Review of the spatial distribution of kimberlite pipes in the tectonic structures of the world

Kimberlite pipes are vertical or inclined cylindrical or cone-shaped bodies filled with kimberlite, an ultramafic igneous rock. The diameter of kimberlite pipes can vary from a few metres to 1.5 km, and their depth reaches several kilometres. The geological significance of kimberlite pipes is that they are the main source of diamonds and may contain other minerals: gold, platinum, ilmenite, rutile, and chromite. In addition, kimberlites provide valuable information about the composition and structure of the Earth’s mantle, as well as about deep magmatic processes. The article researches the spatial distribution of kimberlite pipes in the tectonic structures of the world. Kimberlite pipes can be found on all continents. Their location is uneven, with a fuzzy concentration in certain geographical regions. The main regions where kimberlite pipes are concentrated are South Africa, Yakutia, Canada, and Australia. In addition, kimberlite pipes have also been found in South America, West Africa, Northern Europe, India, and China. It has been shown that kimberlite pipes are located exclusively on continents within ancient platforms (cratons) with basement of Archean and Early Proterozoic age. Most of the pipes are located on basement elevations—shields, anteclises, and near rift zones. There are no kimberlite pipes in the oceans. The age of the pipes and the age of their host rocks do not correlate with each other. The age of the host rocks is Archean or Paleoproterozoic (3500 to 1600 Ma), while the age of kimberlite pipes varies in a wide range, from the Neoarchean to the Eocene (2800 to 45 Ma). In most diamond-bearing regions, there are kimberlite pipes located relatively close to each other, but with significantly different ages (for example, the Slave craton, the pipes of the Dayavik and Snap Lake deposits—55 and 535 Ma, respectively, with a distance of 100 km between them). Understanding the patterns of spatial distribution of kimberlite pipes should help to identify perspective areas for the exploration of new pipes, which may lead to the discovery of new diamond deposits.