TILL DEPOSITS AND THEIR CORRECT

GENETICAL INTERPRETATION

FOR EXPLORATION FOR DIAMONDS.

April, 2013 by Igor Kryvoshlyk

(Some critical remarks for the widespread theory)

Schematic plan of clastic dispersal patterns around a kimberlite in glaciated terrain.

(Copy of a Fig. 4.A from: McClenaghan, M.B., and Kjarsgaard, B.A., 2007)

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NOTES: 1.There were six glacier periods in the history of Canadian kimberlites (L. Sankeralli, 1997). 2. How many times a buried kimberlite could be sampled by a latest glaciers? 3. How could clasts of a buried kimberlite be exposed at surface? 3

Glaciers will change their direction multiple times making mineral anomalies mostly at the points where

glacier interacted with depressions or elevations of surface

?

?

?

Schematic cross-section view of clastic dispersal patterns around a kimberlite in glaciated terrain.

(Copy of a Fig. 4.B from: McClenaghan, M.B., and Kjarsgaard, B.A., 2007)

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till

Till as well as a host rocks has a stratified structure when oldest sediments are located at the lowest level,

and the youngest – at the top of deposit

Youngest

Oldest

Youngest

Oldest

Youngest?

NOTES:

1. Youngest clasts of a buried kimberlite can not make an anomaly within an oldest till

deposits as well as an oldest clasts of a kimberlite can not occur within a youngest till

deposits.

2. How could clasts of a buried kimberlite climb up to the surface (red arrow)?

Oldest?Age of kimberlite clasts

tilltill

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?

till

Each kimberlite pipe might be eroded by glaciers for several times and a kimberlite material could create

several mineralogicaly similar anomalies

Youngest

Oldest

Youngest

Oldest

EXPLANATION: First kimberlite clasts could be moved by a glacier (along the brown arrow) and create an oldest kimberlite clasts deposit [OK]. Next glacier could move kimberlite clasts by the roof of frozen oldest till along the yellow arrow and create a youngest mineral deposit [YK]. Also, [OK] could be moved by a latest glacier and create an anomaly of a re-deposited kimberlite material.

till

OKYK

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Conclusions and Recommendations

• 1. Even close located mineralogical anomalies might

belong to different kimberlite pipes.

• 2. Working within kimberlite cluster it is possible to find

mixed anomalies generated by different kimberlite pipes.

• 3. Each kimberlite pipe within NWT might be eroded by

different glaciers for several times.

• 4. Recommendation: deep mineralogical investigation in

combination with structural geology, tectonics,

geomorphology etc.

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REFERENCES

1. McClenaghan, M.B., and Kjarsgaard, B.A., 2007, Indicator mineral and

surficial geochemical exploration methods for kimberlite in glaciated terrain;

Examples from Canada, in Goodfellow, W.D., ed., Mineral Deposits of

Canada: A Synthesis of Major Deposit-Types, District Metallogeny, the

Evolution of Geological Provinces, and Exploration Methods: Geological

Association of Canada, Mineral Deposits Division, Special Publication No. 5,

p. 983-1006.

2. Sankeralli, L. 1997. Glaciology report on Back Lake project. SouthernEra

Resources Ltd.

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