Canada's Ancient Geology Provides a New Economic Resource: Diamonds

Back to Map Page April, 1999 For almost a century explorers and prospectors have searched Canada's frozen tundra for mineral wealth, mostly with little success. Now the region promises rich rewards in one of the world's most valued minerals, diamonds. The new Ekati diamond mine is in the Northwest Territory, just 200km south of the Arctic Circle. The remote mine is deep in a region of wet tundra that is accessible only by air, except in the dead of winter when the ground is hard enough to drive on. The first diamonds were shipped out this spring. These are the first of about four million carats of diamonds the mine is expected to produce each year for the next 25 years. The Ekati diamonds were discovered in 1985 in a lake that was drained by diamond prospectors. The lake is one of many in this area that fill the tops of the vertical, tube-like diamond bearing formations called kimberlite pipes. Kimberlite, named after the city of Kimberley, South Africa, is the name of the mineral in which diamonds are found. Kimberlite pipes are remarkable volcanic features that explode upward from extraordinary depths at supersonic speeds. Among the pressure-formed minerals carried upward with kimberlite are diamonds, hard crystalline minerals formed under the extreme pressure that occurrs at least 150km below the surface of ancient continental rocks. The kimberlite in the Ekati mine is about 35 million years old. Once considered rare, kimberlite pipes have now been discovered in many regions of the world. For decades southern Africa was the world's principal diamond producer, but diamonds are now produced on every continent. The largest diamond producing regions are now southern and central Africa, Siberia and Australia. Canada's new mine is one of only a few sources in North America. Additional mines are expected to open in the area in the next few years. For further information, see these related sites: Northwest Territory information on diamond production Information from the Canadian government Information about diamond creation, mining, and marketing To read more, see Environmental Science, a Global Concern, Cunningham and Saigo, 5th ed. Economic minerals: p. 348-350 Environmental effects of resource extraction: p. 351-354 Environmental Science, Enger and Smith, 6th ed. Environmental effects of mining: p. 148 Mineral resources, distribution and exploitation: p. 191-193 Back to Map Page feedback form | permissions | international | locate your campus rep | request a review copy digital solutions | publish with us | customer service | mhhe home Copyright ©2001 The McGraw-Hill Companies. Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of the The McGraw-Hill Companies.