Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Exploration and Geology of the Qilalugaq Kimberlites, Rae Isthmus, Nunavut, Canada

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Proceedings of 10th International Kimberlite Conference

Abstract

A field of diamondiferous root to diatreme zone kimberlite intrusions has been discovered on the Rae Isthmus, Nunavut, Canada through a variety of exploration techniques including: glacial sediment sampling, geophysics and prospecting. Regional scale glacial sediment sampling resulted in the discovery of numerous kimberlite indicator mineral-rich samples ultimately leading to ground acquisition, airborne geophysical surveys and kimberlite discovery. A total of eight pipes have been investigated by diamond drilling and an additional eight dykes have been discovered through prospecting. Kimberlite emplacement into the Archean basement rocks of the Rae domain occurred circa 546 Ma. The Qilalugaq kimberlite field occurs within a WNW trending corridor measuring 26 km long and approximately 3 km wide, parallel to significant regional lineaments. Kimberlite intrusions on the eastern edge of the field are defined by a poor diamond tenor and ilmenite-rich dispersions. Westward the till dispersions become more garnet-clinopyroxene-ilmenite dominated with a corresponding increase in the diamond content of the kimberlite sources. Q1-4 is the most significant intrusion and is interpreted as a multi-phase kimberlite pipe having a lobate surface area of approximately 12.5 ha with diamond contents of up to 39 carats per hundred tonnes. The textural varieties of kimberlite present within the Qilalugaq kimberlites include tuffisitic kimberlite breccia (TKB) to hypabyssal kimberlite (HK); country rock dilution is variable and occurs in all units. Kimberlite dykes display variable mineralogy. Kimberlite indicator minerals suggest the mantle sampled by the Qilalugaq field is dominated by a lherzolitic garnet peridotite with subordinate Cr-depleted harzburgite.

An erratum to this chapter can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1173-0_20

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Armstrong JP, Stubley MP, Chang FY (2008) Geology and exploration history of the Aviat kimberlite cluster, Northern Rae Craton, Melville Peninsula, Nunavut, Canada. In: 9th international kimberlite conference, Frankfurt, Germany, Extended Abstract 0266

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton T, Sanford B, Copeland M, Barnes C, Rigby J (1977) Geology of Ordovician rocks, Melville Peninsula and region, southeastern district of Franklin. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 269, 137 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, JE, McMartin I, Tremblay T, Wityk U, Dredge LA (2011) New insights on the surficial geology of the Repulse Bay Area, Nunavut: implications for mineral exploration. In: 39th yellowknife geoscience forum, abstracts of talks and posters, pp 24–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Clement CR (1982) A comparative geological study of some major kimberlite pipes in the Northern Cape and Orange Free State. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Cape Town, South Africa, 431 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Clement CR, Reid AM (1989) The origin of kimberlite pipes: an interpretation based on a synthesis of geological features displayed by southern Africa occurrences. In: Ross J, Jacques AL, Ferguson J, Green DH, O’Reilly SY, Danchin RV, Janse AJA (eds) Kimberlites and related rocks. Geological Society of Australia Special Publication, London, 14(1), pp 632–646

    Google Scholar 

  • Clement CR, Skinner EMW (1985) A textural-genetic classification of kimberlites. Trans Geol Soc S Afr 88:403–409

    Google Scholar 

  • Cookenboo HO, Grütter HS (2010) Mantle-derived indicator mineral compositions as applied to diamond exploration. Geochem Explor Environ Anal 10:81–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dredge LA (2001) Late pleistocene and holocene glaciation and deglaciation of melville peninsula, northern laurentide ice sheet. Geographie physique et quaternaire 55:159–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Dredge LA (2002) Quaternary geology of southern Melville Peninsula, Nunavut. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 561, 110 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Fahrig WF, Irving E, Jackson GD (1971) Paleomagnetism of the franklin diabases. Can J Earth Sci 8:455–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Field M, Scott Smith BH (1998) Textural and genetic classification schemes for kimberlites: a new perspective. In: Extended abstracts of the seventh international kimberlite conference, Cape Town, South Africa, 3 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Field M, Scott Smith BH (1999) Contrasting geology and near-surface emplacement of kimberlite pipes in southern Africa and Canada. In: Gurney JJ, Gurney JL, Pascoe MD, Richardson SH (eds) Proceedings of the 7th international kimberlite conference, vol 1. Red Roof Design, Cape Town, pp 214–237

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisch T (1982) Precambrian geology of the Prince Albert Hills, western Melville Peninsula, N.W.T. Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 346, 70 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Grütter HS, Apter DB (1998) Kimberlite- and lamproite-borne chromite phenocrysts with “diamond-inclusion”-type chemistries. In: 7th international kimberlite conference, Extended Abstracts, Cape Town, pp 280–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Grütter HS, Sweeney RJ (2000) Tests and constraints on single grain Cr-pyrope barometer models: some initial results. Extended abstracts, GeoCanada 2000: the millenium geoscience summit, 29 May–2 June 2000, Calgary, Abstract 772, 4 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Grütter HS, Gurney JJ, Menzies AH, Winter F (2004) An updated classification scheme for mantle-derived garnet, for use by diamond explorers. Lithos 77:841–857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grütter HS, Latti D, Menzies A (2006) Cr-saturation arrays in concentrate garnet compositions from kimberlite and their use in mantle barometry. J Petrol 47:801–820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson JR (1988) Geology, southeastern Melville Peninsula. Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1655A, scale 1:100 000, 2 sheets

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetman CM (2008) Tuffisitic Kimberlite (TK): a Canadian perspective on a distinctive textural variety of kimberlite. J Volcanol Geoth Res 174:57–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hetman CM, Scott Smith BH, Paul JL, Winter FW (2004) Geology of the Gahcho Kue kimberlite pipes, NWT, Canada: root to diatreme transition zones. In: Proceedings of the 8th international kimberlite conference, Lithos, vol 76, pp 183–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Muntener C, Scott Smith BH (2013) Economic Geology of Renard 3, Quebec, Canada: a diamondiferous, multi-phase pipe infilled with Hypabyssal and Tuffisitic Kimberlite. In: Proceedings of the 10th international kimberlite conference

    Google Scholar 

  • Nimis P, Taylor WR (2000) Single pyroxene thermobarometry for garnet peridotites. Part I. Calibration and evaluation of the Cr-in-pyroxene barometer and enstatite solvus thermometer. Contrib Miner Petrol 139:541–554

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petts DC, Moser DE, Davis WJ, Longstaffe FJ (2011) Evolution of the lithosphere beneath the western Churchill province: U-Pb geochronology of zircon from kimberlite-hosted lower crustal xenoliths. GAC-MAC 2011 joint annual meeting, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 25–27, Abstracts Volume 36

    Google Scholar 

  • Schau M (1993) Northern Melville Peninsula. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 2594, scale 1:500,000

    Google Scholar 

  • Skinner EMW, Clement CR (1979) Mineralogical classification of South African kimberlites. In: Boyd FR, Meyer HOA (eds) Kimberlites, diatremes, and diamonds; their geology, petrology, and geochemistry: Proceedings of the 2nd international kimberlite conference, Santa Fe, NM, vol 1, pp 129–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Skinner EMW, March JS (2004) Distinct kimberlite pipe classes with contrasting eruption processes. In: Proceedings of the 8th international kimberlite conference, Lithos, vol 76, pp 183–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler JO, Hoffman PF, Card KD, Davidson A, Sanford BV, Okulitch AV, Roest WR (comp) (1996) Geological Map of Canada. Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1860A, scale 1:5,000,000

    Google Scholar 

  • Woolley AR, Bergman SC, Edgar AD, le Bas MJ, Mitchell RH, Rock NMS, Scott Smith BH (1996) Classification of the lamprophyres, lamproites, kimberlites and the kalsilite-, melilite- and leucite bearing rocks. (Recommendations of the IUGS subcommission on the systematics of igneous rocks). Can Mineral 34:175–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyatt BA, Baumgartner M, Anckar E, Grütter HS (2004) Compositional classification of “kimberlitic” and “non-kimberlitic” ilmenite. Lithos 77:819–840

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stornoway Diamond Corporation, Unit 116-980 West 1st Street, North Vancouver, V7P 3N4, Canada

    B. Kupsch & J. P. Armstrong

Authors
  1. B. Kupsch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. P. Armstrong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. Kupsch .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    D Graham Pearson

  2. Dept of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Herman S Grütter

  3. School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom

    Jeff W Harris

  4. Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Bruce A Kjarsgaard

  5. Finland Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), Espoo, Finland

    Hugh O’Brien

  6. Department of Geology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    N V Chalapathi Rao

  7. School of Earth Sciences, Bristol University, Bristol, United Kingdom

    Steven Sparks

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Geological Society of India

About this paper

Cite this paper

Kupsch, B., Armstrong, J.P. (2013). Exploration and Geology of the Qilalugaq Kimberlites, Rae Isthmus, Nunavut, Canada. In: Pearson, D., et al. Proceedings of 10th International Kimberlite Conference. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-1173-0_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation