the crater-facies Tokapal kimberlite system sandwiched between the lower and upper stratigraphic horizons of the Mesoproterozoic lndravati Basin a：：e presented. The kimberlite has been subjected to extensive and pervasive low-temperature alteration. Spinel is the only primary phase identifiable, while olivine macrocrysts and juvenile lapilli are largely pseudomorphed （talc-serpentine- carbonate alteration）. However, with the exception of the alkalies, major element oxides display systematic fractionation trends; likewise, HFSE patterns are well correlated and allow petrogenetic interpretation. Various crustal contamination indices such as （SiO2 ＋ AI：：O3 ~ Na20）]（MgO ~ K20） and Si] Mg are close to those of uncontaminated kimberlites. Similar La]Yb （＇79-109） of the Tokapal samples with those from the kimberlites of Wajrakarur （73-145） and Narayanpet （72-156）, Eastern Dharwar craton, southern India implies a similarity in their genesis. In the discriminant plots involving HFSE the Tokapal samples display strong affinities to Group 1I kimberlites from southern Africa and central India as well as to ＇transitional kimberlites＇ from the Eastern Dharwar craton, southern India, and those from the Prieska and Kuruman provinces of southern Africa. There is a striking ~;imilarity in the depleted-mantle （TOM） Nd model ages of the Tokapal kimberlite system, Bastar craton, th~ kimberlites from NKF and WKE Eastern Dharwar craton, and the Majhgawan diatreme, Bundelkhand craton, with the emplacement age of some of the lamproites from within and around the Palaeo~Mesoproterozoic Cuddapah basin, southern India. These similar ages imply a major tectonomagmatic event, possibly related to the break- up of the supercontinent of Columbia, at 1.3-1.5 Ga across the l：hree cratons. The ＇transitional＇ geochemical features displayed by many of the Mesoproterozoic po~：assic-ultrapotassic rocks, across these Indian cratons are inferred to be memories of the metasomatisi     

Petrochemistry of crater facies Tokapal kimberlite pipe, Bastar craton, central India and its orangeitic affinities

Tokapal kimberlite is the only well preserved crater facies kimberlite intruded within sedimentary sequence of Indravati basin in Bastar craton of central India. We present detailed petrographical and whole rock geochemical studies, carried out on ten samples collected from different locations from Tokapal kimberlite to constrain its genesis and also the mantle processes involved in the origin of this earlier characterized Group I kimberlite. Geochemical studies show that only SiO₂ content and the mobile trace elements Ba, Sr, and K vary in the crater facies while rest others show restricted range and can be successfully used in evaluating the petrogenetic processes. Very low abundances of Rb (<2 ppm), Sr (<28 ppm), Ba (<52 ppm) and Cs (0.02–3 ppm) are observed which show possible effects of late-stage alteration rather than significant crustal contamination. The LREE enriched REE pattern, absence of positive Eu anomalies and HREE depletion also provide further additional evidence against crustal contamination considerably modifying magma composition. We infer the presence of less enriched (metasomatised) mantle source regions and comparatively greater degrees of partial melting responsible for the genesis of Tokapal kimberlite. Present study also suggests that crater facies Tokapal kimberlite intruding the Indravati basin, Bastar craton has a Group II kimberlite (orangeite) affinity. This finding is important in light of recent identification of Mainpur kimberlites of Bastar craton as orangeites.     

The geology and mineralogy of the Anuri kimberlite, Nunavut, Canada

The 613±6 Ma Anuri kimberlite is a pipelike body comprising two lobes with a combined surface area of approximately 4–5 ha. The pipe is infilled with two contrasting rock types: volcaniclastic kimberlite (VK) and, less common, hypabyssal kimberlite (HK).

The HK is an archetypal kimberlite composed of macrocrysts of olivine, spinel, mica, rare eclogitic garnet and clinopyroxene with microphenocrysts of olivine and groundmass spinel, phlogopite, apatite and perovskite in a serpentine–calcite–phlogopite matrix. The Ba enrichment of phlogopite, the compositional trends of both primary spinel and phlogopite, as well as the composition of the mantle-derived xenocrysts, are also characteristic of kimberlite. The present-day country rocks are granitoids; however, the incorporation of sedimentary xenoliths in the HK shows that the Archean granitoid basement terrain, at least locally, was capped by younger Proterozoic sediments at the time of emplacement. The sediments have since been removed by erosion. HK is confined to the deeper eastern parts of the Anuri pipe. It is suggested that the HK was emplaced prior to the dominant VK as a separate phase of kimberlite. The HK must have ascended to high stratigraphic levels to allow incorporation of Proterozoic sediments as xenoliths.

Most of the Anuri kimberlite is infilled with VK which is composed of variable proportions of juvenile lapilli, discrete olivine macrocrysts, country rock xenoliths and mantle-derived xenocrysts. It is proposed that the explosive breakthrough of a second batch of kimberlite magma formed the western lobe resulting in the excavation of the main pipe. Much of the resulting fragmented country rock material was deposited in extra crater deposits. Pyroclastic eruption(s) of kimberlite must have occurred to form the common juvenile lapilli present in the VKs. The VK is variable in nature and can be subdivided into four types: volcaniclastic kimberlite breccia, magmaclast-rich volcaniclastic kimberlite breccia, finer grained volcaniclastic kimberlite breccia and lithic-rich volcaniclastic kimberlite breccia. The variations between these subtypes reflect different depositional processes. These processes are difficult to determine but could include primary pyroclastic deposition and/or resedimentation.

There is some similarity between Anuri and the Lac de Gras kimberlites, with variable types of VK forming the dominant infill of small, steep-sided pipes excavated into crystalline Archean basement and sedimentary cover.     

Geology and diamond distribution of the 140/141 kimberlite, Fort à la Corne, central Saskatchewan, Canada

The Cretaceous age Fort à la Corne (FALC) kimberlite province comprises at least 70 bodies, which were emplaced near the edge of the Western Canadian Interior Seaway during cycles of marine transgression and regression. Many of the bodies were formed during a marine regression by a two-stage process, firstly the excavation of shallow, but wide, craters and then subsequent infilling by xenolith-poor, crater-facies, subaerial, primary pyroclastic kimberlite. The bodies range in size up to 2000 m in diameter but are mainly less than 200 m thick and thus comprise relatively thin, but high volume, pyroclastic kimberlite deposits. Each body is composed of contrasting types of kimberlite reflecting different volcanic histories and, therefore, are considered separately.

The 140/141 kimberlite is the largest delineated body in the province, estimated to have an areal extent below glacial Quaternary sediments in excess of 200 ha. The infilling of the 140/141 crater is complex, resulting from multiple phases of kimberlite. The central part of the infill is dominated by several contrasting phases of kimberlite. One of these phases is a primary pyroclastic airfall mega-graded bed up to 130 m in thickness. The constituents grade in size from very fine to coarse macrocrystic kimberlite, through to a basal breccia. The mega-graded bed is a widespread feature within parts of the body examined to date and at this current stage of evaluation appears to explain a variable diamond distribution within a tested portion of the pipe. A second different phase of kimberlite is interpreted as representing a younger nested crater within the mega-graded bed. Centrally located thicker intersections (>450 m) of this younger kimberlite may indicate a vent for the kimberlite crater. The thickness of the mega-graded bed increases with proximity to the younger kimberlite in the study area.

Macrodiamond minibulk sample grades from the mega-graded bed have been obtained from nine large diameter drill holes, located within the northwest part of the body from an area of 20 ha, which represents approximately 10% of the currently modeled kimberlite outline. Diamond grade increases with depth within the mega-graded bed and also increases, within the same unit, towards the centrally positioned younger kimberlite. Macrodiamond sample grades vary from low at the top of the mega-graded bed, to considerably higher grades near the base. Total sample grade per drill hole varies from moderate near the vent feature to lower grades 200–300 m from the vent feature. Macrodiamond stone frequency measured in stones per tonne shows a pronounced relationship with depth and proximity to the vent feature within the mega-graded bed. There is a strong correlation between depth and increased stones per tonne, and a similar correlation between stones per tonne and proximity to the vent feature. The data supports the emplacement model of the mega-graded bed and, in turn, this information is useful in understanding the macrodiamond distribution within this bed.     

Revisiting the stratigraphy of the Mesoproterozoic Chhattisgarh Supergroup,Bastar craton,India based on subsurface lithoinformation

In the last 10 years, several teams of geologists from different institutions in India and abroad have vigorously investigated the Chhattisgarh basin (Bastar craton, India). Based on the new results and the lithologs of more than 350 water wells, resistivity and gamma-ray logs, and extensive geological traverses, we present a revised geological map, relevant cross sections, a new comprehensive stratigraphic column and a discussion of the new findings. Major outcomes of this revision are: (1) confirming the existence of two sub-basins (Hirri and Baradwar) and two depocentres; (2) establishing the age of the basin to be essentially Mesoproterozoic; (3) discarding the ‘unclassified Pandaria Formation’ and classifying the package of Pandaria rock units into Chandi, Tarenga, Hirri and Maniari formations in the Hirri sub-basin; (4) accepting the ‘group’ status of the Singhora Group and the newly proposed Kharsiya Groups in the Baradwar sub-basin; (5) establishing an intrabasinal correlation of formations; (6) reappraising the thicknesses of the different formations; and (7) finding that the geometry of the basin is ‘bowl-shaped’, which is compatible with a sag model for the origin and evolution of the basin.     

Types, abundances and distribution of kimberlite indicator minerals in alluvial sediments, Wawa–Kinniwabi Lake area, Northeastern Ontario: implications for the presence of diamond-bearing kimberlite

In response to the discovery of diamonds within modern alluvium in the glaciated area of Wawa, Ontario, Canada, the Ontario Geological Survey undertook a regional program of surficial mapping and modern alluvial sediment sampling to assess the potential of the area for diamond-bearing kimberlite. Five varieties of kimberlite-derived indicator minerals were recovered and the composition of three varieties was evaluated, resulting in the identification of G10 Cr-pyrope garnet, inclusion field chromite and Mg-ilmenite. The distribution of indicator minerals was examined in the context of the glacial and bedrock geology. Glacial dispersal from non-kimberlitic marker units is restricted (commonly less than 200 m) and many kimberlite indicator minerals were recovered from samples collected close to cross-cutting NE–SW and NW–SE faults and a strong NE–SW trend in the bedrock associated with the Kapuskasing Structural Zone. From this, several potential exploration targets for diamond-bearing kimberlite are defined.     

Contrasting fluid inclusion characteristics of staniferous and non-staniferous pegmatites of Southeast Bastar, Central India

Tin and rare metal-bearing granitic pegmatites in the Bastar–Malkangiri pegmatite belt of Central India are hosted by metabasic and metasedimentary country rocks. Fluid inclusion studies were conducted in spatially associated two-mica granite and the staniferous and non-staniferous pegmatites to characterize the physicochemical environment of mineralization, to distinguish different pegmatites in terms of their fluid characteristics and to envisage a possible genetic link between the pegmatites and spatially associated granite. Three different types of primary inclusions were identified. The type-I, aqueous bi-phase (L+V) inclusions are the most abundant and ubiquitous. Type-II polyphase (L+V+S) inclusions are rare. Type-III, monophase (L) and metastable aqueous inclusions, though less abundant than type-I inclusions, are ubiquitous. The fluid evolution trends indicate that mixing of two different fluids of contrasting salinities, one of high salinity (20–30 wt% NaCl equivalent) and another of low salinity (0–10 wt% NaCl equivalent), was responsible for precipitation of the bulk of the cassiterite. This mixing is the single most important characteristic that distinguishes the staniferous pegmatites from their non-staniferous counterparts. The non-staniferous pegmatites, on the other hand, are typified by the presence either of a high saline or a low saline fluid that evolved through simple cooling. The minimum pressure–temperature of entrapment, estimated from the intersections of the halide liquidus with the corresponding inclusion isochores of type-II inclusions, range between 2.1–2.2 kb and 300–325 °C. The similar P–T range of fluid entrapment of the staniferous and non-staniferous pegmatites indicates that they were possibly emplaced within a similar physical environment. Type-I inclusions from granite recorded only the high salinity fluid, the salinity of which compares well with that of the highly saline fluid component of type-I inclusions in the pegmatites. This is a possible indication of a genetic link between the pegmatites and spatially associated granite.     

Geology of the Mwadui kimberlite, Shinyanga district, Tanzania

The Mwadui pipe represents the largest diamondiferous kimberlite ever mined and is an almost perfectly preserved example of a kimberlitic crater in-fill, albeit without the tuff ring.

The geology of Mwadui can be subdivided into five geological units, viz. the primary pyroclastic kimberlite (PK), re-sedimented volcaniclastic kimberlite deposits (RVK), granite breccias (subdivided into two units), the turbidite deposits, and the yellow shales listed in approximate order of formation. The PK can be further subdivided into two units—lithic-rich ash and lapilli tuffs which dominate the succession, and lithic-poor juvenile-rich ash and lapilli tuffs. The lower crater is well bedded down to at least 684 m from present surface (extent of current drill data). The bedding is defined by the presence of juvenile-rich lapilli tuffs vs. lithic-rich lapilli tuffs, and the systematic variation in granite content and clast size within much of the lithic-rich lapilli tuffs. Four distinct types of bedding have been identified in the pyroclastic deposits. Diffuse zones characterised by increased granite abundance and size, and upward-fining units, represent the dominant types throughout the deposit.

Lateral heterogeneity was observed, in addition to the vertical changes, suggesting that the eruption was quite heterogeneous, or that more than one vent may have been present. The continuous nature of the bedding in the pyroclastic material and the lack of ash-partings suggest deposition from a high concentration (ejecta), sustained eruption column at times, e.g. the massive, very diffusely stratified deposits. The paucity of tractional bed forms suggest near vertical particle trajectories, i.e. a clear air-fall component, but the poorly sorted, matrix-supported nature of the deposits suggest that pyroclastic flow and/or surge processes may also have been active during the eruption.

Available diamond sampling data were examined and correlated with the geology. Data derive from the old 120 (37 m), 200 (61 m), 300 (92 m) and 1200 ft (366 m) levels, pits sunk during historical mining operations, drill logs, as well as more recent bench mapping. Correlating macro-diamond sample data and geology shows a clear relationship between diamond grade and lithology. Localised enrichment and dilution of the primary diamond grade has taken place in the upper reworked volcaniclastic deposits due to post-eruptive sedimentary in-fill processes. Clear distinction can be drawn between upper (re-sedimented) and lower (pyroclastic) crater deposits at Mwadui, both from a geological and diamond grade perspective.

Finally, an emplacement model for the Mwadui kimberlite is proposed. Geological evidence suggests that little or no sedimentary cover existed at the time of emplacement. The nature of the bedding within the pyroclastic deposits and the continuity of the bedding in the vertical dimension suggest that the eruption was continuous, but that the eruption column may have been heterogeneous, both petrologically as well as geometrically. Volcanic activity appears to have ceased thereafter and the crater was gradually filled with granite debris from the unstable crater walls and re-sedimented volcaniclastic material derived from the tuff ring.

The Mwadui kimberlite exhibits marked similarities compared to the Orapa kimberlite in Botswana.     

The geology of kimberlite pipes of the Ekati property, Northwest Territories, Canada

This paper reviews key characteristics of kimberlites on the Ekati property, NWT, Canada. To date 150 kimberlites have been discovered on the property, five of which are mined for diamonds. The kimberlites intrude Archean basement of the central Slave craton. Numerous Proterozoic diabase dykes intrude the area. The Precambrian rocks are overlain by Quaternary glacial sediments. No Phanerozoic rocks are present. However, mudstone xenoliths and disaggregated sediment within the kimberlites indicate that late-Cretaceous and Tertiary cover (likely <200 m) was present at the time of emplacement. The Ekati kimberlites range in age from 45 to 75 Ma. They are mostly small pipe-like bodies (surface area mostly <3 ha but up to 20 ha) that typically extend to projected depths of 400–600 m below current surface. Pipe morphologies are strongly controlled by joints and faults. The kimberlites consist primarily of variably bedded volcaniclastic kimberlite (VK). This is dominated by juvenile constituents (olivine and lesser kimberlitic ash) and variable amounts of exotic sediment (primarily mud), with minor amounts of xenolithic wall-rock material (generally <5%). Kimberlite types include: mud-rich resedimented VK (mRVK); olivine-rich VK (oVK); sedimentary kimberlite; primary VK (PVK); tuffisitic kimberlite (TK) and magmatic kimberlite (MK). The presence and arrangement of these rock types varies widely. The majority of bodies are dominated by oVK and mRVK, but PVK is prominent in the lower portions of certain kimberlites. TK is rare. MK occurs primarily as precursor dykes but, in a few cases, forms pipe-filling intrusions. The internal geology of the kimberlites ranges from simple single-phase pipes (RVK or MK), to complex bodies with multiple, distinct units of VK. The latter include pipes infilled with steep, irregular VK blocks/wedges and at least one case in which the pipe is occupied by well-defined sub-horizontal VK phases, including a unique, 100-m-thick graded sequence. The whole-rock compositions of VK samples suggest significant loss of kimberlitic fines during eruption followed by variable dilution by surface sediment and concurrent incorporation of kimberlitic ash. Diamond distribution within the kimberlites reflects the amount and nature of mantle material sampled by individual kimberlite phases, but is modified considerably by eruption and depositional processes. The characteristics of the Ekati kimberlites are consistent with a two-stage emplacement process: (1) explosive eruption/s causing vent clearing followed by formation of a significant tephra rim/cone of highly fragmented, olivine-enriched juvenile material with varying amounts of kimberlitic ash and surface sediments (predominantly mud); and (2) infilling of the vent by direct deposition from the eruption column and/or resedimentation of crater rim materials. The presence of less fragmented, juvenile-rich PVK in the lower portions of certain pipes and the intrusion of large volumes of MK to shallow levels in some bodies suggest emplacement of relatively volatile-depleted, less explosive kimberlite in the later stages of pipe formation and/or filling. Explosive devolatilisation of CO₂-rich kimberlite magma is interpreted to have been the dominant eruption mechanism, but phreatomagmatism is thought to have played a role and, in certain cases, may have been dominant.     

The Kharamai kimberlite field, Siberia: modification of the lithospheric mantle by the Siberian Trap event

The kimberlites of the Kharamai field intruded through the Siberian Traps shortly after their eruption in Permo-Triassic time. The composition and thermal state of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the Kharamai field in lower Triassic time have been reconstructed using major- and trace-element analyses of 345 Cr-pyrope garnet xenocrysts from six of the kimberlites, supplemented by a small suite of mantle-derived peridotite xenoliths. The data define a geotherm lying near a 38 mW/m² conductive model to a depth of ca 170 km, where the base of the depleted lithosphere is defined by a marked increase in melt-related metasomatism and by an inflected geotherm. Compared to the SCLM sampled by Devonian (pre-Trap) kimberlites in the same and adjacent terranes, the Kharamai SCLM in Triassic time was warmer and was cooling from a previous thermal high. It was also thinner than the SCLM beneath the Daldyn and Alakit kimberlite fields, and had been strongly metasomatised. The metasomatism lowered the mean Fo content of olivine (from ≥Fo₉₃ to Fo₉₂), greatly reduced the proportion of subcalcic harzburgites, and increased the proportion of fertile lherzolites, especially in the depth range of 80–130 km. The overall pattern of metasomatism is similar to that observed in the SCLM sampled by the Group I kimberlites of the SW Kaapvaal Craton, and inferred to be related to the Karoo thermal event. These observations suggest that events such as the eruption of the Karoo basalts and Siberian Traps change the composition of the SCLM, but do not necessarily destroy it, at distances of several hundred kilometres from the main eruption centres.     

山东蒙阴金伯利岩中石榴石特征及种类划分

石榴石是山东蒙阴金伯利岩型金刚石矿区的重要指示矿物之一,为了确定山东蒙阴金刚石矿区颜色复杂的石榴石种类,判断矿区石榴石特征与含矿性关系。项目组对矿区不同含矿程度金伯利岩中的石榴石进行了系统采样,测定了50件单晶石榴石微区化学成分和128个石榴石单晶的晶胞参数,测试结果显示：山东蒙阴金伯利岩中石榴石族矿物化学式A₃B₂[SiO₄]₃中的A组阳离子由Mg²⁺、Ca²⁺和Fe²⁺组成,二价阳离子主要为Mg²⁺,Mg²⁺占据十二面体空腔中心位置达53%～82%左右,Ca²⁺占据十二面体空腔中心位置小于7%～17%、Fe²⁺占据十二面体空腔中心位置5%～31%左右。B组阳离子主要由Al³⁺、Cr³⁺和Fe³⁺组成,三价阳离子主要为Al³⁺,[AlO₆]八面体占位达62%～92%左右,[FeO₆]和[CrO₆]八面体占位小于38%;按50个石榴石不同阳离子占据十二面体空腔和八面体空腔的位置多少,山东蒙阴石榴石可划分为10个亚种。根据山东蒙阴金伯利岩中石榴石成分,计算出石榴石形成压力为6.0～9.0 GPa,推测山东蒙阴矿区金伯利岩中有来自深源的石榴石。128件石榴石晶胞参数统计结果显示：山东蒙阴无矿、贫矿、中等含矿、富矿金伯利岩岩体中紫色石榴石晶胞参数分别为大于1.162 nm、1.159～1.160 nm、1.156～1.160 nm和1.155～1.157 nm之间,从无矿岩体→贫矿岩体→中等含矿岩体→富矿岩体,紫色石榴石晶胞参数值有明显变小的趋势。     

鲁西蒙阴地区含金刚石金伯利岩的岩浆侵入序列及成矿模式

鲁西蒙阴地区是我国金刚石原生矿重要产地之一,其含金刚石金伯利岩命名为常马庄单元。本文对该区金伯利岩地质特征进行了梳理,按岩石命名原则对该地区含金刚石金伯利岩不同岩石类型进行了重新划分和命名,共划分了细斑微粒金伯利玢岩类、粗斑细微粒金伯利玢岩类和含碎屑细斑或中细斑微粒金伯利玢岩类3个岩石类型和13个亚类型,同时首次从早至晚划分了细斑微粒金伯利玢岩类→含围岩角砾中细斑微粒金伯利玢岩类→粗斑细微粒金伯利玢岩类的侵入序列。通过对前人研究资料的综合分析并结合野外实地考察认为:以前套用南非金伯利岩型金刚石原生矿中心式火山喷发型成矿模式作为蒙阴地区含金刚石金伯利岩的成矿模式不符合该区实际地质特征。提出了该区金刚石金伯利岩新的成矿模式为中心式—裂隙式复合潜火山隐爆岩浆序次侵入充填型岩浆侵入角砾岩筒及其伴生的岩脉、岩床模型。     

山东蒙阴坡里地区金伯利岩带形成时代——来自辉绿岩锆石U-Pb定年数据的证据

金伯利岩是化学成分、矿物组成和结构多变的混杂岩,极易发生蚀变,因此对金伯利岩全岩及各种矿物进行测年的方法很难确定金伯利岩的侵位年龄,且数据结果差别很大。通过分析蒙阴坡里金伯利岩带与辉绿岩的侵入关系,以及辉绿岩锆石U-Pb测年,结合辉绿岩与上覆灰岩的接触关系及金刚石砂矿储集层与已知金刚石原生矿的关系,确定辉绿岩脉的侵位时代为中生代燕山晚期,证实坡里金伯利岩带形成时代为中生代燕山晚期而非加里东期。     

Post-emplacement serpentinization and related hydrothermal metamorphism in a kimberlite from Venetia, South Africa

The common serpentine–diopside matrix assemblage in volcaniclastic kimberlite (VK) at the Venetia Mine, South Africa is ascribed to a secondary origin, because of post‐emplacement serpentinization and associated hydrothermal metamorphism. Volcaniclastic deposits with 20–30% porosity infill kimberlite pipes in the waning stages of kimberlite eruptions. Olivine macrocrysts are typically rimmed by talc and are pseudomorphed by lizardite, with minor magnetite. The fine matrix consists of mixtures of lizardite, chlorite, smectite, brucite, calcite, titanite and andradite, an assemblage which either pseudomorphed microcrysts or in‐filled voids. Locally we recognize microcryst pseudomorphs rich in sub‐microscopic mixtures of lizardite with smectite, and other microcryst pseudomorphs and void‐filling matrix rich in chlorite and lizardite. Interstitial lizardite and associated phyllosilicates (brucite, smectite and chlorite) crystallized progressively from meteoric or hydrothermally derived pore waters, and Si⁴⁺ and Mg²⁺ released into the fluid phase during serpentinization of olivine macrocrysts. Radial‐fibrous fringes of diopside microlites around crystals display void‐filling textures because of unrestricted growth into pore spaces. Secondary diopside is attributed to Si⁴⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ cations released into the fluid phase by interaction with olivine, calcite and plagioclase in siliceous xenoliths. The paucity of primary, fine‐grained groundmass phases resistant to alteration, for example, perovskite and spinel, precludes an origin for the intergrain matrix as altered interstitial ash, glass or a late‐stage kimberlite melt. Isovolumetric replacement of olivine results in a volume increase of 60% so that pore spaces in the original deposit can be easily filled up with serpentine. The source of Al³⁺ to form chlorite and smectite is attributed to alteration of plagioclase in xenoliths which comprise 20–30 vol.% of the deposit. Titanite, hydro‐andradite and second‐generation diopside precipitate as hydrothermal minerals from calcium‐bearing serpentinizing fluids in replacement reactions and as void‐filling minerals. Consideration of mineral equilibria in the CaO‐MgO‐SiO₂‐H₂O‐CO₂ system constrains the common matrix assemblage of lizardite and diopside in X_CO2)–T space. At 300 bar, the assemblage is stable only at temperatures below 370 °C and X_CO2 < 0.01. This upper limit on temperature is well below the plausible solidus of ultrabasic magmas. Furthermore, the requirement of trace CO₂ in the fluid phase implies a post‐emplacement external source rather than ‘autometamorphism’ from kimberlite‐derived fluids, because of high P_CO2 commonly inferred for kimberlite magmas.     

Geology of the Gahcho Kué kimberlite pipes, NWT, Canada: root to diatreme magmatic transition zones

The Cambrian Gahcho Kué kimberlite cluster includes four main pipes that have been emplaced into the Archaean basement granitoids of the Slave Craton. Each of the steep-sided pipes were formed by the intrusion of several distinct phases of kimberlite in which the textures vary from hypabyssal kimberlite (HK) to diatreme-facies tuffisitic kimberlite breccia (TKB). The TKB displays many diagnostic features including abundant unaltered country rock xenoliths, pelletal lapilli, serpentinised olivines and a matrix composed of microlitic phlogopite and serpentine without carbonate. The HK contains common fresh olivine set in a groundmass composed of monticellite, phlogopite, perovskite, serpentine and carbonate. A number of separate phases of kimberlite display a magmatic textural gradation from TKB to HK, which is characterised by a decrease in the proportion of pelletal lapilli and country rock xenoliths and an increase in groundmass crystallinity, proportion of fresh olivine and the degree of xenolith digestion.

The pipe shapes and infills of the Gahcho Kué kimberlites are similar to those of the classic South African pipes, particularly those of the Kimberley area. Similar intrusive magmatic emplacement processes are proposed in which the diatreme-zone results from the degassing, after breakthrough, of the intruding magma column. The transition zones represent ‘frozen’ degassing fronts. The style of emplacement of the Gahcho Kué kimberlites is very different from that of many other pipes in Canada such as at Lac de Gras, Fort à la Corne or Attawapiskat.     

辽南斑状金伯利岩岩相学特征及其成因研究

辽南金伯利岩岩区是我国最大的原生金刚石矿产区,该区金刚石主要寄主岩石类型为斑状金伯利岩。橄榄石是金伯利岩中最重要的造岩矿物,根据其结构特征可以分为橄榄石粗晶、橄榄石斑晶以及基质中微细粒三个世代。本文将岩相学特征和前人研究成果相结合,构建辽南斑状金伯利岩岩浆起源、上升、喷发和成岩模型,探讨各世代矿物的形成过程。具体包括:深部交代地幔部分熔融,形成初始碳酸盐岩浆;初始岩浆上升过程中捕获的岩石圈地幔橄榄岩不断溶解(形成橄榄石粗晶),岩浆成分发生改变,成为金伯利岩岩浆;金伯利岩岩浆迅速上升侵位,至地表处爆破喷发,最后冷却固结形成包含粗晶及其他两个世代橄榄石的斑状金伯利岩。     

Precambrian mafic magmatism in the Bastar craton,central India

The Bastar craton has experienced many episodes of mafic magmatism during the Precambrian. This is evidenced from a variety of Precambrian mafic rocks exposed in all parts of the Bastar craton in the form of volcanics and dykes. They include (i) three distinct mafic dyke swarms and a variety of mafic volcanic rocks of Precambrian age in the southern Bastar region; two sets of mafic dyke swarms are sub-alkaline tholeiitic in nature, whereas the third dyke swarm is high-Si, low-Ti and high-Mg in nature and documented as boninite-norite mafic rocks, (ii) mafic dykes of varying composition exposed in Bhanupratappur-Keskal area having dominantly high-Mg and high-Fe quartz tholeiitic compositions and rarely olivine and nepheline normative nature, (iii) four suites of Paleoproterozoic mafic dykes are recognized in and around the Chattisgarh basin comprising metadolerite, metagabbro, and metapyroxenite, Neoarchaean amphibolite dykes, Neoproterozoic younger fine-grained dolerite dykes, and Early Precambrian boninite dykes, and (iv) Dongargarh mafic volcanics, which are classified into three groups, viz. early Pitepani mafic volcanic rocks, later Sitagota and Mangikhuta mafic volcanics, and Pitepani siliceous high-magnesium basalts (SHMB). Available petrological and geochemical data on these distinct mafic rocks of the Bastar craton are summarized in this paper. Recently high precision U-Pb dates of 1891.1±0.9 Ma and 1883.0±1.4 Ma for two SE-trending mafic dykes from the BD2 (subalkaline) dyke swarm, from the southern Bastar craton have been reported. But more precise radiometric age determinations for a number of litho-units are required to establish discrete mafic magmatic episodes experienced by the craton. It is also important to note that very close geochemical similarity exist between boninite-norite suite exposed in the Bastar craton and many parts of the world. Spatial and temporal correlation suggests that such magmatism occurred globally during the Neoarchaean-Paleoproterozoic boundary. Many Archaean terrains were united as a supercontinent as Expanded Ur and Arctica at that time, and its rifting gave rise to numerous mafic dyke swarms, including boninitenorite, world-wide.     

辽宁省瓦房店金伯利岩矿区构造特征及其控矿作用

辽宁省瓦房店地区是中国著名的金刚石矿产地之一,矿床类型属于金伯利岩型金刚石矿床。通过研究区域构造背景,结合最新项目研究成果,将辽南瓦房店金伯利岩矿区构造演化过程划分为7个构造旋回,讨论辽宁省瓦房店地区不同构造旋回的特征及对金伯利岩的影响,得出加里东期近东西向构造控制着辽南金伯利岩的产生及成矿作用。燕山期断裂构造对金伯利岩的展布起控制作用,认为本区金伯利岩的成矿阶段可由古生代延至中生代。     

The evolution of the Palim granite in the Bastar tin province, Central India

Summary The Palim granite, hosted by the metasedimentary country rocks in the Bastar tin province, is a heterogeneous pluton that comprises hornblende granite, biotite granite and two-mica granite. Spherical inhomogeneous surmicaceous enclaves occur within the granites with coarse grained cores of muscovite mantled by finer muscovite-quartz-biotite (± sillimanite) rims. Geochemical features imply that the granites are highly evolved and geochemically distinct. Petrographic and geochemical considerations point towards a transition from metaluminous I-type hornblende-bearing granite in the south to peraluminous volatile-enriched S-type like lithologies (biotite and two-mica granites) towards north. Modeling of highly incompatible elements such as Nb and Cs, implies 31 to 33% assimilated fractional crystallization of a melt with an initial composition close to that of the hornblende granite to form the two-mica granite. Hornblende geobarometry, plagioclase-hornblende thermometry (in hornblende granite) and phengite barometry (in two-mica granite), yield P-T estimates of 5–7 kb/725°–760 °C, and 6 kb/700 °C, respectively. The study further implies that a genetic link exists between granite magmatism and the formation of tin pegmatites in the region. The preponderance of peripheral pegmatites to the north-east of the Palim granite is regarded a result of outward crystal-melt fractionation and tectonic tilting of the pluton. Received October 21, 1999; revised version accepted December 12, 2000     

The Neoproterozoic Cratonic Successions of Peninsular India

The Peninsular India hosts extensive record of Mesoproterozoic, and Neoproterozoic successions in several mobile belts, and cratonic basins. The successions provide excellent opportunities for chronostratigraphic classification, in tune with the chronometric classification adopted by IUGS for inter-regional correlation on a global scale. Major tectono-thermal events at 1000–950 Ma in the mobile belts, correlatable with the Grenville orogeny may be considered as the datum for Meso-Neoproterozoic classification in India. Principles of chronostratigraphic classification, however, can not be applied yet to the cratonic successions of India because of inadequate radiometric data, paucity of biostratigraphic studies, and lack of regionally correlatable stratigraphic or palaeoclimatic datum. The kimberlite magmatism which affected the Peninsular India on a continental scale at about 1100 Ma, holds the key to the identification of Neoproterozoic successions of the cratonic basins. Thus, the stratigraphically confined diamond-bearing conglomerates and/or the tuffs associated with kimberlites, may be considered as the datum to define the base of the Neoproterozoic, fixed at about 1000 Ma. Accordingly, the Rewa, and Bhander Groups in the Vindhyan basin, the Kurnool Group in the Cuddapah basin, the Jagdalpur Formation in the Indravati basin, and the Sullavai Group in the Pranhita-Godavari basin are taken to represent the Neoproterozoic successions in the Peninsular India. The Chattisgarh Group in the central India, the lower part of the Marwar Supergroup in western Rajasthan, the Badami Group in the Kaladgi basin, and the Bhima Group are the other “possible Neoproterozoics” in the Peninsula.The closing phase of the Mesoproterozoic in all these basins are characterised by stable shelf lithologic associations attesting to high crustal stability. The Neoproterozoic basins, by contrast, mark a new phase of rifting, and extension, and the basin fills exhibit signatures of initial instability which evolved with time into a more stable platformal condition. A major episode of sea level rise has been recorded in most of the basins. The riftogenic origin, and evolution of the basins are comparable with the history of Neoproterozoic basins of Australia though there is no unequivocal record of glaciation in the Indian formations.