Genesis of Diamondiferous Rocks from Upper-Mantle Xenoliths in Kimberlite

Abstract

The conditions of genesis of diamondiferous ultrabasic and basic rocks from xenoliths in kimberlite were studied by combining the data from analytical investigations of their mineral phases and experimental results of the study of melting relations in the diamond-forming mineral systems of the upper mantle. The compositions of minerals in some samples of metasomatized diamondiferous eclogite associated with diamond-free eclogite from kimberlite of the Udachnaya pipe (Yakutia) were studied for the first time. The new results obtained in addition to the literature data were applied for generalization of estimates of genetically important characteristics of the chemical compositions of garnets, Ca-clinopyroxenes, and omphacites from diamond-bearing peridotite, pyroxenite, and eclogite. As a result, it was found that quite “fresh” minerals of diamondiferous rocks have typomorphic differences from the same minerals of diamond-free upper-mantle rocks. At the same time, it is significant that the compositions of minerals from diamondiferous rocks and paragenetic inclusions in diamonds are identical. These peculiarities of mineralogy of diamondiferous rocks are genetically significant; based on the mantle–carbonatite theory of the origin of diamond and associated mineral phases, this provides support for the same physicochemical origin of diamonds, minerals of diamondiferous rocks, and paragenetic inclusions in diamonds. Finally, the following genetic conclusions are made. (1) Completely miscible silicate (±oxide)–carbonate melts with dissolved carbon are the parental medium in petrogenesis of diamondiferous ultrabasic and basic rocks. (2) The physicochemically consistent formation of diamondiferous rocks and paragenetic inclusions of peridotitic and eclogitic minerals in diamonds occurred in the common diamond-forming chambers/reservoirs of parental melts; diamond-free peridotite, pyroxenite, and eclogite were the host mantle rocks for such chambers. (3) The origin of continuous series of diamondiferous peridotite–pyroxenite–eclogite rocks is controlled by the fractional ultrabasic–basic evolution of parental melts with exhaustion of olivine and orthorhombic pyroxene via the peritectic reactions. (4) Ascending flows of kimberlite magmas destroyed the parental chambers and captured diamonds with inclusions, individual minerals, their intergrowths, diamondiferous ultrabasic and basic rocks; at the entrance and exit from the chambers, they captured differentiated diamond-free host rocks of the mantle as well. (5) With further ascent from the mantle to the Earth’s crust, the material of diamond-forming chambers and diamond-free mantle was mixed in convecting kimberlite magma and was transported from the mantle to cumulative crustal chambers. (6) Kimberlite magmas were gradually solidified in stationary cumulative chambers with the release of highly compressed fluids; with an increase of pressure up to the critical values, they intruded into the rocks of the roof and ejected kimberlite with xenoliths of diamondiferous and mantle rocks to the surface with the formation of explosion pipes.