Kimberlites are volatile-rich, volcanic rocks. The melts derive from up to 300 km depth, near the base of thick lithospheric mantle. Upon ascent to the Earth’s surface the kimberlitic melt evolves, interacting with the lithospheric mantle and sampling pieces of it along the way. This results in kimberlites containing abundant xenoliths and xenocrysts in addition to the crystallized magmatic phases.
This project focuses on Fe isotopes of the Premier kimberlite in more detail. What phases are contributing to the Fe isotope composition of kimberlite and can we see a signature from Fe-rich (possibly subducted material) domains near the base of the lithosphere? Questions such as the following will be answered: i) is there Fe isotope fractionation during kimberlite evolution? ii) what minerals and sources influence the Fe isotope signature? iii) how heterogeneous is the Fe isotope composition within a kimberlite? iv) how do the Fe isotope compositions of the Premier kimberlite compare to other kimberlites and OIBs?
The project will include petrographic descriptions of thin sections, EPMA, LAICPMS, Fe chromatography + MCICPMS analyses of bulk rocks and mineral phases, modelling of Fe isotope fractionation and mixing end-member compositions.
Advisors: Prof. Suzette Timmerman, Prof. Jörg Hermann
University: BE