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The Sheahan Diamond Literature Reference Compilation - Technical, Media and Corporate Articles based on Major Region - Somerset Island
The Sheahan Diamond Literature Reference Compilation is compiled by Patricia Sheahan who publishes on a monthly basis a list of new scientific articles related to diamonds as well as media coverage and corporate announcements called the Sheahan Diamond Literature Service that is distributed as a free pdf to a list of followers. Pat has kindly agreed to allow her work to be made available as an online digital resource at Kaiser Research Online so that a broader community interested in diamonds and related geology can benefit. The references are for personal use information purposes only; when available a link is provided to an online location where the full article can be accessed or purchased directly. Reproduction of this compilation in part or in whole without permission from the Sheahan Diamond Literature Service is strictly prohibited. Return to Diamond Region Index
Sheahan Diamond Literature Reference Compilation - Scientific Articles by Author for all years
Each article reference in the SDLRC is tagged with one or more key words assigned by Pat Sheahan to highlight the main topics of the article. In addition most references have been tagged with one or more region words. In an effort to make it easier for users to track down articles related to a specific region, KRO has extracted these region words and developed a list of major region words presented in the Major Region Index to which individual region words used in the article reference have been assigned. Each individual Region Report contains in chronological order all the references with a region word associated with the Major Region word. Depending on the total for each reference type - technical, media and corporate - the references will be either in their own technical, media or corporate Region Report, or combined in a single report. Where there is a significant number of technical references there will be a technical report dedicated to the technical articles while the media and corporate references are combined in a separate region report. References that were added in the most recent monthly update are highlighted in yellow within the Region Report. The Major Region words have been defined by a scale system of "general", "continent", "country", "state or province" and "regional". Major Region words at the smaller scales have been created only when there are enough references to make isolating them worthwhile. References not tagged with a Region are excluded, and articles with a region word not matched with a Major Region show up in the "Unknown" report.
Kimberlite - diamondiferous
Lamproite - diamondiferous
Lamprophyre - diamondiferous
Other - diamondiferous
Kimberlite - non diamondiferous
Lamproite - non diamondiferous
Lamprophyre - non diamondiferous
Other - non diamondiferous
Kimberlite - unknown
Lamproite - unknown
Lamprophyre - unknown
Other - unknown
Future Mine
Current Mine
Former Mine
Click on icon for details about each occurrence. Works best with Google Chrome.
CITATION: Faure, S, 2010, World Kimberlites CONSOREM Database (Version 3), Consortium de Recherche en Exploration Minérale CONSOREM, Université du Québec à Montréal, Numerical Database on consorem.ca. NOTE: This publicly available database results of a compilation of other public databases, scientific and governmental publications and maps, and various data from exploration companies reports or Web sites, If you notice errors, have additional kimberlite localizations that should be included in this database, or have any comments and suggestions, please contact the author specifying the ID of the kimberlite: [email protected]
Glittering globe:could the earth be littered with diamonds in places no one has dreamed of looking? .. Hanlon ventures to an island paradise in search....
New Scientist, August 17, pp. 48-50.
Solomon Islands
Solsearch, Collerson, Zorba Mining, University of Queen
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, in press available 49p.
Canada, Nunavut, Somerset Island
peridotite
Abstract: We report detailed petrographic investigations along with 187Os/188Os data in Base Metal Sulfide (BMS) on four cratonic mantle xenoliths from Somerset Island (Rae Craton, Canada). The results shed light on the processes affecting the Re-Os systematics and provide time constraints on the formation and evolution of the cratonic lithospheric mantle beneath the Rae craton. When devoid of alteration, BMS grains mainly consist of pentlandite + pyrrhotite ± chalcopyrite. The relatively high BMS modal abundance of the four investigated xenoliths cannot be reconciled with the residual nature of these peridotites, but requires addition of metasomatic BMS. This is especially evident in the two peridotites with the highest bulk Pd/Ir and Pd/Pt. Metasomatic BMS likely formed during melt/fluid percolation in the Sub Continental Lithospheric Mantle (SCLM) as well as during infiltration of the host kimberlite magma, when djerfisherite crystallized around older Fe-Ni-sulfides. On the whole-rock scale, kimberlite metasomatism is visible in a subset of bulk xenoliths, which defines a Re-Os errorchron that dates the host magma emplacement.
The 187Os/188Os measured in the twenty analysed BMS grains vary from 0.1084 to >0.17 and it shows no systematic variation depending on the sulfide mineralogical assemblage. The largest range in 187Os/188Os is observed in BMS grains from the two xenoliths with the highest Pd/Ir, Pd/Pt, and sulfide modal abundance. The whole-rock TRD ages of these two samples underestimate the melting age obtained from BMS, demonstrating that bulk Re-Os model ages from peridotites with clear evidence of metasomatism should be treated with caution.
The TRD ages determined in BMS grains are clustered around 2.8-2.7, ?2.2 and ?1.9 Ga. The 2.8-2.7 Ga TRD ages document the main SCLM building event in the Rae craton, which is likely related to the formation of the local greenstone belts in a continental rift setting. The Paleoproterozoic TRD ages can be explained by addition of metasomatic BMS during (i) major lithospheric rifting at ?2.2 Ga and (ii) the Taltson-Thelon orogeny at ?1.9 Ga. The data suggest that even metasomatic BMS can inherit 187Os/188Os from their original mantle source. The lack of isotopic equilibration, even at the micro-scale, allowed the preservation of different populations of BMS grains with distinct 187Os/188Os, providing age information on multiple magmatic events that affected the SCLM.
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems: G3, Vol. 18, 7, pp. 2727-2747.
Canada, Somerset Island, Saskatchewan, United States, Kansas
magmatism, convection, diamond genesis
Abstract: Thirty new high-precision U-Pb perovskite and zircon ages from kimberlites in central North America delineate a corridor of mid-Cretaceous (115–92 Ma) magmatism that extends ?4000 km from Somerset Island in Arctic Canada through central Saskatchewan to Kansas, USA. The least contaminated whole rock Sr, Nd, and Hf isotopic data, coupled with Sr isotopic data from groundmass perovskite indicates an exceptionally limited range in Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions, clustering at the low ?Nd end of the OIB array. These isotopic compositions are distinct from other studied North American kimberlites and point to a sublithospheric source region. This mid-Cretaceous kimberlite magmatism cannot be related to mantle plumes associated with the African or Pacific large low-shear wave velocity province (LLSVP). All three kimberlite fields are adjacent to strongly attenuated lithosphere at the edge of the North American craton. This facilitated edge-driven convection, a top-down driven processes that caused decompression melting of the transition zone or overlying asthenosphere. The inversion of ringwoodite and/or wadsleyite and release of H2O, with subsequent metasomatism and synchronous wet partial melting generates a hot CO2 and H2O-rich protokimberlite melt. Emplacement in the crust is controlled by local lithospheric factors; all three kimberlite fields have mid-Cretaceous age, reactivated major deep-seated structures that facilitated kimberlite melt transit through the lithosphere.
Geochimica et Cosmochimia Acta, Vol. 216, pp. 264-285.
Canada, Nunavut, Somerset Island
Geochronology
Abstract: We report detailed petrographic investigations along with 187Os/188Os data in Base Metal Sulfide (BMS) on four cratonic mantle xenoliths from Somerset Island (Rae Craton, Canada). The results shed light on the processes affecting the Re-Os systematics and provide time constraints on the formation and evolution of the cratonic lithospheric mantle beneath the Rae craton. When devoid of alteration, BMS grains mainly consist of pentlandite + pyrrhotite ± chalcopyrite. The relatively high BMS modal abundance of the four investigated xenoliths cannot be reconciled with the residual nature of these peridotites, but requires addition of metasomatic BMS. This is especially evident in the two peridotites with the highest bulk Pd/Ir and Pd/Pt. Metasomatic BMS likely formed during melt/fluid percolation in the Sub Continental Lithospheric Mantle (SCLM) as well as during infiltration of the host kimberlite magma, when djerfisherite crystallized around older Fe-Ni-sulfides. On the whole-rock scale, kimberlite metasomatism is visible in a subset of bulk xenoliths, which defines a Re-Os errorchron that dates the host magma emplacement. The 187Os/188Os measured in the twenty analysed BMS grains vary from 0.1084 to >0.17 and it shows no systematic variation depending on the sulfide mineralogical assemblage. The largest range in 187Os/188Os is observed in BMS grains from the two xenoliths with the highest Pd/Ir, Pd/Pt, and sulfide modal abundance. The whole-rock TRD ages of these two samples underestimate the melting age obtained from BMS, demonstrating that bulk Re-Os model ages from peridotites with clear evidence of metasomatism should be treated with caution. The TRD ages determined in BMS grains are clustered around 2.8-2.7, ?2.2 and ?1.9 Ga. The 2.8-2.7 Ga TRD ages document the main SCLM building event in the Rae craton, which is likely related to the formation of the local greenstone belts in a continental rift setting. The Paleoproterozoic TRD ages can be explained by addition of metasomatic BMS during (i) major lithospheric rifting at ?2.2 Ga and (ii) the Taltson-Thelon orogeny at ?1.9 Ga. The data suggest that even metasomatic BMS can inherit 187Os/188Os from their original mantle source. The lack of isotopic equilibration, even at the micro-scale, allowed the preservation of different populations of BMS grains with distinct 187Os/188Os, providing age information on multiple magmatic events that affected the SCLM.
Abstract: We present the first oxidation state measurements for the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the Rae craton, northern Canada, one of the largest components of the Canadian shield. In combination with major and trace element compositions for garnet and clinopyroxene, we assess the relationship between oxidation state and metasomatic overprinting. The sample suite comprises peridotite xenoliths from the central part (Pelly Bay) and the craton margin (Somerset Island) providing insights into lateral and vertical variations in lithospheric character. Our suite contains spinel, garnet-spinel and garnet peridotites, with most samples originating from 100 to 140 km depth. Within this narrow depth range we observe strong chemical gradients, including variations in oxygen fugacity (ƒO2) of over 4 log units. Both Pelly Bay and Somerset Island peridotites reveal a change in metasomatic type with depth. Observed geochemical systematics and textural evidence support the notion that Rae SCLM developed through amalgamation of different local domains, establishing chemical gradients from the start. These gradients were subsequently modified by migrating melts that drove further development of different types of metasomatic overprinting and variable oxidation at a range of length scales. This oxidation already apparent at ~?100 km depth could have locally destabilised any pre-existing diamond or graphite.
