Earth Sciences

Emplacement of the Argyle diamond deposit into an ancient rift zone triggered by supercontinent breakup

H. K. H. Olierook, D. Fougerouse, et al.

Discover how the Argyle diamond mine, the world's largest natural diamond source, was shaped by ancient geological processes. This research by a team from Curtin University delves into the age of the Argyle lamproite, revealing new insights into diamond formation during the breakup of the supercontinent Nuna. A deeper understanding of these processes suggests that diamond-rich diatremes might be more common than once believed.

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Abstract

The Argyle diamond mine, the world's largest source of natural diamonds, is hosted in a Paleoproterozoic orogen. This study uses U-Pb and (U-Th)/He geochronology to constrain the emplacement age of the Argyle lamproite between 1311 ± 9 Ma and 1257 ± 15 Ma. The emplacement was likely driven by lithospheric extension related to the breakup of the supercontinent Nuna, facilitating the production and migration of low-degree partial melts through a rift zone. This suggests that diamondiferous diatreme emplacement during (super)continental breakup may be more common than previously thought.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Sep 19, 2023

Authors

Hugo K. H. Olierook, Denis Fougerouse, Luc S. Doucet, Yebo Liu, Murray J. Rayner, Martin Danišík, Daniel J. Condon, Brent I. A. McInnes, A. Lynton Jaques, Noreen J. Evans, Bradley J. McDonald, Zheng-Xiang Li, Christopher L. Kirkland, Celia Mayers, Michael T. D. Wingate

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