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.