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Evidence for a 150–200-km thick Archaean lithosphere from diamond inclusion thermobarometry

Nature volume 315, pages 387–389 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Occurrences of diamondiferous kimberlites in southern Africa are concentrated within the boundaries of the Kaapvaal craton where crustal rocks are as old as 3,500 Myr (ref. 1). Garnet inclusions from diamonds that erupted in the Finsch kimberlite and kimberlites of the Kimberley group, situated in the southern part of the craton, have Rb/Sr and Sm/Nd model ages of 3,200–3,300 Myr (ref. 2). These kimberlites were erupted ∼100 Myr ago3,4; thus the diamonds are xenocrysts. The localization of diamond-bearing kimberlites in the craton and the eruption of Archaean diamonds in late Cretaceous time are evidence that these diamonds crystallized and were immobilized in a root extending to depths of 150–200 km. Our applications of thermobarometry to silicate inclusions in the diamonds suggest that ambient temperatures at those depths 3,000 Myr ago were 900–1,200°C, similar to the range predicted from present-day heat flow5.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, 20008, USA

    F. R. Boyd

  2. Department of Geochemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    J. J. Gurney

  3. Laboratoire de Geochemie et Cosmochimie, Institut de Physique du Globe, 4 Place Jussieu, 75230, Paris, Cedex 05, France

    S. H. Richardson

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  2. J. J. Gurney
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  3. S. H. Richardson
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Boyd, F., Gurney, J. & Richardson, S. Evidence for a 150–200-km thick Archaean lithosphere from diamond inclusion thermobarometry. Nature 315, 387–389 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/315387a0

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