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:
Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New Zealand

Oldest recorded age at locality: 195
Youngest recorded age at locality: 68

mindat Locality ID: 15482
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-15482.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New Zealand": 51
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 51

Number of Child Localities: 51
Child Localities:
A1 Mine
Alborn Mine
Alexander Mine
Bateman Creek Tungsten Prospect
Big River Mine
Blackwater Mine
Bolitho Mine
Burkes Creek Mine
Caledonian Mine
Cement Town
Chandler Mine
Cumberland Mine (Exchange)
Dauntless Mine
Echo Mine (Garvey Creek; Garvey's Creek)
Empress Mine
Energetic Mine
Fiery Cross Mine
General Gordon Mine
Giles Creek Mine
Golden Fleece Mine (Ajax)
Golden Lead Mine
Golden Point Mine
Golden Treasure Mine (Band Of Hope; Murray Creek)
Inglewood Mine (Victoria; Phoenix; North Star)
Inkerman Mine (Inkerman West; Inkerman South)
Island Block Mine
Italian Creek Mine (Italian Gully)
Just In Time Mine
Keep It Dark Mine
Kirwan's Hill Tungsten Prospect
Kirwan's Reward Mine
Lone Star Mine
McConnochie Creek
Morning Star Mine
Northumberland Mine
OK Mine
Pyramid Mine
Reddale Mine
Reefton Mine (Globe-Progress Mine)
Scotia Mine (Galliant; Happy Valley; Willis)
Sir Francis Drake Mine
Slab Hut Creek Fossicking Area
Snowy River (Snowy River Dredge)
Souvenir Mine
St George Mine
Supreme Mine (Big Blow; Golden Gully Workings)
Terrace Mine
Venus Mine (Venus Lode)
Victoria Range
Wealth Of Nations Mine
Welcome Mine

Latitude: 42°8'47"S
Longitude: 171°54'29"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -42.146388888889,171.90805555556

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: Ag Al As Au Bi C Ca Cu F Fe H K Mg Mo Na O P Pb S Sb Si Sn Ti W Zn Zr 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: C Ca F O P Si Ti 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AcanthiteApatiteArsenicArsenoliteArsenopyriteBerylCalciteChalcopyriteChloriteChloritoid
ClayClinozoisiteCopperCorundumCovelliteEpidoteFeldsparFluoriteGarnetKaolinite
LöllingiteMarcasiteMicaMolybdeniteNickelineNonePyriteQuartzRocksaltRutile
ScheeliteSphaleriteStibniteTitaniteTopazTungstiteVivianiteZircon

50 IMA Minerals at location:
Acanthite  (*)Albite  (*)Andradite  (*)Ankerite  (*)Arsenolite  (*)
Arsenopyrite  (*)Bismuth  (*)Bornite  (*)Calcite  (*)Cassiterite  (*)
Chalcocite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Chloritoid  (*)Claudetite  (*)Clinochlore  (*)
Clinozoisite  (*)Cordierite  (*)Covellite  (*)Dolomite  (*)Epidote  (*)
Fluorapatite  (*)Fluorite  (*)Galena  (*)Gold  (*)Graphite  (*)
Hematite  (*)Kaolinite  (*)Löllingite  (*)Magnesite  (*)Marcasite  (*)
Microcline  (*)Molybdenite  (*)Muscovite  (*)Orthoclase  (*)Phlogopite  (*)
Pyrite  (*)Pyrrhotite  (*)Quartz  (*)Rutile  (*)Scheelite  (*)
Scorodite  (*)Siderite  (*)Sphalerite  (*)Stibnite  (*)Titanite  (*)
Topaz  (*)Tripuhyite  (*)Tungstite  (*)Vivianite  (*)Zircon  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Acanthite  (*)AcanthiteAg2S1886002793
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)288571,886008803
Andradite  (*)GarnetCa3Fe3+2(SiO4)31886161534
Ankerite  (*)NoneCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2388573,88584,886063092
Arsenolite  (*)ArsenoliteAs2O3288573,88606231
Arsenopyrite  (*)ArsenopyriteFeAsS788570,88573,88584,88597,88598,88606,886119052
Bismuth  (*)ArsenicBi288571,886001966
Bornite  (*)NoneCu5FeS4388571,88597,886005516
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)388573,88584,8859727770
Cassiterite  (*)RutileSnO2388571,88597,886005171
Chalcocite  (*)NoneCu2S288573,886005707
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS2788571,88572,88573,88597,88600,88606,8861327198
Chloritoid  (*)ChloritoidFe2+Al2O(SiO4)(OH)2188610376
Claudetite  (*)NoneAs2O318860635
Clinochlore  (*)Chlorite ClayMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)81885841756
Clinozoisite  (*)Clinozoisite EpidoteCa2Al3[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)1885971025
Cordierite  (*)BerylMg2Al4Si5O181886001008
Covellite  (*)CovelliteCuS388571,88597,886004165
Dolomite  (*)NoneCaMg(CO3)2288573,886069895
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)1885718173
Fluorapatite  (*)ApatiteCa5(PO4)3F111.899.302740
Fluorite  (*)FluoriteCaF2288571,885979617
Galena  (*)RocksaltPbS488573,88576,88591,8860624243
Gold  (*)CopperAu3388568,88570,88571,88572,88573,88576,88577,88579,88582,88583,88584,88585,88587,88588,88589,88590,88591,88592,88594,88595,88596,88597,88598,88606,88607,88608,88609,88611,88612,88613,88615,88617,8861830554
Graphite  (*)NoneC111.899.302812
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O3288571,8859714640
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)41886005591
Löllingite  (*)LöllingiteFeAs2188597762
Magnesite  (*)CalciteMg(CO3)288573,886061487
Marcasite  (*)MarcasiteFeS2388571,88573,886005674
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)288571,886004924
Molybdenite  (*)MolybdeniteMoS2788571,88572,88573,88597,88600,88606,886135800
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2100.598.9488571,88573,88597,8860017380
Orthoclase  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)98811885972349
Phlogopite  (*)Mica ClayKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)21885972273
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS21088570,88571,88573,88583,88584,88596,88597,88598,88600,8860639462
Pyrrhotite  (*)NickelineFe7S8288573,885979056
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO21788570,88571,88572,88573,88576,88583,88584,88590,88591,88596,88597,88598,88600,88606,88611,88613,8861861156
Rutile  (*)RutileTiO21885735614
Scheelite  (*)ScheeliteCa(WO4)288571,885974894
Scorodite  (*)NoneFe3+(AsO4)·2H2O288573,886061153
Siderite  (*)CalciteFe(CO3)388573,88583,886066417
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS488573,88597,88600,8860621482
Stibnite  (*)StibniteSb2S3788573,88584,88590,88596,88606,88613,886183418
Titanite  (*)TitaniteCaTi(SiO4)O111.899.304899
Topaz  (*)TopazAl2SiO4F2288571,886001476
Tripuhyite  (*)RutileFe3+Sb5+O418858466
Tungstite  (*)TungstiteWO3·H2O188597118
Vivianite  (*)VivianiteFe2+3(PO4)2·8H2O188573636
Zircon  (*)ZirconZr(SiO4)1885715251



15 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_00000759100.598.999.7±0.8K-Ar highmuscoviteBKG-2  MuscoviteMuscovite 15482Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Integrated K-Ar age is best estimate for closure of th argon system in this mineral
Giersdorf_00000760997799-77K-Ar lowbiotiteBKG-2    15482Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Age acquired from initial gas readings and is disregarded as it is inconsistent with the remaining findings
Giersdorf_00000761100100100K-Ar biotiteBKG-2    15482Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Age acquired from the remaining gas readings and are viewed as more accurate
Giersdorf_0000076299.799.199.4±0.3K-Ar biotiteBKG-2    15482Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Total Gas Age
Giersdorf_00000763101.199.3100.2±0.9K-Ar highbiotiteBKG-2    15482Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Integrated Gas Age
Giersdorf_0000076419568195-68K-Ar loworthoclaseBKG-2  OrthoclaseOrthoclase 15482Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Age acquired from when only 2% gas was released and is disregarded due to being highly inconsistent with remaining findings
Giersdorf_00000765969496-94K-Ar orthoclaseBKG-2  OrthoclaseOrthoclase 15482Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Summary of remaining gas ages given, before analysis
Giersdorf_00000766989898K-Ar orthoclaseBKG-2  OrthoclaseOrthoclase 15482Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Age acquired from the final reading of the sample in question
Giersdorf_00000745127.1122.9125±2.1K-ArThe age of ~110 Ma records amphibolite facies metamorphism and the beginning of recorded thermal history. This was followed by a period of rapid cooling until ~90 Ma when cooling rates decreased sharply, suggesting an initial period of unroofing followed hornblendePSG-11    296719Giles Creek Mine, Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Integrated K-Ar age
Giersdorf_00000746107.6104.6106.1±1.5K-ArThe age of ~110 Ma records amphibolite facies metamorphism and the beginning of recorded thermal history. This was followed by a period of rapid cooling until ~90 Ma when cooling rates decreased sharply, suggesting an initial period of unroofing followed hornblendePSG-11    296719Giles Creek Mine, Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Isochron K-Ar age
Giersdorf_0000074798.597.998.2±0.3K-ArThe age of ~110 Ma records amphibolite facies metamorphism and the beginning of recorded thermal history. This was followed by a period of rapid cooling until ~90 Ma when cooling rates decreased sharply, suggesting an initial period of unroofing followed muscovitePSG-14  MuscoviteMuscovite 296719Giles Creek Mine, Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Integrated K-Ar age
Giersdorf_0000074898.297.297.7±0.5K-ArThe age of ~110 Ma records amphibolite facies metamorphism and the beginning of recorded thermal history. This was followed by a period of rapid cooling until ~90 Ma when cooling rates decreased sharply, suggesting an initial period of unroofing followed muscovitePSG-14  MuscoviteMuscovite 296719Giles Creek Mine, Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Isochron K-Ar age
Giersdorf_00000749908190-81K-ArThe age spectrum provided by the K-feldspar in the sample is indicative of a rapid coolingorthoclasePSG-14  OrthoclaseOrthoclase 296719Giles Creek Mine, Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Age spectrum for K-feldspar
Giersdorf_0000075715095150-95K-Ar lowhornblendeSGD-4    296719Giles Creek Mine, Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Age is extracted from the first 15% of the gas released and inconsistent with the result that the remaining 85% of the gas produced.
Giersdorf_00000758111.8109.6110.7±1.1K-Ar highhornblendeSGD-4    296719Giles Creek Mine, Reefton, Buller District, West Coast Region, New ZealandReefton DistrictSpell et al. (2000)10.1029/1999TC900046T19_433Isochron K-Ar age age is best estimate for closure of th argon system in this mineral


SampleSource LocalityReference URL


All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

All age data...

Other copyright data...