Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Kimberlite
Hewn kimberlite core sample from the James Bay Lowlands region of Northern Ontario, Canada. Green olivine grains and purplish red garnet are visible. The sample is 13 cm (5 inches) long.
Kimberlite is a mica peridotite and a source of rich deposits of diamonds, occurring at Kimberley, South Africa. These diamonds were originally found in decomposed kimberlite which was colored yellow by limonite, and so was called "yellow ground." Deeper workings encountered less altered rock, undecomposed kimberlite, which miners call "blue ground."
Kimberlite often contains chrome-bearing olivine, garnet, and other minerals indicating the presence of diamond, as seen in the picture.
Kimberlite occurs in "kimberlite pipes," vertical columns of rock that rise from deep magma reservoirs.
See also: List of minerals
03-10-2013 05:06:04
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details


