Kimberlite Volcanoes

Kimberlite volcanoes are similar to most other volcanoes in that they consist of a quasi-circular cone which stands up from the surface, a crater often filled by a circular lake, and a long tapering carrot-shaped magma chamber called a diatreme which flares out underneath the crater. These three upper parts of the volcano are referred to as the "kimberlite pipe" although the upper cone part is often absent because of post-volcanic erosion. The magma chamber of the system often extends to great depths.

Kimberlites and Cratons

Only about 10%, or approximately 100, of the known 1000 kimberlite volcanoes contain significant diamond mineralization and only about 30 of these have been or are being commercially mined. These commercial pipes are located on what are known as cratons. The Slave Craton in Canada has an area of 350,000 square kilometers.