Aeromagnetic Imagery as a Tool to Help Identify the Structures Controlling the Emplacement of the Kenieba Kimberlite Pipes (Western Mali, West African Craton)

A kimberlite field, represented by fertile and sterile kimberlite pipes (chimneys) is located in the region of Kenieba (West Mali, Kédougou-Kenieba inlier, West African Craton). Thirty pipes and kimberlite dykes have been identified in the birimian formations, composed mainly of metasediments and granitoids, covered by sedimentary formations (sandstones and conglomerates) of Neoproterozoic age. All these formations are injected with dykes and doleritic sills of Jurassic age. The study of kimberlite pipes is still stammering in Mali, and thus no previous study has allowed to characterize the structures controlling their implementation. The reinterpretation of aeromagnetic data validated by field work indicates that the major structures of the Kenieba region are oriented NNE-SSW, NE-SW, E-W and NW-SE. These structures (faults and kimberlite pipes) are often associated with dolerite dykes, which would imply an injection of dolerite magma into the other formations. The location of the known kimberlite pipes makes it possible to say that the direction NW-SE is the most favorable for the exploration of kimberlites in the region of Kenieba.

Using Magnetic Method for the Identification of Anomalies Due to Kimberlite Pipes, Luando Area, Bié, Angola

One of the measurement geophysical methods to investigate kimberlite pipes is by using the magnetic method. The acquired field data in this study uses two proton-precession magnetometers for the mapping of magnetic anomalies due to kimberlites. Three different magnetic maps are obtained from the result of total magnetic field data processing on Oásis Montaj software programme. These maps include magnetic anomaly maps through statistical analyses, total magnetic field intensity map and map of the analytic signal. Based on the interpretation of these maps a structure is identified with SWW-NEE directions in which magnetic signatures that indicate the presence of kimberlite pipes are observed. As the interpretation of the magnetic anomalies is a complicated process due to their dipolar nature, the analytic signal is generated, where is possible to observe the typical shape of these anomalies.