Birch Mountains kimberlite field Birch Mountains kimberlite field The Birch Mountains kimberlite field is a cluster of kimberlitic volcanic pipes or diatremes in north-central Alberta, Canada that were emplaced during a period of kimberlitic volcanism in the Late Cretaceous epoch. As of 2011, 8 diatremes had been discovered in the field, and diamonds and microdiamononds had been recovered during sampling programs. The Birch Mountain (BM) kimberlite field was discovered in 1998 and lies about north of Edmonton and northwest of Fort McMurray. It is part of the Northern Alberta kimberlite province, along with the Buffalo Head Hills kimberlite field and the Mountain Lake cluster.
Volcanic rock Volcanic rock Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from magma erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic rock is artificial, and in nature volcanic rocks grade into hypabyssal and metamorphic rocks and constitute an important element of some sediments and sedimentary rocks. For these reasons, in geology, volcanics and shallow hypabyssal rocks are not always treated as distinct. In the context of Precambrian shield geology, the term "volcanic" is often applied to what are