Petrography and mineralogy of the C29/30 Candle Lake Kimberlite, Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

Petrography and mineralogy of the C29/30 Candle Lake kimberlite (Saskatchewan, Canada) was studied to understand the characteristics of the kimberlite. Using standard optical microscopy three units where distinguished; pyroclastic kimberlite; resedimented volcaniclastic kimberlite and a crystal tuff kimberlite unit. Each kimberlite unit has been classified based on textural relationships between magmaclasts and the interstitial matrix, as well as phenocrysts, macrocrysts and minor mineral phases within the magmaclasts ... The mineralogy of the C29/30 is typical of an archetype kimberlite. The minerals analyzed include spinels, serpentine, olivine, carbonates, phlogopite, perovskite, apatite, garnets, ilmenite and magnetite ... The eruption was shallow and excavated Mannville sandstones, Paleozoic limestone and any Colorado mudstone if present. The eruption style was probably dry-phreatomagmatic. This is supported by the shallow bowl shape of the kimberlite body with a depth to width ratio of 1:5.