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:
Ruatapu Cave (Alum Cave), Orakeikorako Thermal Area (Orakei Korako; The Hidden Valley), Taupo District, Waikato Region, New Zealand


mindat Locality ID: 247898
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-247898.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Ruatapu Cave (Alum Cave), Orakeikorako Thermal Area (Orakei Korako; The Hidden Valley), Taupo District, Waikato Region, New Zealand": 0
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 0

Latitude: 38°28'32"S
Longitude: 176°9'3"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -38.475555555556,176.15083333333
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 Ca Cl Cu Fe H K N Na Ni O S Si Zn 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Al Ca Cl Cu Fe H K N Na Ni O S Si Zn 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AlumAluniteAmorphousAtacamiteClayCoronaditeCristobaliteGypsumHalotrichiteKaolinite
NoneNot in a structural groupQuartzRocksaltTamarugite

19 IMA Minerals at location:
Akaganeite  (*)Alunite  (*)Alunogen  (*)Cristobalite  (*)Gypsum  (*)
Halite  (*)Halotrichite  (*)Jarosite  (*)Kalinite  (*)Kaolinite  (*)
Meta-alunogen  (*)Mirabilite  (*)Natrojarosite  (*)Opal  (*)Paratacamite  (*)
Quartz  (*)Schwertmannite  (*)Tamarugite  (*)Tschermigite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Akaganeite  (*)Coronadite(Fe3+,Ni2+)8(OH,O)16Cl1.25·nH2O063
Alunite  (*)NoneKAl3(SO4)2(OH)60966
Alunogen  (*)Not in a structural groupAl2(SO4)3(H2O)12·5H2O0272
Cristobalite  (*)CristobaliteSiO20453
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O06890
Halite  (*)RocksaltNaCl01398
Halotrichite  (*)HalotrichiteFe2+Al2(SO4)4·22H2O0409
Jarosite  (*)AluniteKFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)602228
Kalinite  (*)NoneKAl(SO4)2·11H2O054
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)405591
Meta-alunogen  (*)NoneAl2(SO4)3·14H2O08
Mirabilite  (*)NoneNa2(SO4)·10H2O0223
Natrojarosite  (*)AluniteNaFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)60254
Opal  (*)AmorphousSiO2·nH2O02994
Paratacamite  (*)AtacamiteCu3(Cu,Zn)Cl2(OH)60158
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2061156
Schwertmannite  (*)CoronaditeFe3+16O16(OH)9.6(SO4)3.2·10H2O037
Tamarugite  (*)TamarugiteNaAl(SO4)2·6H2O087
Tschermigite  (*)Alum(NH4)Al(SO4)2·12H2O081


No ages have been assigned to this locality yet.
SampleSource LocalityReference URL

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

All age data...

Other copyright data...