Kimberlite facts for kids
| Igneous rock | |
Kimberlite from the United States
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| Composition | |
|---|---|
| Forsteritic olivine and carbonate minerals, with trace amounts of magnesian ilmenite, chromium pyrope, almandine-pyrope, chromium diopside, phlogopite, enstatite and titanium-poor chromite. Sometimes contains diamonds. |
Kimberlite is a special type of igneous rock. This means it formed from hot, melted rock deep inside the Earth. What makes kimberlite super interesting is that it sometimes contains diamonds!
This rock got its name from the town of Kimberley in South Africa. In 1869, a huge diamond called the Star of South Africa was found there. It weighed about 83.5-carat (16.70 g). This discovery started a big diamond rush and led to the digging of a famous open-pit mine called the Big Hole.
Contents
What is Kimberlite?
Kimberlite is a type of rock that forms deep within the Earth. It's known for being the main source of most diamonds found today. Scientists study kimberlite to learn more about our planet's mantle, which is the layer beneath the Earth's crust.
Where is Kimberlite Found?
Kimberlite is found in the Earth's crust in different shapes. The most common are vertical structures called kimberlite pipes. Think of them like giant, narrow tubes going deep into the ground. Kimberlite can also be found in flat, horizontal layers called sills or in wall-like structures called dykes.
Kimberlite pipes are the most important places where diamonds are mined. These pipes are like ancient volcanic vents that brought the diamonds up from deep inside the Earth.
How Kimberlite Forms
Kimberlite forms very deep inside the Earth, between 150 and 450 kilometres (93 and 280 mi) below the surface. This is much deeper than where most other rocks form. It comes from special melted rock in the Earth's mantle.
When kimberlite forms, it erupts quickly and with a lot of force. This happens because it contains many gases, like carbon dioxide. These gases help push the melted rock and any diamonds it carries towards the surface. Because kimberlite comes from such great depths, it's able to bring diamonds up to where we can find them. Diamonds need extreme heat and pressure to form, which only happens deep in the Earth's mantle.
Images for kids
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A close-up view of kimberlite from South Africa. The green parts are olivine crystals, and the blue, purple, and buff colors show the fine-grained matrix of clay minerals and carbonates.
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This map shows where kimberlite rocks are found in Africa. The red dots mark the locations of kimberlite, often near very old parts of the Earth's crust called cratons.
See also
In Spanish: Kimberlita para niños
