Mineral Evolution Database
Created and maintained by the Mineral Evolution Project in partnership with RRUFF and mindat.
Mineral locality data provided by mindat.org



The Mineral Evolution database is currently under development.

The goal of this page is to present localities at which the mineral is found, and estimates of the oldest possible geologic age of the minerals at these localities.


Locality Name:
Marble Delta, Ugu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Oldest recorded age at locality: 261
Youngest recorded age at locality: 259

mindat Locality ID: 53793
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-53793.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Marble Delta, Ugu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa": 2
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 2

Number of Child Localities: 2
Child Localities:
N. P. C. Simuma Quarries
Umzimkulu Lime Co. Quarries

Latitude: 30°39'37"S
Longitude: 32°20'59"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -30.660277777778,32.349722222222
AThis mineral is Anthropogenic.
GThis mineral is directly dated.
BThis mineral is reported as having this age.
YThis mineral is using an age reported as an element mineralization period.
OThis mineral is using an age calculated from all data at the locality.
RThe age displayed for this mineral originates from a different, non-child locality.
PThe age displayed for this mineral is the range of ages for this mineral at all of this locality's children.
This mineral's age has not yet been recorded.

This Mineral list contains entries from this locality, including sub-localities. Minerals in bold are reported by mindat.org as occurring directly at this locality, and do not occur at any children (sublocalities) of this locality.

Elements at this locality, including sub-localities: Al B C Ca Cl Cu F Fe H K Mg Na O P S Si Ti 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Al B C Ca Cl Cu F Fe H K Mg Na O P S Si Ti 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AmorphousAmphiboleApatiteBerylCalciteChalcopyriteClayClinozoisiteCorundumDiaspore
EpidoteFeldsparGarnetHumiteMicaNickelineNoneOlivinePyritePyroxene
QuartzScapoliteSerpentineSmectite-vermiculiteSpinelTalcTitaniteTourmalineWollastonite

39 IMA Minerals at location:
Antigorite  (*)Calcite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Chondrodite  (*)Chrysotile  (*)
Clinohumite  (*)Clinozoisite  (*)Cordierite  (*)Cummingtonite  (*)Diopside  (*)
Dolomite  (*)Dravite  (*)Fluorapatite  (*)Forsterite  (*)Goethite  (*)
Graphite  (*)Grossular  (*)Hedenbergite  (*)Hematite  (*)Hercynite  (*)
Ilmenite  (*)Magnesio-hornblende  (*)Marialite  (*)Meionite  (*)Microcline  (*)
Muscovite  (*)Nontronite  (*)Opal  (*)Phlogopite  (*)Pyrite  (*)
Pyrrhotite  (*)Quartz  (*)Saponite  (*)Spinel  (*)Talc  (*)
Titanite  (*)Tremolite  (*)Wollastonite  (*)Zoisite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Antigorite  (*)Serpentine ClayMg3Si2O5(OH)42612590708
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)261259027770
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS2261259027198
Chondrodite  (*)HumiteMg5(SiO4)2F22612590285
Chrysotile  (*)Serpentine ClayMg3Si2O5(OH)42612590951
Clinohumite  (*)HumiteMg9(SiO4)4F22612590236
Clinozoisite  (*)Clinozoisite EpidoteCa2Al3[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)26125901025
Cordierite  (*)BerylMg2Al4Si5O1826125901008
Cummingtonite  (*)Amphibole   Mg2Mg5Si8O22(OH)22612590327
Diopside  (*)PyroxeneCaMgSi2O626125904135
Dolomite  (*)NoneCaMg(CO3)226125909895
Dravite  (*)TourmalineNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)2612590648
Fluorapatite  (*)ApatiteCa5(PO4)3F26125902740
Forsterite  (*)OlivineMg2(SiO4)26125901188
Goethite  (*)DiasporeFeO(OH)26125907437
Graphite  (*)NoneC26125902812
Grossular  (*)GarnetCa3Al2(SiO4)326125911062911544
Hedenbergite  (*)PyroxeneCaFe2+Si2O62612590741
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O3261259014640
Hercynite  (*)SpinelFe2+Al2O42612590407
Ilmenite  (*)CorundumFe2+Ti4+O326125905433
Magnesio-hornblende  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg4Al)(Si7Al)O22(OH)22612590238
Marialite  (*)ScapoliteNa4Al3Si9O24Cl2612590139
Meionite  (*)ScapoliteCa4Al6Si6O24(CO3)2612590176
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)26125904924
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2261259017380
Nontronite  (*)Clay Smectite-vermiculiteNa0.3Fe3+2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2·nH2O2612590471
Opal  (*)AmorphousSiO2·nH2O26125902994
Phlogopite  (*)Mica ClayKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)226125902273
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS2261259039462
Pyrrhotite  (*)NickelineFe7S826125909056
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2261259061156
Saponite  (*)Clay Smectite-vermiculite(Ca,Na)0.3(Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2·4H2O2612590301
Spinel  (*)SpinelMgAl2O426125901934
Talc  (*)Clay TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)226125903337
Titanite  (*)TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O26125904899
Tremolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg5.0-4.5Fe2+0.0-0.5)Si8O22(OH)226125902562
Wollastonite  (*)WollastoniteCaSiO326125901247
Zoisite  (*)EpidoteCa2Al3[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)26125901025


Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Giersdorf_00000802The Eshowe Formation is part of the sediments of the KwaZulu-Natal area of South Africa


1 Ages assigned to this locality:

Excel IDMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)Age as listed in referenceDating MethodAge InterpretPrioritized?Sample SourceSample NumRun NumAge from other LocalityDated MineralMinerals explicitely stated as having this ageAge applies to these ElementsMinDat Locality IDDated Locality (Max Age)Location as listed in referenceReferenceReference DOIReference IDAge Notes
Giersdorf_00000802261259260±1 Age given in support of earlier works by Gentle el al. (1978) due to its consistency in its findings   Yes  57245Eshowe, Uthungulu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaEshoweBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Age of the clays of the Eshowe group

SampleSource LocalityReference URL

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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