Geochemistry of the Uintjiesberg kimberlite, South Africa: petrogenesis of an off-craton, group I, kimberlite

The Uintjiesberg kimberlite diatreme occurs within the Proterozoic Namaqua–Natal Belt, South Africa, approximately 60 km to the southwest of the Kaapvaal craton boundary. It is a group I, calcite kimberlite that has an emplacement age of ∼100 Ma. Major and trace element data, in combination with petrography, are used to evaluate its petrogenesis and the nature of its source region. Macrocryst phases are predominantly olivine with lesser phlogopite, with very rare garnet and Cr-rich clinopyroxene. Geochemical variation amongst the macrocrystic samples (Mg# 0.85–0.87, SiO2=27.0–29.3%, MgO=26.1–30.5%, CaO=10.9–13.5%) is shown to result from ∼10% to 40% entrainment and partial assimilation of peridotite xenoliths, whereas that shown by the aphanitic samples (Mg# 0.80–0.83, SiO2=19.1–23.0%, MgO=17.9–23.9%, CaO=16.5–23.7%) is consistent with ∼7–25% crystal fractionation of olivine and minor phlogopite. Changing trajectories on chemical variation diagrams allow postulation of a primary magma composition with ∼25% SiO2, ∼26% MgO, ∼2.3% Al2O3, ∼5%H2O, ∼8.6% CO2 and Mg#=0.85. Forward melting models, assuming 0.5% melting, indicate derivation of the primary Uintjiesberg kimberlite magma from a source enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE) by ∼10× chondrite and heavy REE (HREE) by 0.8–2× chondrite, the latter being dependent on the proportion of residual garnet. Significant negative Rb, K, Sr, Hf and Ti anomalies present in the inferred primary magma composition are superimposed on otherwise generally smooth primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns, and are inferred to be a characteristic of the primary magma composition. The further requirement for a source with chondritic or lower HREE abundances, residual olivine with high Fo content (∼Fo94) suggests derivation from a mantle previously depleted in mafic melt but subsequently enriched in highly incompatible elements prior to kimberlite genesis. These requirements are interpreted in the context of melting of continental lithospheric mantle previously enriched by metasomatic fluids derived from a sublithospheric (plume?) source.