Kimberlites, lamproites, carbonatites and associated alkaline rocks: a tribute to the work of Rex T. Prider

This special issue is a tribute to the work of the late Rex T. Prider, who undertook pioneering work on the West Kimberley leucite lamproites and predicted a link to diamonds. The special issue incorporates both authoritative research and significant new contributions to the understanding of the mineralogy and petrology of carbonatites, kimberlites, lamproites and related alkaline rocks. Apart from their scientific interest, these rocks are of major and growing economic importance. They are significant repositories of certain metals and other mineral commodities, indeed the only source of some of them, including diamonds, niobium, the rare-earth elements, copper, phosphate, vermiculite, and raw materials for the manufacture of ceramics. Mining exploration efforts result in the discovery of new localities that add to our understanding of these rocks and their mantle source regions. Not only do such rocks provide a unique sample of the upper