Kimberlite

Ignimbrite

Kimberlite and Ignimbrite

Kimberlite

Ignimbrite

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Definition

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.

Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows

History

Origin

Kimberley, South Africa

New Zealand

Discoverer

John W. Judd

Patrick Marshall

Etymology

From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Aphanitic

Color

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey

Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites

Pyroclastic rock

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.

Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.

Composition

Mineral Content

Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene

Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Ca, NaCl

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-74-6

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine to Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

260.00 N/mm²243.80 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Conchoidal

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.73

0 8.4

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Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.95-2.96 g/cm³1-1.8 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.20 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Russia

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen

Africa

Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Europe

England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

South America

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Kimberlite and Ignimbrite Properties

Know all about Kimberlite and Ignimbrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Kimberlite and Ignimbrite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Kimberlite is Porphyritic whereas that of Ignimbrite is Aphanitic. Kimberlite appears Dull and Banded and Ignimbrite appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Kimberlite is subvitreous to dull while that of Ignimbrite is vitreous to dull. Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Kimberlite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Ignimbrite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.