kimberlite

noun

kim·​ber·​lite ˈkim-bər-ˌlīt 

: an agglomerate biotite-peridotite that occurs in pipes especially in southern Africa and that often contains diamonds

Examples of kimberlite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those clues led Gernon to propose last year that kimberlite eruptions are triggered by long, slow mantle waves rippling inward from continental edges. —Byhannah Richter, science.org, 7 Aug. 2024

Rhyolitic tuff weren't the only product either - there are kimberlites that erupted on the Colorado Plateau as well. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2010

The researchers collected historical data describing the plates’ movements and studied kimberlites, the rocks tossed into the air that hold the gems, to learn more about the spectacle, The Guardian reported. —Justin Ray, Robb Report, 28 July 2023

One idea posits that the deep plumes of rising, hot mantle that may drive continental breakup could also fuel kimberlite formation. —Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 26 July 2023

The confluence of these factors create diamond-bearing kimberlite magma. —Justin Ray, Robb Report, 28 July 2023

For decades, scientists have known that volcanic eruptions of an igneous rock known as kimberlite can contain diamonds in their rock matrix, and such kimberlite hot spots can be found in South Africa, the northeastern U.S., and Siberia, among other places. —Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 1 June 2023

There are kimberlite deposits related to deep-seated volcanism that brought diamonds to the surface, but again, those are as ancient as the rocks surrounding them. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 19 June 2014

The samples of kimberlite, an igneous rock which sometimes contains diamonds, came from deep beneath Chidliak Kimberlite Province in southern Baffin Island. —Rory Sullivan, CNN, 22 Mar. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Kimberley, South Africa + -ite entry 1

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kimberlite

• acolyte
• aconite
• allanite
• alunite
• amberlite
• ammonite
• amorite
• amphitrite
• analyte
• anchorite
• andesite
• anhydrite