kimberliitissä

Kimberliitissä is a Finnish geological term referring to kimberlite, a type of volcanic rock that is the primary source of diamonds. Kimberlites are rare, ultramafic, incandescent volcanic rocks that originate in the mantle and are brought to the surface in volcanic pipes. These pipes are often diamond-bearing because they are formed from deep within the Earth's mantle, where diamonds are stable. The unique geological conditions required for kimberlite formation mean they are found in specific regions around the world, often in ancient, stable continental cratons.

The emplacement of kimberlite is a rapid process, occurring explosively and forming a diatreme or volcanic pipe. This explosive eruption is due to the exsolution of volatile components, such as carbon dioxide and water, as the magma rises from the mantle. The resulting rock is characterized by a fine-grained matrix with larger, embedded crystals (phenocrysts) of minerals such as olivine, phlogopite, and pyroxene, as well as xenocrysts, which are crystals that originated in the mantle but are not part of the kimberlite's original magma. The presence of diamonds, often as xenocrysts, is what makes kimberlite economically significant.