Reduced sapphirine granulite xenoliths from the Lace Kimberlite,South Africa; implications for the deep structure of the Kaapvaal Craton

Sapphirine-bearing granulites, together with sapphirine-free granulites and eclogites, occur as xenoliths in the kimberlite of the Lace diatreme that penetrates the Kaapvaal craton, S. Africa. Absence of (calculated) Fe³⁺ in sapphirine, garnet and sillimanite, together with presence of graphite and sulphides, suggests highly reducing conditions of metamorphism. Chemical considerations and comparisons with experimental investigations suggest metamorphism of a sedimentary (?chlorite-montmorillonite) protolith at 900–1000° C and > 10 Kb; high Cr in the assemblage may point to a basic/ultrabasic precursor. The xenoliths indicate the presence of a very-high-grade granulite terrain, possibly similar to Enderby Land (Antarctica), beneath the Kaapval craton.