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:
Las Cuevas Mine, Almadén, 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: 133000
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-133000.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Las Cuevas Mine, Almadén, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain": 0
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 0

Latitude: 0°0'0"N
Longitude: 0°0'0"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 0,0

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 Fe H Hg K Mg Na O S Si Zn 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Al Ba C Ca Fe H Hg K Mg Na O S Si Zn 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
BaryteCalciteClayCorrensiteFeldsparKaoliniteMicaNonePyritePyrophyllite
QuartzSphalerite

18 IMA Minerals at location:
Albite  (*)Ankerite  (*)Baryte  (*)Calcite  (*)Cinnabar  (*)
Dolomite  (*)Kaolinite  (*)Magnesite  (*)Mercury  (*)Metacinnabar  (*)
Muscovite  (*)Pyrite  (*)Pyrophyllite  (*)Quartz  (*)Rectorite  (*)
Schuetteite  (*)Siderite  (*)Sphalerite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)364362.408803
Ankerite  (*)NoneCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2364362.403092
Baryte  (*)BaryteBa(SO4)364362.4011547
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)364362.4027770
Cinnabar  (*)NoneHgS364362.402600
Dolomite  (*)NoneCaMg(CO3)2364362.409895
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)4364362.405591
Magnesite  (*)CalciteMg(CO3)364362.401487
Mercury  (*)NoneHg364362.40397
Metacinnabar  (*)SphaleriteHgS364362.40255
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2364362.4017380
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS2364362.4039462
Pyrophyllite  (*)Clay PyrophylliteAl2Si4O10(OH)2364362.40771
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2364362.4061156
Rectorite  (*)Corrensite Clay(Na,Ca)Al4(Si,Al)8O20(OH)4·2H2O364362.4049
Schuetteite  (*)NoneHg3O2(SO4)00021
Siderite  (*)CalciteFe(CO3)364362.406417
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS364362.4021482



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    YesCalomel, 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 Yes 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 Yes 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 Yes 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 Yes 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


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