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:
Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain

Oldest recorded age at locality: 429.7
Youngest recorded age at locality: 358.2

mindat Locality ID: 133593
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-133593.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain": 16
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 13

Number of Child Localities: 2
Child Localities:
Almadén
Almadenejos

Latitude: 45°9'44"N
Longitude: 3°37'35"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 45.162222222222,-3.6263888888889
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 Ba C Ca Cd Cl Co Cu Fe H Hg K Mg N Na Ni O P Pb S Sb Si Ti Zn Zr 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Al Ca Fe H Mg Na O Si Ti 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AluniteAmphiboleAnalcimeApatiteAragoniteBaryteBournoniteCalciteChalcopyriteClay
ClinozoisiteCorrensiteCorundumDiasporeEpidoteFeldsparGypsumKaoliniteMalachiteMarcasite
MicaMilleriteNickelineNonePrehnitePyritePyrophyllitePyroxeneQuartzRocksalt
SphaleriteSpinelTetrahedriteTitaniteWurtziteZircon

57 IMA Minerals at location:
Actinolite  (*)Albite  (*)Analcime  (*)Ankerite  (*)Aragonite  (*)
Augite  (*)Baryte  (*)Bournonite  (*)Calcite  (*)Calomel  (*)
Cerussite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Cinnabar  (*)Dickite  (*)Diopside  (*)
Dolomite  (*)Donharrisite  (*)Eglestonite  (*)Epidote  (*)Galena  (*)
Gianellaite  (*)Goethite  (*)Gortdrumite  (*)Graphite  (*)Greenockite  (*)
Gypsum  (*)Hydroniumjarosite  (*)Ilmenite  (*)Jarosite  (*)Kaersutite  (*)
Kaolinite  (*)Magnesite  (*)Malachite  (*)Marcasite  (*)Mercury  (*)
Metacinnabar  (*)Millerite  (*)Montroydite  (*)Muscovite  (*)Natrojarosite  (*)
Prehnite  (*)Pyrite  (*)Pyromorphite  (*)Pyrophyllite  (*)Pyrrhotite  (*)
Quartz  (*)Rectorite  (*)Schuetteite  (*)Siderite  (*)Siegenite  (*)
Sphalerite  (*)Spinel  (*)Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)Titanite  (*)Uricite  (*)
Wurtzite  (*)Zircon  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Actinolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe2+0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2429.7358.203419
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)364362.411094328803
Analcime  (*)AnalcimeNa(AlSi2O6)·H2O429.7358.201627
Ankerite  (*)NoneCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2429.7358.24109427,109432,109436,1094403092
Aragonite  (*)AragoniteCa(CO3)363.1358.211094363250
Augite  (*)Pyroxene(Ca,Mg,Fe)2Si2O6429.7358.202060
Baryte  (*)BaryteBa(SO4)429.7358.24109427,109432,109433,10943611547
Bournonite  (*)BournoniteCuPbSbS311094401089
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)429.7358.24109427,109432,109433,10943627770
Calomel  (*)NoneHgCl429.7358.23109427,109433,10943691
Cerussite  (*)AragonitePb(CO3)11094404979
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS2429.7358.24109427,109433,109436,10944027198
Cinnabar  (*)NoneHgS429.7358.28109427,109430,109431,109432,109433,109435,109436,1094382600
Dickite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)4429.7358.22109427,109433651
Diopside  (*)PyroxeneCaMgSi2O6429.7358.204135
Dolomite  (*)NoneCaMg(CO3)2429.7358.24109427,109432,109433,1094369895
Donharrisite  (*)NoneNi3HgS3363.1358.211094363
Eglestonite  (*)None([Hg1+]2)3OCl3(OH)363.1358.2110943636
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)429.7358.208173
Galena  (*)RocksaltPbS429.7358.24109427,109433,109436,10944024243
Gianellaite  (*)None(Hg2N)2(SO4)(H2O)x429.7361.311094273
Goethite  (*)DiasporeFeO(OH)429.7358.22109427,1094367437
Gortdrumite  (*)NoneCu24Fe2Hg9S23363.1358.211094365
Graphite  (*)NoneC429.7358.23109427,109433,1094362812
Greenockite  (*)WurtziteCdS429.7358.22109427,109433717
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O429.7358.23109427,109433,1094366890
Hydroniumjarosite  (*)Alunite(H3O)Fe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6363.1358.2110943665
Ilmenite  (*)CorundumFe2+Ti4+O3429.7358.22109427,1094335433
Jarosite  (*)AluniteKFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6429.7358.22109433,1094362228
Kaersutite  (*)AmphiboleNaCa2(Mg3AlTi4+)(Si6Al2)O22O2429.7358.20179
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)4429.7358.23109427,109432,1094335591
Magnesite  (*)CalciteMg(CO3)364362.411094321487
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2363.1358.2110943612537
Marcasite  (*)MarcasiteFeS2429.7358.23109427,109433,1094365674
Mercury  (*)NoneHg429.7358.25109427,109432,109433,109436,109438397
Metacinnabar  (*)SphaleriteHgS429.7358.24109427,109432,109433,109436255
Millerite  (*)MilleriteNiS429.7358.23109427,109433,1094361066
Montroydite  (*)NoneHgO363.1358.2110943629
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2429.7358.25109427,109432,109433,109436,10943817380
Natrojarosite  (*)AluniteNaFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6363.1358.21109436254
Prehnite  (*)PrehniteCa2Al(Si3Al)O10(OH)2429.7358.201898
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS2429.7358.25109427,109432,109433,109436,10944039462
Pyromorphite  (*)ApatitePb5(PO4)3Cl11094401725
Pyrophyllite  (*)Clay PyrophylliteAl2Si4O10(OH)2364362.41109432771
Pyrrhotite  (*)NickelineFe7S8429.7358.22109427,1094339056
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2429.7358.25109427,109432,109433,109436,10944061156
Rectorite  (*)Corrensite Clay(Na,Ca)Al4(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4·2H2O364362.4110943249
Schuetteite  (*)NoneHg3O2(SO4)004109427,109432,109433,10943621
Siderite  (*)CalciteFe(CO3)429.7358.23109427,109432,1094366417
Siegenite  (*)SpinelCoNi2S4363.1358.21109436249
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS429.7358.25109427,109432,109433,109436,10944021482
Spinel  (*)SpinelMgAl2O4363.1358.211094361934
Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)TetrahedriteCu6(Cu4Zn2)Sb4S1311094405317
Titanite  (*)TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O429.7358.22109427,1094334899
Uricite  (*)NoneC5H4N4O3363.1358.2110943613
Wurtzite  (*)WurtziteZnS363.1358.21109436372
Zircon  (*)ZirconZr(SiO4)429.7361.311094275251


Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Hg-00028Mercury mineralization at Almaden is hosted by Paleozoic sedimentary and mafic volcanic rocks that unconformably overlie Pre-Ordovician basement rock in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula


6 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
Hg-00028429.7361.3 Ar-Ar     Calomel, Cinnabar, Mercury, Metacinnabar, SchuetteiteHg3115Almadén Mine, Almadén, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain Hall et al. (1997)10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1EPSL148_287Lower Silurian was onset of mineralization, continuing mineralization until Upper Devonian. W/ 2 main episodes of mineralization "one in early Silurian time and another ending in early Carboniferous time. This suggests, in turn, that mercury was deposited both by the alkali basalt volcanic rocks and by later Hercynian metamorphism or magmatism. The early event remains poorly constrained, although it probably took place shortly after deposition of the ore-hosting Lower Silurian Criadero quartzite"
Hg-00028-Las-Cuevas364362.4363.2 ± .8Ar-Arminimum age of illiteillitesc87/403   Hg133000Las Cuevas Mine, Almadén, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, SpainLas CuevasHall et al. (1997)10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1EPSL148_287Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation
Hg-00028-El Entredicho-01360.8360360.4 ± .4Ar-Arminimum age of illiteilliteee4   Hg130643El Entredicho Mine, Almadenejos, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, SpainEl EntredichoHall et al. (1997)10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1EPSL148_287Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation
Hg-00028-El Entredicho-02359358.2358.6 ±.4Ar-Arminimum age of illiteillitesme32/1   Hg130643El Entredicho Mine, Almadenejos, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, SpainEl EntredichoHall et al. (1997)10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1EPSL148_287Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation
Hg-00028-El Entredicho-03363.1361.5362.3 ± .8Ar-Arminimum age of illiteillitesme32/2 < I um   Hg130643El Entredicho Mine, Almadenejos, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, SpainEl EntredichoHall et al. (1997)10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1EPSL148_287Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation
Hg-00028-El Entredicho-04361.1359.5360.3 ±.8Ar-Arminimum age of illiteillitesme32/2 < 0.2 um   Hg130643El Entredicho Mine, Almadenejos, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, SpainEl EntredichoHall et al. (1997)10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1EPSL148_287Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation

SampleSource LocalityReference URL

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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