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Can Kimberlites be generated from an ordinary mantle?

Nature volume 291, pages 53–56 (1981)Cite this article

Abstract

Kimberlites are characterized by a high concentration of incompatible elements, including light rare earths. However, Nd isotopic evidence indicates that their source regions do not have a long history of enrichment. If kimberlites can be generated from non-enriched mantle sources by simple partial melting processes, this implies that crystal–liquid partition coefficients for some trace elements are lower for kimberlitic liquids than for basalts or andesites. From a comparison of clinopyroxene megacrysts (regarded as equilibrated with kimberlite at depth) with existing kimberlite data we argue here that low crystal–liquid partition coefficients for the rare earths are plausible.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    J. D. Kramers

  2. Bernard Price Institute of Geophysical Research, University of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    C. B. Smith

  3. Department of Geology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK

    N. P. Lock

  4. Scottish Universities Research and Reactor Centre, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 0QU, UK

    R. S. Harmon

  5. Geophysical Laboratory, 2801 Upton Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA

    F. R. Boyd

Authors
  1. J. D. Kramers
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  2. C. B. Smith
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  3. N. P. Lock
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  4. R. S. Harmon
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  5. F. R. Boyd
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Kramers, J., Smith, C., Lock, N. et al. Can Kimberlites be generated from an ordinary mantle?. Nature 291, 53–56 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/291053a0

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