Attawapiskat kimberlite field
Encyclopedia
The Attawapiskat kimberlite field is a field of diatreme
s located astride the Attawapiskat River
in the Hudson Bay Lowlands
, in Northern Ontario
, Canada
. It is thought to have formed about 180 million years ago in the Jurassic
period when the North American Plate
moved westward over a center of upwelling magma
called the New England hotspot
, also referred to as the Great Meteor hotspot.
Since June 26, 2008, the De Beers
open pit
Victor Diamond Mine
has been in operation mining two pipes in the field at 52°49′14"N 83°53′00"W, about 90 kilometres (56 mi) west of the community of Attawapiskat
. The mine was expected to produce 600000 carats (120 kg) of diamonds a year.
Diatreme
A diatreme is a breccia-filled volcanic pipe that was formed by a gaseous explosion. Diatremes often breach the surface and produce a tuff cone, a filled relatively shallow crater known as a maar, or other volcanic pipes.- Word origin :...
s located astride the Attawapiskat River
Attawapiskat River
The Attawapiskat River is a river in Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada that flows east from Attawapiskat Lake to James Bay.-Course:The Attawapiskat River travels a distance of , and has a drainage area of ....
in the Hudson Bay Lowlands
Hudson Bay Lowlands
The Hudson Bay Lowlands is a large, poorly drained piece of wetlands wedged between the Canadian Shield and southern shores of Hudson Bay and James Bay. Many wide and slow-moving rivers flow through this area toward the salt water of Hudson Bay. Mosquitoes and black flies thrive here. This is a...
, in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is thought to have formed about 180 million years ago in the Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period when the North American Plate
North American Plate
The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Japan and Iceland. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust...
moved westward over a center of upwelling magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
called the New England hotspot
New England hotspot
The New England hotspot, also referred to as the Great Meteor hotspot, is a long-lived volcanic hotspot in the Atlantic Ocean. The hotspot's most recent eruptive center is the Great Meteor Seamount, and it probably created a short line of mid to late-Tertiary age seamounts on the African Plate but...
, also referred to as the Great Meteor hotspot.
Since June 26, 2008, the De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
open pit
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
Victor Diamond Mine
Victor Diamond Mine
The Victor Diamond Mine is the first Canadian diamond mine located in Ontario, and De Beers' second diamond mine in Canada . It is located in the James Bay lowlands west of Attawapiskat in the remote northern part of the province...
has been in operation mining two pipes in the field at 52°49′14"N 83°53′00"W, about 90 kilometres (56 mi) west of the community of Attawapiskat
Attawapiskat First Nation
Attawapiskat First Nation is an isolated First Nation located in Kenora District in northern Ontario, Canada, at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River at James Bay...
. The mine was expected to produce 600000 carats (120 kg) of diamonds a year.
See also
- Volcanism of Canada
- Volcanism of Eastern CanadaVolcanism of Eastern CanadaVolcanism of Eastern Canada has led to the formation of hundreds of volcanic areas and extensive lava formations, indicating volcanism played a major role in shaping its surface. The region's different volcano and lava types originate from different tectonic settings and types of volcanic...
- List of volcanoes in Canada