ISSN 1028-334X, Doklady Earth Sciences, 2018, Vol. 482, Part 2, pp. 1317–1319. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2018.

Original Russian Text © S.K. Simakov, 2018, published in Doklady Akademii Nauk, 2018, Vol. 482, No. 4.

GEOCHEMISTRY

The Nature of the Diamond Potential

of “Cold” Paleogeotherms1
S. K. Simakov
Presented by Academician N.V. Sobolev November 20, 2015

Received December 10, 2015

Abstract—It is known that the Р–Т parameters of diamond-bearing kimberlite xenoliths correspond to sub-
ductive paleogeotherms lying between the 36 and 41 mW/m2 conductive models. There are some studies
showing the correlation of diamond ability with oxygen fugacity and the fluid composition of mantle xeno-
liths. The most diamondiferous samples correspond to the water compositions of the calculated O–H–C
fluid with a minimum atomic carbon content in it. From the calculations it follows that the fluid carbon
atomic content increases with a temperature increase and with the pressure decreasing. The most minor C
contents have the 35 mW/m2 conductive model in comparison with the 40 and 45 mW/m2 models. As a result,
it is possible to conclude that the low temperature fields (less than 1100°C) of the “cold” geotherms have the
highest diamondiferous ability.

DOI: 10.1134/S1028334X18100094

Estimation of the Р–Т– fO2 parameters of mantle
objects is important for petrology and prospecting
geology, because it serves as an indicator of formation
of the carbon phase and stability [9, 13, 14]. Determi-
1 This article was translated by the author.
nation of the depth of xenolith formation is a topical
petrological problem because it is connected with esti-
mation of the availability of kimberlitic diamondifer-
ous regions. It is known that the estimated P–T
parameters of diamond-bearing xenoliths and of 80%
of diamond inclusions correspond to “cold” paleo-

C, % in the fluid
4
3 GPa 1000C

0
600 800 1000 1200 1400 3 4 5 6 7
T, C P, GPa

Fig. 1. Variations in the minimum possible contents of atomic carbon from pressure and temperature in the fluid O–H–C system
of Zhang and Duan [15] equilibrated with free carbon.

OOO Adamant, St. Petersburg, 194064 Russia

e-mail: simakov@ap1250.spb.edu

1317
1318 SIMAKOV

C, % in the fluid tent of carbon in the fluid depends on both fO2 and the
2 P–T conditions [14]. The formation of free carbon
from fluid increases with a decrease in the atomic car-
bon content in the fluid. The possible minimum
45 mW/m2 atomic carbon contents were calculated in accordance
1
40 with O–H–C fluid model [15]. The contents increase
with increasing temperature and decreasing pressure
35 (Fig. 1). The calculation shows that minimum content
0 of atomic carbon corresponds to the 35 mW/m2 con-
600 800 1000 1200 1400 ductive geotherm of Hasterok and Chapman, whereas
T, C higher contents lie between 40 and 45 mW/m2 in con-
ductive models (Fig. 2). The field of free carbon stabil-
Fig. 2. Variation of the minimum possible contents of ity, limited by the CCO buffer, also depends on the P–
atomic carbon in the fluid system from values of the con- T parameters; it increases with decreasing P–T values:
ductive geotherm of Hasterok and Chapman [11]. the CCO buffer coincides with the WM buffer at
1100–1200°С, instead at 600–700°С it coincides with
the QFM buffer (Fig. 3b). From the calculations it fol-
geotherms with 36–41 mW/m2 values of the lows that most diamondiferous fluid compositions are
conductive geotherms [10, 14]. compatible with “cold” geotherms with relatively low
On the other hand, the correlation of diamondifer- (mainly lower than 1100°С) temperatures.
ous availability with the fO2 and fluid compositions
determined in xenoliths and xenocrysts is well known The P–T– fO2 parameters were calculated for the
[7, 14]. Most diamond-bearing parageneses are con- Yakutian diamond-bearing and diamond-free peri-
sistent with a water-rich fluid with minimum atomic dotites. The P–T values of diamond-bearing xenoliths
carbon content. The following gas–solid reactions can lie between the 34 and 41 mW/m2 conductive models,
be proposed for diamond formation: while diamond-free xenoliths are between 34 and
CH4 + O2 → C + 2H2O, (I) 50 mW/m2 (Fig. 3а). The fO2 of diamond-bearing
xenoliths lies mainly in the range of the WM buffer
CH4 + СO2 → 2C + 2H2O. (II) and corresponds to a water-rich fluid (on average,
The upper limit of carbon stability in terms of oxy- 96% of H2O) with 0.5–2.2% of the atomic carbon
gen fugacity corresponds to the reaction of the CCO content (on average, 1.2% of C); see Fig. 3b. (For the
buffer: unique Yakutian peridotite xenolith U-331 described
in [2], the P–T conditions equal 1100°С and 53 kbar,
CO2 → C + O2, (III)
and fO2 equals the WM buffer. It corresponds to the
CO → C + 0.5O2. (IV) 38 mW/m2 conductive model and a water-rich fluid
Above this limit CO2 and carbonates are stable, (96% of water with 1.2% of atomic carbon)). The esti-
while below the limit, free carbon is stable. The con- mated fO2 of diamond-free xenoliths lies mainly in the

P, GPa (a) log fO2–QFM (b)

8 35 mW
4
7
2
6 40 mW QFM
0
5 WM

4 Diamond −2 CCO
45 mW
3 Graphite −4
2 1 2 −6 IW

1 −8
0
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
T, 102 °C

Fig. 3. (a) Calculated P–T parameters for (1) diamond-bearing and (2) diamond-free xenoliths from the Mir, Udachnaya-
Vostochnaya, and Obnazhennaya kimberlitic pipes relative to the conductive geotherm of Hasterok and Chapman [11]. (b) Cal-
culated oxygen fugacities for (1) diamond-bearing and (2) diamond-free xenoliths of these pipes relative to the QFM buffer. For
the calculations, Gr–Opx thermobarometers [14] and a Grt–Opx–Ol oxygen barometer [13] were used. Analyses for the calcu-
lations were taken from [1–5, 8, 9, 12].

DOKLADY EARTH SCIENCES Vol. 482 Part 2 2018

 THE NATURE OF THE DIAMOND POTENTIAL 1319

C, % in the fluid low values of conductive model have the highest

3 potential diamond availability.

2 1. E. E. Laz’ko, in Magmatic Rocks (Nauka, Moscow,
1 Russ. Geol. Geophys. 56 (1–2), 306–320 (2015).
0 Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 23 (2), 438–441 (1976).
6 8 10 12
T, 102 C
Fig. 4. Atomic carbon contents in the fluid O–H–C sys-
tem [15] calculated for diamond-bearing xenoliths on the
basis of previously calculated Р–Т– fO2 parameters (see
Fig. 3).
range of the QFM buffer and corresponds to a СO2-
rich fluid (on average, 48% of СO2) with 0.5–33.3% of
atomic carbon (on average, 17.2% of C); see Fig. 3b.
Diamond-bearing parageneses show the tendency of
increasing atomic C% in the fluid with a temperature
(Fig. 4) that corresponds to the same tendency for
conductive geotherms (Fig. 2).
As a result, it is possible to conclude that the for-
mation of mantle diamonds is mainly connected with
mantle fluids. The estimated fO2 and fluid composi-
tions could be used as petrological criteria of potential
diamond availability in kimberlites. Garnet, spinel,
and ilmenite oxybarometers could be used for these
estimations. In accordance with the model presented,
the parageneses formed at temperatures mainly lower
than 1100°С and at P–T conditions corresponding to
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