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Diamonds from the Popigai impact structure, Russia

¹ Institute of Geochemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
² Karpinsky Geological Research Institute, Sredny prospekt 74, 199026 St. Petersburg, Russia
³ Planetary Sciences Research Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, United Kingdom
⁴ Institut für Mineralogie, Museum für Naturkunde, Invalidenstrasse 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany

Diamonds were found in impact melt rocks and breccias at the Popigai impact structure in Siberia. The diamonds preserve the crystallographic habit and twinning of graphites in the preimpact target rocks, from which they formed by shock transformation. Secondary and transmission electron microscopy indicate that the samples are polycrystalline and contain abundant very thin lamellae, which could represent stacking faults, with local hexagonal symmetry, or microtwins. Microcrystalline units are 1 µm. Infrared spectroscopy indicates the presence of solid CO₂ and water in microinclusions in the diamonds, CO₂ being under a pressure greater than 5 GPa (at room temperature). Trace element and isotopic compositions confirm the derivation from graphite precursors.

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