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Criteria for interpreting kimberlite as coherent: insights from the Muskox and Jericho kimberlites (Nunavut, Canada)

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Abstract

The Jurassic Muskox and Jericho kimberlites (Northern Slave Province, Nunavut, Canada) contain a variety of facies exhibiting different geometries, contact relationships, internal organisation, country rock abundance and olivine shapes, although many have similar matrix/groundmass mineralogies and textures. Five facies are examined that either have characteristics consistent with coherent rocks in general (i.e. intrusive and extrusive non-fragmental rocks) or are mineralogically and texturally similar to kimberlite described as coherent (or apparent coherent). Three facies are interpreted as coherent on the basis of: (1) geological setting, (2) apparent-porphyritic texture, (3) sharp contacts with fragmental kimberlite, (4) relative abundance of elongate and unbroken olivine crystals and (5) paucity of country rock xenoliths, while the remaining two facies are interpreted as fragmental on the basis of: (1) the gradational contacts with demonstrably fragmental kimberlite, (2) relative abundance and range of sizes of country rock lithic clasts and (3) numerous broken olivine crystals. Comparisons are made with coherent and apparent-coherent kimberlite from the literature. Our three coherent facies are similar to literature reported coherent kimberlite dykes hosted in country rock (CKd) in terms of internal organisation, low abundance of country rock xenoliths, and apparent-porphyritic texture. Conversely, our two fragmental facies share attributes with previously described pipe-filling coherent and apparent-coherent kimberlite (CKpf) in terms of geometry, internal organisation and abundance of country rock xenoliths. We conclude that CKd and most CKpf, although similar in matrix/groundmass mineralogy and texture, can be distinguished on the basis of internal organisation, country rock lithic clast abundance, texture (e.g. apparent-porphyritic texture) and possibly olivine crystal shapes and suggest that fragmental kimberlite is more common than reported.

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Acknowledgements

The project is financially supported by Tahera Diamond Corporation, the Northwest Territories Geosciences Office and Monash University. PCH would like to thank M. Johnson for his help with initiating the project, Dr. L. Porritt for helpful discussions and Dr. T. Nowicki and C. Medlin for suggestions on earlier drafts. We would also like to thank Dr. J. Pell, Dr. M. Tait and an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments, as well as Prof. J.K. Russell for comments and editorial handling of the manuscript.

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  1. School of Geosciences, Monash University, P.O Box 28E, Victoria, 3800, Australia

    P. C. Hayman & R. A. F. Cas

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  1. P. C. Hayman
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Correspondence to P. C. Hayman.

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Editorial responsibility: J.K. Russell

This paper constitutes part of a special issue: Cas RAF, Russell JK, Sparks RSJ (eds) Advances in Kimberlite Volcanology and Geology

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Hayman, P.C., Cas, R.A.F. Criteria for interpreting kimberlite as coherent: insights from the Muskox and Jericho kimberlites (Nunavut, Canada). Bull Volcanol 73, 1005–1027 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-011-0512-x

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