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Kimberlite identification and geology

A rare, volatile-rich, potassic ultramafic igneous rock that originates from great depth 150 km in the mantle and is emplaced explosively in narrow, carrot-shaped volcanic pipes diatremes . Kimberlite is the primary commercial source of diamonds, which are carried as xenocrysts from the deep mantle where the extreme pressures required for diamond formation exist. Most kimberlite pipes are found in ancient cratonic settings. Field: petrology. Example: The kimberlite pipes of Kimberley, South Africa—for which the rock is named—were the site of the world's first large-scale diamond mining in the 1870s, producing the famous Big Hole, the largest hand-dug excavation on Earth.. Related terms: Diamond, Diatreme, Ultramafic, Craton.

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  • Ultramafic
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Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.027557+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Kimberlite mean in geology?
A rare, volatile-rich, potassic ultramafic igneous rock that originates from great depth 150 km in the mantle and is emplaced explosively in narrow, carrot-shaped volcanic pipes diatremes . Kimberlite is the primary commercial source of diamonds, which are carried as xenocrysts from the deep mantle where the extreme pressures required for diamond formation exist. Most kimberlite pipes are found in ancient cratonic settings.
What is an example of Kimberlite?
The kimberlite pipes of Kimberley, South Africa—for which the rock is named—were the site of the world's first large-scale diamond mining in the 1870s, producing the famous Big Hole, the largest hand-dug excavation on Earth.
Which earth-science field uses the term Kimberlite?
Kimberlite is used in petrology.
Which terms are related to Kimberlite?
Related terms in this reference are Diamond, Diatreme, Ultramafic, Craton.

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