We use cookies to show content based on your preferences. If you continue to browse you accept their use and installation. More information. >

FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board
The place to share your mineralogical experiences


Spanish message board






Newest topics and users posts
31 Oct-12:39:30 Re: collection of michael shaw (Michael Shaw)
31 Oct-05:34:05 Re: munich show (mineralientage) 2024 (James Catmur)
30 Oct-14:07:27 Re: introduction with some pictures (Philippe Durand)
30 Oct-11:47:09 Re: contribution dr. Menor-salván - bertrandite from portuguese pegmatites - (51) (Fmf Forum)
30 Oct-11:46:20 Contribution dr. Menor-salván - bertrandite from portuguese pegmatites - (51) (Fmf Forum)
30 Oct-09:41:36 Re: munich show (mineralientage) 2024 (James Catmur)
30 Oct-09:36:03 Re: introduction with some pictures (James Catmur)
30 Oct-08:50:48 Re: introduction with some pictures (Michael Shaw)
30 Oct-05:58:51 Introduction with some pictures (Pegmatiteappreciator)
29 Oct-23:45:34 My 44th visit to the mineralientage in munich since 1977 (Roger Warin)
29 Oct-09:20:39 Collection of carles millan: fluorite from erongo (Carles Millan)
29 Oct-03:57:49 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Vdhinesh79)
29 Oct-00:04:37 Re: collection of volkmar stingl (Volkmar Stingl)
28 Oct-12:12:31 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Vdhinesh79)
28 Oct-12:10:40 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Jordi Fabre)
28 Oct-12:07:43 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Matt_zukowski)
28 Oct-11:55:16 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Lluis)
28 Oct-10:22:03 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Vdhinesh79)
28 Oct-06:27:20 Re: is this a gold ore??? (James Catmur)
28 Oct-06:01:21 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Vdhinesh79)
28 Oct-04:28:43 Re: the mim museum in beirut, lebanon (Mim Museum)
28 Oct-03:29:52 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Vdhinesh79)
28 Oct-02:35:31 Re: is this a gold ore??? (Alfredo)
27 Oct-17:09:16 What might this be? (Todd Willis)
27 Oct-16:38:02 Re: sphalerite from kulmberg austria (Jordi Fabre)

For lists of newest topics and postings click here


RSS RSS

View unanswered posts

Why and how to register

Index Index
 FAQFAQ RegisterRegister  Log inLog in
 {Forgotten your password?}Forgotten your password?  

Like
115978


The time now is Oct 31, 2024 18:50

Search for a textSearch for a text   

A general guide for using the Forum with some rules and tips
The information provided within this Forum about localities is only given to allow reference to them. Any visit to any of the localities requires you to obtain full permission and relevant information prior to your visit. FMF is strictly against any illicit activities related to collecting minerals.
Big Diamonds deep in earth's interior?
  
  Index -> Minerals and Mineralogy
Like


View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message

Jbcourt




Joined: 12 Aug 2010
Posts: 8
Location: Puyallup, WA

View user's profile

Send private message

PostPosted: Oct 18, 2010 13:44    Post subject: Big Diamonds deep in earth's interior?  

Could there be very large Diamonds inside earth? When I say big I mean 100,000 Carats or more. Is it posible that diamonds we find near the surface today are merely just pieces from larger diamonds that were shattered to bits during faulting or volcanic events?
_________________
JBCourt
Back to top
Reply to topic Reply with quote
Like
   

Pete Richards
Site Admin



Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 833
Location: Northeast Ohio


Access to the FMF Gallery title=

View user's profile

Send private message

PostPosted: Oct 18, 2010 16:15    Post subject: Re: Big Diamonds deep in earth's interior?  

Jbcourt wrote:
...Is it posible that diamonds we find near the surface today are merely just pieces from larger diamonds that were shattered to bits during faulting or volcanic events?


I think I am correct in saying that at the depths that diamonds form, faulting does not occur because the rock is plastic, like thick honey. Many of the diamonds that we find are complete crystals with well-defined octahedral (usually) morphology. If they were fragments of larger shattered diamonds, presumably they would not have such nice regular morphology.

If they shattered on the way to the surface in the very rapid ascent that seems to be typical of diamond pipes, I think the rock would be viscous enough that the pieces would not move very far from each other. Thus, for diamonds found in place, we should expect big hunks of diamond broken into pieces, maybe with a bit of rock separating them. This is not what we find.

I am not an expert on diamonds, and some of my thinking may be erroneous. I welcome corrections!

_________________
Collecting and studying crystals with interesting habits, twinning, and epitaxy
Back to top
Reply to topic Reply with quote
Like
   

Jason




Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Posts: 254
Location: atlanta


Access to the FMF Gallery title=

View user's profile

Send private message

PostPosted: Oct 18, 2010 21:28    Post subject: Re: Big Diamonds deep in earth's interior?  

I believe there are much larger diamonds in the interior. Nothing stops the formation of how big a diamond can get down in the vicious interior except for amount of carbon present(if conditions like temp. and kilobars is correct). What would, would be it's rapid ascent from from 80 miles down. Studies say kimberlite material travels at an upwards rate faster than the speed of sound..thats 768 miles an hour! take any diamond and throw it at another rock or concrete at 700 miles an hour and you will get a busted diamond. Lots of little pieces. Small diamonds have less mass so are less susceptible to busting which is why you find many nicely formed crystals. Stand 10 feet from a concrete wall and throw a 1ct diamond at it as hard as you can and chances are it will bounce off with maybe a chip. Throw a 1000ct diamond at it and chances are it will bust up into a few pieces. Thats why all the largest diamonds found are not nice octahedrals but more like chunks. We all know the story of the Cullnian:

"The stone possessed a surprisingly smooth cleavage face on one side, leading many experts to believe that the huge stone was only a piece of a larger diamond that was broken up in the process"

Diamond or not..travel 700 miles and hour for over 80+ miles through all kinds of hellish conditions and you will get all busted up, especially if you have a good deal of mass. I believe diamonds get as big as basketballs in the earth's interior..give or take.
Back to top
Reply to topic Reply with quote
Like
   

Pete Modreski
Site Admin



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 709
Location: Denver, Colorado


Access to the FMF Gallery title=

View user's profile

Send private message

PostPosted: Oct 19, 2010 11:03    Post subject: Re: Big Diamonds deep in earth's interior?  

That's certainly an intriguing question, about how large the diamonds may be.

I have personally seen, in the Larimer County, Colorado kimberlite pipes, xenocrysts of chrome diopside about 9 cm across, and enstatite at least 5 x 10 cm; and a pyrope crystal up to 12 cm and weighing over 2 pounds was reported there. I'm sure that even larger examples of all these minerals have been found worldwide. Of course, these rock-forming minerals associated with diamond are much more abundant in the mantle than the diamonds themselves are, so they may have more opportunity to form large crystals.

It seems like there is some, but not a great deal, evidence for diamonds being broken during emplacement. I personally tend to think that the "supersonic rate of ascent" of kimberlites is something that is a bit overstated. That may be true for the final few km or tens of km once a gas-rich kimberlite has vented to the surface, but some kimberlites are intrusive and have never reached the surface.

But of course, any who have seen the 2003 movie The Core know that there are big diamonds down in the mantle, because it showed their manned* probe boring through the mantle, making evasive maneuvers to dodge the giant diamond crystals their imaging system showed in its path! [I should rather say "crewed" instead of "manned", since Hilary Swank was the captain.]

Cheers, Pete
Back to top
Reply to topic Reply with quote
Like
   

Les Presmyk




Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 372
Location: Gilbert, AZ

View user's profile

Send private message

PostPosted: Oct 19, 2010 11:31    Post subject: Re: Big Diamonds deep in earth's interior?  

This is an interesting thread if you want to discuss philosophy, faith and conjecture. While I do not wish to dissuade Jason's search for information, everything he writes starts with these two words "I believe". It appears he is looking for someone to say "I agree" and lend credence to his belief.
Back to top
Reply to topic Reply with quote
Like
   

Jason




Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Posts: 254
Location: atlanta


Access to the FMF Gallery title=

View user's profile

Send private message

PostPosted: Oct 20, 2010 14:48    Post subject: Re: Big Diamonds deep in earth's interior?  

Not really sure what to make of your post Les????
The phrase "I believe" means from all the available evidence it has come to my conclusion that there are. No way of testing it myself or going down 80 miles into the earths interior. Plus this quote I pulled about the Cullnian diamond says "many experts believe"
Don't know who the experts are but they "believe" also. :)
""The stone possessed a surprisingly smooth cleavage face on one side, leading many experts to believe that the huge stone was only a piece of a larger diamond that was broken up in the process"
Back to top
Reply to topic Reply with quote
Like
   

Jbcourt




Joined: 12 Aug 2010
Posts: 8
Location: Puyallup, WA

View user's profile

Send private message

PostPosted: Oct 21, 2010 13:24    Post subject: Re: Big Diamonds deep in earth's interior?  

Thank you Pete for helping me think this through more. I should of relized that faulting may not be posible at those depths.
_________________
JBCourt
Back to top
Reply to topic Reply with quote
Like
   
Display posts from previous:   
   Index -> Minerals and Mineralogy   All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1
    

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


All pictures, text, design © Forum FMF 2006-2024


Powered by FMF