Editing Kimberlite (section)

== Historical significance ==
Kimberlites are a valuable source of information about the composition of the Earth's mantle and the dynamic processes that occur within it. The study of kimberlites has contributed to our understanding of the Earth’s deep geochemical cycles and the mechanism of [[mantle plume]]s, which are upwellings of abnormally hot rock within the Earth's mantle.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Torsvik |first1=Trond H. |last2=Burke |first2=Kevin |last3=Steinberger |first3=Bernhard |last4=Webb |first4=Susan J. |last5=Ashwal |first5=Lewis D. |date=July 2010 |title=Diamonds sampled by plumes from the core–mantle boundary |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/nature09216 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=466 |issue=7304 |pages=352–355 |doi=10.1038/nature09216 |pmid=20631796 |bibcode=2010Natur.466..352T |issn=1476-4687|hdl=10852/62003 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Moreover, kimberlites are unique in their ability to transport material from the Earth's mantle to its surface. This process, known as xenolith transport, provides geologists with samples of the Earth's mantle, which are otherwise inaccessible. Analyzing these samples has led to significant advances in our knowledge of the Earth's deep interior, including its physical conditions, composition, and the evolutionary history of the planet.

The role of kimberlites in diamond exploration cannot be overstated. Diamonds are formed under the high-pressure, high-temperature conditions of the Earth's mantle. Kimberlites act as carriers for these diamonds, transporting them to the Earth's surface. The discovery of diamond-bearing kimberlites in the 1870s in Kimberley sparked a [[diamond rush]], transforming the area into one of the world’s largest diamond-producing regions. Since then, the association between kimberlites and diamonds has been crucial in the search for new diamond deposits around the globe.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Janse |first=A. J. A. (Bram) |date=2007-06-01 |title=Global Rough Diamond Production Since 1870 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5741/gems.43.2.98 |journal=Gems & Gemology |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=98–119 |doi=10.5741/gems.43.2.98 |issn=0016-626X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Dasgupta |first1=Rajdeep |last2=Hirschmann |first2=Marc M. |date=2010-09-15 |title=The deep carbon cycle and melting in Earth's interior |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X10004140 |journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters |volume=298 |issue=1 |pages=1–13 |doi=10.1016/j.epsl.2010.06.039 |bibcode=2010E&PSL.298....1D |issn=0012-821X}}</ref>

Kimberlites also serve as a window into the Earth's past, offering clues about the formation of continents and the dynamic processes that shape our planet. Their distribution and age can provide insights into ancient continental movements and the assembly and breakup of [[supercontinent]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Torsvik |first1=Trond H. |last2=Cocks |first2=L. Robin M. |date=January 2013 |title=Chapter 2 New global palaeogeographical reconstructions for the Early Palaeozoic and their generation |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/m38.2 |journal=Geological Society, London, Memoirs |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=5–24 |doi=10.1144/m38.2 |issn=0435-4052}}</ref>