Publication Date:
2019-07-12
Description:
In measurements of the noble gases in additional samples of diamonds from the Argyle and Ellendale lamproites in Western Australia, no neon-rich stones were encountered. No neon was detected above the relatively high blank levels in the glass apparatus. White and brown diamonds showed no differences in noble gas content, nor did samples segregated by the color of long-wave UF fluorescence. The rare gas patterns in the 1.2 Ga Argyle pipe are largely consistent with implanted He-3, He-4, and fissiogenic Xe from U/Th in the matrix rock in which the diamonds have been stored for so long. These implanted species are absent in diamonds from the much younger (about 20 Ma) Ellendale pipe. Implantation formulas for several models of inhomogeneously distributed U/Th are given. Differences in He-3 content between pipe and alluvial Argyle samples are consistent with expected cosmogenic production in the latter. An expanded data base for helium and carbon isotopic data on the same samples supports a negative (He-4)-delta(C-13) correlation seen in earlier work.
Keywords:
GEOPHYSICS
Type:
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (ISSN 0016-7037); 55; 1977-198
Format:
text
Permalink
