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:
Balaka, Southern Region, Malawi

Oldest recorded age at locality: 164
Youngest recorded age at locality: 100

mindat Locality ID: 125830
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-125830.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Balaka, Southern Region, Malawi": 3
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 3

Number of Child Localities: 3
Child Localities:
Junguni Hill
Kangankunde Hill
Kapiri Deposit

Latitude: 15°8'49"S
Longitude: 35°2'10"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -15.146944444444,35.036111111111
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 Ce Cl F Fe H K Mg Mn Na Nb O P Pb S Sb Si Sr Ti Y Zn Zr 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AluniteAmphiboleApatiteAragoniteAstrophylliteBaryteCalciteCancrinite-sodaliteClayCorundum
EudialyteFluoriteMicaMonaziteNoneOlivinePerovskiteQuartzRutileSodalite
SphaleriteSpinelStauroliteTitaniteTridymiteWöhleriteZircon

34 IMA Minerals at location:
Ankerite  (*)Arfvedsonite  (*)Astrophyllite  (*)Baryte  (*)Boulangerite  (*)
Britholite-(Ce)  (*)Calcite  (*)Daqingshanite-(Ce)  (*)Dolomite  (*)Eudialyte  (*)
Fluorapatite  (*)Fluorite  (*)Goyazite  (*)Kupletskite  (*)Låvenite  (*)
Magnetite  (*)Monazite-(Ce)  (*)Monticellite  (*)Nepheline  (*)Perovskite  (*)
Phlogopite  (*)Pyrophanite  (*)Quartz  (*)Rosenbuschite  (*)Rutile  (*)
Siderite  (*)Sodalite  (*)Sphalerite  (*)Staurolite  (*)Strontianite  (*)
Synchysite-(Y)  (*)Titanite  (*)Wöhlerite  (*)Xenotime-(Y)  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Ankerite  (*)NoneCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2129117279940,799413092
Arfvedsonite  (*)AmphiboleNaNa2(Fe2+4Fe3+)Si8O22(OH)2164100179939295
Astrophyllite  (*)AstrophylliteK2NaFe2+7Ti2(Si4O12)2O2(OH)4F164100179939161
Baryte  (*)BaryteBa(SO4)129117279940,7994111547
Boulangerite  (*)NonePb5Sb4S11129117179940843
Britholite-(Ce)  (*)Apatite(Ce,Ca)5(SiO4)3(OH)164100179939115
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)129117279940,7994127770
Daqingshanite-(Ce)  (*)NoneSr3Ce(PO4)(CO3)31291171799409
Dolomite  (*)NoneCaMg(CO3)21291171799409895
Eudialyte  (*)EudialyteNa15Ca6Fe3Zr3Si(Si25O73)(O,OH,H2O)3(Cl,OH)2164100179939182
Fluorapatite  (*)ApatiteCa5(PO4)3F1291171799402740
Fluorite  (*)FluoriteCaF2164100279939,799409617
Goyazite  (*)AluniteSrAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6129117179940173
Kupletskite  (*)AstrophylliteK2NaMn2+7Ti2(Si4O12)2O2(OH)4F16410017993933
Låvenite  (*)Wöhlerite(Na,Ca)4(Mn2+,Fe2+)2(Zr,Ti,Nb)2(Si2O7)2(O,F)416410017993958
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O412911717994014899
Monazite-(Ce)  (*)MonaziteCe(PO4)129117179940945
Monticellite  (*)OlivineCaMg(SiO4)129117179940153
Nepheline  (*)TridymiteNa3K(Al4Si4O16)164100279939,79940884
Perovskite  (*)PerovskiteCaTiO3129117279940,79941495
Phlogopite  (*)Mica ClayKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)21291171799402273
Pyrophanite  (*)CorundumMn2+TiO3164100179939244
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO212911717994061156
Rosenbuschite  (*)NoneCa6Zr2Na6ZrTi(Si2O7)4(OF)2F416410017993942
Rutile  (*)RutileTiO21291171799405614
Siderite  (*)CalciteFe(CO3)1291171799406417
Sodalite  (*)Cancrinite-sodalite SodaliteNa4(Si3Al3)O12Cl164100179939444
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS12911717994021482
Staurolite  (*)StauroliteFe2+2Al9Si4O23(OH)129117179940978
Strontianite  (*)AragoniteSr(CO3)129117179940589
Synchysite-(Y)  (*)NoneCaY(CO3)2F17994155
Titanite  (*)TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O1641001799394899
Wöhlerite  (*)WöhleriteNa2Ca4Zr(Nb,Ti)(Si2O7)2(O,F)416410017993983
Xenotime-(Y)  (*)ZirconY(PO4)129117179940939


Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Jen_0000738MAGMATIC STYLE: Sheets, plugs and irregular intrusions. ASSOCIATED SILICATE ROCKS: Fenites; possible nephelinite much replaced by carbonate.


3 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
ree-00428164100Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous        30879Junguni Hill, Balaka, Southern Region, MalawiJunguniOrris and Grauch (2002) USGSOFR02_189 
Jen_0000738129117123±6K-Ar phlogopite   Phlogopite  26430Kangankunde Hill, Balaka, Southern Region, MalawiKangankundeWoolley and Kjarsgaard (2008)10.4095/225115GSCOF5796 
ree-00425129117Late Cretaceous- 123 ± 6 Ma (K-Ar, phlo)K-Ar phlogopite   Phlogopite  26430Kangankunde Hill, Balaka, Southern Region, MalawiKangankundeOrris and Grauch (2002) USGSOFR02_189 

SampleSource LocalityReference URL

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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