Figure 57. Global seismic tomography at 200 km depth showing Diamond exploration targets.
This post explains worldwide diamond distribution and suggests exploration targets based on that distribution.
This figure shows some of the major diamond mines and diamond indicator occurrences around the world plotted on 200 km depth seismic tomography.
The major EW linear fracture system at about 50° North can be seen right around the top of the image. The diamond mines follow this structure as did the Abitibi Belt in the previous section. They also follow the 345° diamond lines and WNW and NE structures through the Americas and Africa.
Seismic tomography in North and south America and Africa showing the distribution of diamond mines.
This plan shows North and South America and Africa seismic tomography from 170 to 550 km depth which should be in the Mobile mantle. However, there are strong brittle structures showing throughout.
Diamond occurrences in North and South America and Africa (the 3 images) closely correlate with the intersection of very large rings with NNW, WNW, and NNE linear structures.
Diamond mines range from 2 billion years down to 100 million years in age and yet these vastly different ages have the same orientation, brittle emplacement system.
This worldwide brittle system, up which diamonds have come, cannot operate at 550 km depth within a Mobile Mantle – Plate Tectonics mechanism. The linears and rings should be constantly transported, rotated and randomised.
The conclusion reached (from this worldwide tectonic system up which diamonds have come), is that the current continental areas have been brittle and not substantially deformed or rotated since at least 2 billion years ago. Unpalatable as this seems, is there another conclusion that can be made?
Global seismic tomography at 200 km showing exploration targeting of diamond mines.
This plan of the global seismic tomography at 200 km depth shows rings and linear structures. The diamond mines are plotted as blue/white circles.
The NNW diamond line that extends through North America is of similar orientation to the ones in South America and Africa. There is also one that extends through Russia to India. These are quite strong, continuous, linear structures at this 200 km depth.
WNW, NE and EW structures are also important in diamond tectonics.
So, this plan uses those intersecting linears as a basis for the orange ellipse diamond targeting areas. The targets are outside the mined areas.