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:
Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA

Oldest recorded age at locality: 35
Youngest recorded age at locality: 21

mindat Locality ID: 208560
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-208560.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA": 159
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 137

Number of Child Localities: 5
Child Localities:
Chocolate Mountains District
Paymaster District
Picacho District
Potholes District
Unnamed S Deposit [2]

Latitude: 33°1'53"N
Longitude: 114°46'15"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 33.031388888889,-114.77083333333
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 Au B Ba C Ca Cl Cu F Fe H K Mg Mn Na O P Pb S Sb Si U V Zn 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AcanthiteAllophaneAmorphousAragoniteAutuniteBaryteCalciteChalcopyriteClayCopper
CorundumDiasporeDumortieriteFeldsparFluoriteGypsumKaoliniteMalachiteMicaNone
Not in a structural groupOlivinePhenakitePyritePyrophylliteQuartzRamsdelliteRocksaltRutileSphalerite
SpinelSulphurTetrahedriteTurquoise

45 IMA Minerals at location:
Acanthite  (*)Ankerite  (*)Autunite  (*)Azurite  (*)Baryte  (*)
Calcite  (*)Carnotite  (*)Cerussite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Chlorargyrite  (*)
Chrysocolla  (*)Dolomite  (*)Dumortierite  (*)Fluorite  (*)Forsterite  (*)
Galena  (*)Goethite  (*)Gold  (*)Gypsum  (*)Halite  (*)
Hematite  (*)Kaolinite  (*)Kyanite  (*)Magnetite  (*)Malachite  (*)
Manganite  (*)Metatorbernite  (*)Microcline  (*)Muscovite  (*)Opal  (*)
Orthoclase  (*)Pyrite  (*)Pyrolusite  (*)Pyrophyllite  (*)Quartz  (*)
Ramsdellite  (*)Siderite  (*)Silver  (*)Sphalerite  (*)Sulphur  (*)
Tenorite  (*)Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)Torbernite  (*)Turquoise  (*)Willemite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Acanthite  (*)AcanthiteAg2S3156612,156619,1566302793
Ankerite  (*)NoneCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)22156588,1565913092
Autunite  (*)AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2·10-12H2O11565721272
Azurite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu3(CO3)2(OH)227.423.93156641,156648,1566725509
Baryte  (*)BaryteBa(SO4)115661211547
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)27.423.99156571,156572,156587,156588,156591,156609,156612,156621,15669327770
Carnotite  (*)NoneK2(UO2)2(VO4)2·3H2O2156568,1565721184
Cerussite  (*)AragonitePb(CO3)3522.92156612,1566554979
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS227.423.94156612,156648,156672,15668127198
Chlorargyrite  (*)RocksaltAgCl11566121382
Chrysocolla  (*)Allophane(Cu2-xAlx)H2-xSi2O5(OH)4·nH2O2156555,1566213531
Dolomite  (*)NoneCaMg(CO3)22156588,1565919895
Dumortierite  (*)DumortieriteAlAl6BSi3O1827.423.92156577,156698231
Fluorite  (*)FluoriteCaF211565689617
Forsterite  (*)OlivineMg2(SiO4)352111566491188
Galena  (*)RocksaltPbS3522.94156605,156612,156655,15668124243
Goethite  (*)DiasporeFeO(OH)27.423.92156571,1566937437
Gold  (*)CopperAu27.42122156553,156566,156571,156575,156577,156586,156587,156588,156591,156603,156605,156630,156652,156654,156657,156663,156666,156667,156675,156688,156693,15670330554
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O2156568,1565726890
Halite  (*)RocksaltNaCl11565821398
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O327.423.96156616,156622,156623,156657,156693,15670714640
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)411567065591
Kyanite  (*)Not in a structural groupAl2OSiO42156568,1565771507
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O427.423.93156585,156623,15669314899
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)227.423.94156555,156641,156648,15667212537
Manganite  (*)RutileMn3+O(OH)1156628770
Metatorbernite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(PO4)2·8H2O1156578443
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)27.423.911566934924
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)227.423.93156657,156672,15669317380
Opal  (*)AmorphousSiO2·nH2O11566062994
Orthoclase  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)27.423.911566722349
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS227.423.96156586,156587,156588,156591,156612,15669339462
Pyrolusite  (*)RutileMnO23156626,156628,1566363106
Pyrophyllite  (*)Clay PyrophylliteAl2Si4O10(OH)21156568771
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO227.423.916156555,156571,156572,156586,156587,156588,156591,156593,156606,156609,156612,156621,156657,156693,156694,15670561156
Ramsdellite  (*)RamsdelliteMnO2115662888
Siderite  (*)CalciteFe(CO3)11567076417
Silver  (*)CopperAg27.423.92156630,1566935186
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS115661221482
Sulphur  (*)SulphurS2156582,1567082045
Tenorite  (*)NoneCuO27.423.911566721101
Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)TetrahedriteCu6(Cu4Zn2)Sb4S1327.423.911566505317
Torbernite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(PO4)2·12H2O2156568,1565721059
Turquoise  (*)TurquoiseCuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O2156614,156617484
Willemite  (*)PhenakiteZn2SiO41156612303


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
NAVDAT-16044272124±3   16044    296644Pebble Mountain, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-16046272124±3   16046    77038Goshen Placer Mine, Pebble Mountain, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-1600824.122.923.5±0.6   16008    77093Mayflower Mine, Pebble Mountain, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-53543528.631.8±3.2  plagioclase5354    77093Mayflower Mine, Pebble Mountain, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-1601928.425.226.8±1.6   16019    77099Million Dollar Gold Mine, Pebble Mountain, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
Giersdorf_0000039027.424.225.8±1.6K-ArAge suspected to be older than the Kinter formation found in the Chocolate Mountains. UAKA-68-09    216264Picacho, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USAPicacho Peak Quad.Shafiqullah et al. (1980) AGSD12_201 
Giersdorf_0000039126.923.925.4±1.5K-Ar  UAKA-67-01    216264Picacho, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USAPicacho Peak Quad.Shafiqullah et al. (1980) AGSD12_201 
NAVDAT-1599724.122.923.5±0.6   15997    77039Gulch Placer Mine (California Picacho; Picacho Basin Placers), Picacho, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-1599924.122.923.5±0.6   15999    77039Gulch Placer Mine (California Picacho; Picacho Basin Placers), Picacho, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-16030272124±3   16030    296626Picacho Peak, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-1604122.421.221.8±0.6   16041    296626Picacho Peak, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-16048272124±3   16048    296626Picacho Peak, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-16049272124±3   16049    296626Picacho Peak, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-1600924.122.923.5±0.6   16009    76974California Picacho Mine, Picacho Peak, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 
NAVDAT-16045272124±3   16045    77144Roadside Mine (Picacho Peak Project; Christie), Picacho Peak, Picacho District, Chocolate Mts, Imperial Co., California, USA NAVDAT NAVDAT 

SampleSource LocalityReference URL

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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