Petrogenesis of diamondiferous kimberlites and related rocks from India

Different types of coeval diamondiferous volcanic rocks occur in restricted regions of continents worldwide. These rocks include kimberlites, lamproites and more exotic types such as ultramafic lamprophyres. How can rock types with so different compositions and, therefore, genesis form at the same time and in the same area? These different rock types commonly have indistinguishable radiogenic isotope compositions, which suggest similar sources thus making this question even more puzzling. This project will address this question by examining the petrography, mineral chemistry and bulk-rock geochemistry of samples from the 1.1 Ga Wajrakarur cluster in central India. Existing isotopic and bulk-rock geochemical data will be complemented with new detailed petrological information to unravel the petrogenesis of coveal kimberlites, lamproites and other rock types from this area. The Wajrakarur cluster provides an ideal study case to address this question because abundant information is already available on the geochronology and isotope geochemistry of the rocks from this area. The samples will be study by combining detailed petrographic observations using optical and scanning electron microscocpy (SEM) with mineral chemical analyses by electron microprobe. This project will provide important new constraints on the genesis of diamond-bearing magmas and partial melting processes in the deep Earth. There will be no field work in India because the samples are already available. However, the master student involved in this project will travel to South Africa with one the supervisors (Andrea Giuliani) in October 2020 to visit diamond mines and kimberlite volcanoes at Kimberley, and the unique diamond and mantle rock collection housed in the Mantle Room (University of Cape Town). Project supervisors: Dr Andrea Giuliani, Prof Max Schmidt, Prof Peter Ulmer

Different types of coeval diamondiferous volcanic rocks occur in restricted regions of continents worldwide. These rocks include kimberlites, lamproites and more exotic types such as ultramafic lamprophyres. How can rock types with so different compositions and, therefore, genesis form at the same time and in the same area? These different rock types commonly have indistinguishable radiogenic isotope compositions, which suggest similar sources thus making this question even more puzzling.
This project will address this question by examining the petrography, mineral chemistry and bulk-rock geochemistry of samples from the 1.1 Ga Wajrakarur cluster in central India. Existing isotopic and bulk-rock geochemical data will be complemented with new detailed petrological information to unravel the petrogenesis of coveal kimberlites, lamproites and other rock types from this area. The Wajrakarur cluster provides an ideal study case to address this question because abundant information is already available on the geochronology and isotope geochemistry of the rocks from this area.
The samples will be study by combining detailed petrographic observations using optical and scanning electron microscocpy (SEM) with mineral chemical analyses by electron microprobe. This project will provide important new constraints on the genesis of diamond-bearing magmas and partial melting processes in the deep Earth.

There will be no field work in India because the samples are already available. However, the master student involved in this project will travel to South Africa with one the supervisors (Andrea Giuliani) in October 2020 to visit diamond mines and kimberlite volcanoes at Kimberley, and the unique diamond and mantle rock collection housed in the Mantle Room (University of Cape Town).

Project supervisors: Dr Andrea Giuliani, Prof Max Schmidt, Prof Peter Ulmer

see project description

see project description

Andrea Giuliani office NW D 76.2 email: andrea.giuliani@erdw.ethz.ch

Andrea Giuliani
office NW D 76.2
email: andrea.giuliani@erdw.ethz.ch