Pipes         Formation         Location         Mines  

 

Kimberlite Location 

The geographical distribution of kimberlites is generally not random. The location of kimberlites mainly depends on the thickness of old rocks located at the core of continents. These old cores are referred as Archean cratons, rocks older than 2.5 billion years. These cratons have reached stability and gone through a very little deformation for a prolonged period. Kimberlites are mainly concentrated in the portion of Earth's crust where these cratons are located. Kimberlites generally occur in clusters of several pipes, and the pipes in a cluster are typically at most tens of kilometers apart.  

In Canada, the continental landmass covers one of the greatest extents of Archean craton in the whole world. Older stable cratons underlay the Canadian Shield, as well as in the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. All these areas would offer a highly prospective geological environment for diamonds.