Abstract
FOREWORD
The discovery of diamonds in the Kimberley region of Western Australia -first, the sub-economic deposits of Ellendale in 1976, followed by the rich Argyle pipe in 1979 - was the culmination of an extensive exploration effort by a number of mining companies. That the host rocks are ultrapotassic lamproites, rather than "classical" kimberlites, has transformed the appreciation of these petrological curiosities, not only in Australia but worldwide. It is as a direct result of these discoveries, and the interest they have generated, that Western Australia has been privileged to host the Fourth International Kimberlite Conference of 1986.
This bulletin is intended primarily to present the field and laboratory work of the authors, one of whom has been engaged in the Western Australian diamond exploration programme almost from its inception. About one hundred and fifty lamproite, kimberlite, and alkali picrite bodies are now known, and the history of exploration for diamond is fully documented. All presently known lamproites and kimberlites in Western Australia are described, and an account given of their structural setting, petrography, mineralogy and chemistry. Modern research on the petro-genesis of lamproites and their diamond content is at an early stage, and treatment of these topics is necessarily brief and tentative. Thus, a secondary intention of this bulletin is to stimulate research on these interesting, if rare, rock types.
This important bulletin is the first Geological Survey publication to have joint authors from industry, the Bureau of Mineral Resources, and the Survey, affirming and exemplifying the increasing need for cooperative geological effort between different groups. Many of the basic data have been obtained by mining companies, and their active assistance is acknowledged with gratitude. Without this fruitful cooperation this publication would not have been possible. It is to be hoped that this will become more frequent in the future, to the benefit of the mining industry and the people of Western Australia.
A.F. Trendall
DIRECTOR
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The discovery of diamonds in the Kimberley region of Western Australia -first, the sub-economic deposits of Ellendale in 1976, followed by the rich Argyle pipe in 1979 - was the culmination of an extensive exploration effort by a number of mining companies. That the host rocks are ultrapotassic lamproites, rather than "classical" kimberlites, has transformed the appreciation of these petrological curiosities, not only in Australia but worldwide. It is as a direct result of these discoveries, and the interest they have generated, that Western Australia has been privileged to host the Fourth International Kimberlite Conference of 1986.
This bulletin is intended primarily to present the field and laboratory work of the authors, one of whom has been engaged in the Western Australian diamond exploration programme almost from its inception. About one hundred and fifty lamproite, kimberlite, and alkali picrite bodies are now known, and the history of exploration for diamond is fully documented. All presently known lamproites and kimberlites in Western Australia are described, and an account given of their structural setting, petrography, mineralogy and chemistry. Modern research on the petro-genesis of lamproites and their diamond content is at an early stage, and treatment of these topics is necessarily brief and tentative. Thus, a secondary intention of this bulletin is to stimulate research on these interesting, if rare, rock types.
This important bulletin is the first Geological Survey publication to have joint authors from industry, the Bureau of Mineral Resources, and the Survey, affirming and exemplifying the increasing need for cooperative geological effort between different groups. Many of the basic data have been obtained by mining companies, and their active assistance is acknowledged with gratitude. Without this fruitful cooperation this publication would not have been possible. It is to be hoped that this will become more frequent in the future, to the benefit of the mining industry and the people of Western Australia.
A.F. Trendall
DIRECTOR
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Perth |
| Publisher | Geological Survey of Western Australia |
| Number of pages | 268 |
| ISBN (Print) | 0 7309 0802 X |
| Publication status | Published - 1986 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Publication series
| Name | Bulletin |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Geological Survey of Western Australia |
| No. | 132 |
| ISSN (Print) | 0085-8145 |