kimberlite

American  

[kim-ber-lahyt] / ˈkɪm bərˌlaɪt /

noun

1. Petrology. a variety of micaceous peridotite, low in silica content and high in magnesium content, in which diamonds are formed.

---

kimberlite British  

/ ˈkɪmbəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. an intrusive igneous rock generated at great depth in the earth's mantle and consisting largely of olivine and phlogopite. It often contains diamonds

---

kimberlite Scientific  

/ kĭm′bər-līt′ /

1. A type of peridotite consisting of a fine-grained matrix of calcite and olivine and containing phenocrysts of olivine, garnet, and sometimes diamonds. Kimberlites are found in long, vertical volcanic pipes, especially in South Africa.

---

Etymology

Origin of kimberlite

1885–90; named after Kimberley, South Africa; see -ite ¹

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kimberlite

The technique, born from work by a team including Phillips, Dr. Simister, Dr. Sean Crowe and the late professor Peter Winterburn, could catalyze the discovery of new kimberlite deposits.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2023

The researchers tested this in the lab, introducing kimberlite to soil microbes and watching how they changed in number and species.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2023

They found that over the last 500 million years, there is a pattern where the plates start to pull apart, then 22 million to 30 million years later, kimberlite eruptions peak.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 21, 2023

To solve this mystery, Dr. Gernon and his team analyzed statistical correlations between continental breakups and kimberlite blasts during the last billion years.

From New York Times ● Jul. 26, 2023

We also know a little bit about the mantle from what are known as kimberlite pipes, where diamonds are formed.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---