UNIQUE MINERALOGY OF TRIASSIC DIAMONDIFEROUS HYPABYSSAL KIMBERLITE POSTDATED SIBERIAN FLOOD BASALT (SFB) PROVINCE

Abstract:

The Siberian flood basalt (SFB) province is the largest terrestrial province with the estimated volume of igneous rocks up to 5 million cubic km. The majority of SFB erupted over less than one million years at 251 Ma. The main epochs of kimberlites emplacement took place in Devonian (344-364 Ma) producing principal diamond mines including Udachnaya mine and in Triassic (about 240 Ma) with only one, Malokuonapskaya kimberlite pipe with near-commercial diamond grade. This indicates the availability of complete lithospheric cross section. It contains flood basalt and peridotite xenoliths. We report here preliminary data on mineralogy of this hypabyssal kimberlite containing fresh olivine. Homogeneous cores of zoned olivine with Fo 78.5-93 are different in compositional range from those of Udachnaya olivines (Fo 85-94). Outer rims composition are also different (Fo 85-86 and 89-90 respectively). Concentration of Ni, Mn, Co, Ca, Cr, Al, Ti, P, Na and Zn were measured by EPMA using an innovative method which has been developed based on earlier publication (Sobolev et al., Science, 2007, 316: 412-417). It made possible to obtain external precision down to 10 ppm (2SD) and detection limit down to 2 ppm. High resolution compositional maps of olivine zoning for all mentioned elements are produced. “Hot cathode” CL microscope was applied for study of luminescent minerals including calcite, apatite and baryte. Twenty percent of representative olivine samples are characterized by low Fo 78.5-85 and NiO from 600 to 2300 ppm. Clear zoning in concentration of some trace elements, P in particular, is detected in the cores of studied olivines. Ba-phlogopite containing BaO from less than 1 up to 14.5 wt.% is another specific feature of Malokuonapskaya kimberlite, which is different from any kimberlites and especially from Udachnaya with highest BaO – 4.85 wt.% of its phlogopite. Chromediopsides contain 1.3 - 5.2 wt.% FeO, 0.6 - 2.0 wt.% Cr₂O₃ and 0.45 - 2.0 wt.% Na₂O. Pyropes including subcalcic Cr-pyropes are detected. Picroilmenites containing up to 18 wt.% MgO and 3.0 wt.% Cr₂O₃ are present along with perovskite, chromite and ulvospinel. The difference in mineralogy of hypabyssal kimberlites predated (Devonian) and postdated (Triassic) SFB may suggest recorded effect of SFB on Siberian lithosphere.