Volcanic pipe

Formation and Characteristics of Volcanic Pipes

• Volcanic pipes form from violent eruptions of deep-origin volcanoes.
• These volcanoes originate at least three times as deep as most other volcanoes.
• The resulting magma pushed toward the surface is high in magnesium and volatile compounds.
• As the magma rises, the volatile compounds transform to gaseous phase due to decreasing pressure.
• The sudden expansion propels the magma upward at rapid speeds, resulting in a supersonic Plinian eruption.
• Kimberlite pipes and lamproite pipes are two types of volcanic pipes.

Kimberlite Pipes

• Kimberlite pipes eject a column of overlying material directly over the magma column.
• They do not form large above-ground elevations like typical volcanoes.
• A low ring of ejecta, known as a tuff ring, forms around a bowl-shaped depression over the magma column.
• Over time, the tuff ring may erode back into the bowl, leveling out the depression.
• Kimberlite pipes are the source of most of the world's commercial diamond production.

Lamproite Pipes

• Lamproite pipes operate similarly to kimberlite pipes.
• The boiling water and volatile compounds in the magma act corrosively on the overlying rock.
• This results in a broader cone of eviscerated rock and the formation of a tuff ring.
• The broad cone is then filled with volcanic ash and materials.
• Finally, the degassed magma is pushed upward, filling the cone and creating a funnel-shaped deposit of volcanic material.

Examples of Volcanic Pipes

• Udachnaya pipe: A diamond mine in Sakha Republic, Russia.
• Elliott County Kimberlite: A geological formation.
• Lake Ellen Kimberlite: Another geological formation.
• [Additional examples can be added here]

References

• Kresten, Peter; Troll, Valentin R. (2018). The Alnö Carbonatite Complex, central Sweden. Cham: Springer. ISBN978-3-319-90224-1. OCLC1046460156.
• American Museum of Natural History. The Nature of Diamonds. Retrieved March 17, 2005. Archived version.
• Tilling (1985). Volcanoes (excerpt). United States Geological Survey: Special Interest Publication. Retrieved March 17, 2005.
• [Additional references can be added here]

Volcanic pipe Data Sources