| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1236257 | Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy | 2011 | 6 Pages |
Raman spectroscopy has been used for the identification of both common and uncommon minerals in melt inclusions in Group-I kimberlites from Siberia, Canada, SW Greenland and South Africa. The melt inclusions all contained high abundances of alkali-Ca carbonates, with varying proportions of cations, and Na–Ca–Ba sulphates. In accordance with its dry mineralogy, no hydrated carbonates or sulphates were detected in melt inclusions from the Udachnaya-East kimberlite. In contrast, the melt inclusions in kimberlites from Canada, South Africa and SW Greenland were found to contain bassanite, pirssonite, and hydromagnesite suggesting that greater amounts of water were present in their residual magmas. This suggests that enrichment in alkali carbonates and sulphates is widespread across a range of Group-I kimberlites and implies that they commonly have an alkali-, and sulphur-rich residual liquid.
Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights► Melt inclusions in kimberlites from Siberia, Canada, SW Greenland and South Africa. ► Raman spectroscopy identified both common and uncommon minerals in melt inclusions. ► All contain high abundances of alkali-carbonates and varying amounts of sulphates. ► No hydrated carbonates or sulphates were detected in the Siberian kimberlite. ► Enrichment in alkali carbonates and sulphates is widespread in Group-I kimberlites.
