TILL DEPOSITS AND THEIR CORRECT GENETICAL INTERPRETATION FOR EXPLORATION FOR DIAMONDS.

(Some critical remarks for the widespread theory)

April, 2013

by Igor Kryvoshlyk

Schematic plan of clastic dispersal patterns around a kimberlite in glaciated terrain.

(Copy of a Fig. 4.A from: McClenaghan, M.B., and Kjarsgaard, B.A., 2007)

Glaciers will change their direction multiple times making mineral anomalies mostly at the points where glacier interacted with depressions or elevations of surface

NOTES: 1.There were six glacier periods in the history of Canadian kimberlites (L. Sankeralli, 1997). 2. How many times a buried kimberlite could be sampled by a latest glaciers? 3. How could clasts of a buried kimberlite be exposed at surface?

Schematic cross-section view of clastic dispersal patterns around a kimberlite in glaciated terrain.
(Copy of a Fig. 4.B from: McClenaghan, M.B., and Kjarsgaard, B.A., 2007)

Till as well as a host rocks has a stratified structure when oldest sediments are located at the lowest level, and the youngest at the top of deposit
?

Youngest

Oldest

till

till

till
Youngest?

Youngest

Age of kimberlite clasts

Oldest?

Oldest

NOTES: 1. Youngest clasts of a buried kimberlite can not make an anomaly within an oldest till deposits as well as an oldest clasts of a kimberlite can not occur within a youngest till deposits. 5 2. How could clasts of a buried kimberlite climb up to the surface (red arrow)?

Each kimberlite pipe might be eroded by glaciers for several times and a kimberlite material could create several mineralogicaly similar anomalies

Youngest

till
Oldest

till

Youngest

YK

OK

Oldest

EXPLANATION: First kimberlite clasts could be moved by a glacier (along the brown arrow) and create an oldest kimberlite clasts deposit [OK]. Next glacier could move kimberlite clasts by the roof of frozen oldest till along the yellow arrow and create a youngest mineral deposit [YK]. Also, [OK] could be moved by a latest glacier and create an anomaly of a re-deposited kimberlite material.

Conclusions and Recommendations

1. Even close located mineralogical anomalies might

belong to different kimberlite pipes.

2. Working within kimberlite cluster it is possible to find mixed anomalies generated by different kimberlite pipes.

3. Each kimberlite pipe within NWT might be eroded by

different glaciers for several times. 4. Recommendation: deep mineralogical investigation in combination with structural geology, tectonics, geomorphology etc.
7

REFERENCES
1. McClenaghan, M.B., and Kjarsgaard, B.A., 2007, Indicator mineral and

surficial geochemical exploration methods for kimberlite in glaciated terrain;

Examples from Canada, in Goodfellow, W.D., ed., Mineral Deposits of Canada: A Synthesis of Major Deposit-Types, District Metallogeny, the Evolution of Geological Provinces, and Exploration Methods: Geological

Association of Canada, Mineral Deposits Division, Special Publication No. 5,

p. 983-1006.

2. Sankeralli, L. 1997. Glaciology report on Back Lake project. SouthernEra

Resources Ltd.