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:
Ethiopia

Oldest recorded age at locality: 536.4
Youngest recorded age at locality: 523.6

mindat Locality ID: 21874
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-21874.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Ethiopia": 86
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 53

Number of Child Localities: 11
Child Localities:
Addis Ababa
Afar Region
Amhara Region
Benshangul-Gumaz Region
Dire Dawa
Gambela Region (Gambella Region)
Harari Region
Oromia Region (Oromiya Region)
Somali Region
Southern Nations Nationalities And Peoples' Region
Tigray Region

Latitude: 9°20'28"N
Longitude: 39°27'2"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 9.3411111111111,39.450555555556
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 B Ba Be Bi C Ca Ce Cl Co Cr Cs Cu F Fe H Ir K Li Mg Mn Mo Na Nb Ni O Os P Pb Pd Pt Rh Ru S Sb Se Si Sn Ta Te Th Ti U Y Zn Zr 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AmorphousAmphiboleAnalcimeApatiteArseniosideriteArsenopyriteAuricuprideBerylBismutiteBournonite
BowieiteBruciteCalciteCarnalliteChalcopyriteChloriteClayClinozoisiteCobaltiteColumbite
CopperCoronaditeCorundumCubaniteDiasporeEpidoteFeldsparFluoriteGarnetGypsum
HarmotomeKaoliniteKingstoniteMicaMilariteMilleriteMolybdeniteNatroliteNickelineNone
Not in a structural groupOlivinePentlanditePerovskitePhenakitePotaritePyritePyroxeneQuartzRocksalt
RutileSerpentineSmectite-vermiculiteSphaleriteSpinelStauroliteStibniteStilbiteTalcTetradymite
TetrahedriteTopazTourmalineTurquoiseUllmanniteVivianiteWurtziteZircon

137 IMA Minerals at location:
Actinolite  (*)Aegirine  (*)Albite  (*)Almandine  (*)Amblygonite  (*)
Anatase  (*)Andradite  (*)Anhydrite  (*)Annabergite  (*)Anthophyllite  (*)
Antigorite  (*)Argentopentlandite  (*)Arsenopyrite  (*)Augite  (*)Awaruite  (*)
Beryl  (*)Bismuthinite  (*)Bismutite  (*)Bornite  (*)Bournonite  (*)
Bowieite  (*)Brucite  (*)Calcite  (*)Carnallite  (*)Cassiterite  (*)
Chalcopyrite  (*)Chromite  (*)Chrysotile  (*)Clinochlore  (*)Cobaltite  (*)
Columbite-(Fe)  (*)Columbite-(Mn)  (*)Cordierite  (*)Cubanite  (*)Cuprorhodsite  (*)
Diopside  (*)Dravite  (*)Elbaite  (*)Epidote  (*)Erlichmanite  (*)
Euxenite-(Y)  (*)Fayalite  (*)Ferronickelplatinum  (*)Fluorite  (*)Forsterite  (*)
Gahnite  (*)Galena  (*)Genkinite  (*)Goethite  (*)Gold  (*)
Graphite  (*)Gypsum  (*)Halite  (*)Hedenbergite  (*)Hematite  (*)
Hercynite  (*)Hessite  (*)Hollandite  (*)Hollingworthite  (*)Holmquistite  (*)
Hydroxylapatite  (*)Ilmenite  (*)Irarsite  (*)Iridium  (*)Isoferroplatinum  (*)
Ixiolite  (*)Kainite  (*)Kaolinite  (*)Kingstonite  (*)Kogarkoite  (*)
Kyanite  (*)Laitakarite  (*)Laurite  (*)Lead  (*)Lithiophilite  (*)
Lizardite  (*)Magnesio-hornblende  (*)Magnesiochromite  (*)Magnesite  (*)Magnetite  (*)
Microcline  (*)Milarite  (*)Millerite  (*)Mitridatite  (*)Molybdenite  (*)
Muscovite  (*)Natron  (*)Nickeline  (*)Opal  (*)Osmium  (*)
Gersdorffite-Pa3  (*)Pentlandite  (*)Petzite  (*)Phenakite  (*)Phillipsite-Ca  (*)
Phlogopite  (*)Platinum  (*)Pollucite  (*)Polydymite  (*)Pyrite  (*)
Pyrolusite  (*)Pyrrhotite  (*)Quartz  (*)Robertsite  (*)Romanèchite  (*)
Rutheniridosmine  (*)Ruthenium  (*)Rutile  (*)Sanidine  (*)Schorl  (*)
Scolecite  (*)Sillimanite  (*)Silver  (*)Sperrylite  (*)Spessartine  (*)
Sphalerite  (*)Spodumene  (*)Staurolite  (*)Stibiopalladinite  (*)Stilbite-Ca  (*)
Stumpflite  (*)Stützite  (*)Swinefordite  (*)Sylvite  (*)Talc  (*)
Tantalite-(Mn)  (*)Tetraferroplatinum  (*)Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)Topaz  (*)Tremolite  (*)
Trona  (*)Tulameenite  (*)Turquoise  (*)Uvarovite  (*)Violarite  (*)
Wodginite  (*)Zircon  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Actinolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg4.5-2.5Fe2+0.5-2.5)Si8O22(OH)2534.4523.6449505,49507,49520,495273419
Aegirine  (*)PyroxeneNaFe3+Si2O6249525,495301022
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)536.4523.6549518,49520,49539,49547,495488803
Almandine  (*)GarnetFe2+3Al2(SiO4)3534.4523.6249493,495202353
Amblygonite  (*)NoneLiAl(PO4)F534.4523.6149520244
Anatase  (*)Not in a structural groupTiO21495232162
Andradite  (*)GarnetCa3Fe3+2(SiO4)31495301534
Anhydrite  (*)Not in a structural groupCa(SO4)1494691588
Annabergite  (*)VivianiteNi3(AsO4)2·8H2O149493445
Anthophyllite  (*)Amphibole   Mg2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2149508718
Antigorite  (*)Serpentine ClayMg3Si2O5(OH)4149508708
Argentopentlandite  (*)PentlanditeAg(Fe,Ni)8S814952767
Arsenopyrite  (*)ArsenopyriteFeAsS534.4523.6349520,49527,495399052
Augite  (*)Pyroxene(Ca,Mg,Fe)2Si2O61495102060
Awaruite  (*)Auricupride PerovskiteNi3Fe149516166
Beryl  (*)BerylBe3Al2Si6O18534.4523.6449519,49520,49521,495354286
Bismuthinite  (*)StibniteBi2S31494931935
Bismutite  (*)BismutiteBi2O2(CO3)149493716
Bornite  (*)NoneCu5FeS4349508,49510,495395516
Bournonite  (*)BournoniteCuPbSbS31495271089
Bowieite  (*)BowieiteRh2S314950933
Brucite  (*)BruciteMg(OH)2149493462
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)449507,49527,49537,4955027770
Carnallite  (*)CarnalliteKMgCl3·6H2O249469,49473132
Cassiterite  (*)RutileSnO2534.4523.6249493,495205171
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS2849493,49507,49508,49510,49515,49516,49527,4953927198
Chromite  (*)SpinelFe2+Cr2O4549493,49508,49510,49513,495163902
Chrysotile  (*)Serpentine ClayMg3Si2O5(OH)4149508951
Clinochlore  (*)Chlorite ClayMg5Al(AlSi3O10)(OH)81494931756
Cobaltite  (*)CobaltiteCoAsS149493966
Columbite-(Fe)  (*)ColumbiteFe2+Nb2O6534.4523.6249520,49547518
Columbite-(Mn)  (*)ColumbiteMn2+Nb2O6534.4523.6149520289
Cordierite  (*)BerylMg2Al4Si5O18534.4523.61495201008
Cubanite  (*)Cubanite WurtziteCuFe2S3249508,49510802
Cuprorhodsite  (*)Spinel(Cu1+0.5Fe3+0.5)Rh3+2S414950934
Diopside  (*)PyroxeneCaMgSi2O6249508,495104135
Dravite  (*)TourmalineNaMg3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)149493648
Elbaite  (*)TourmalineNa(Al1.5Li1.5)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)534.4523.6149520520
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)249527,495398173
Erlichmanite  (*)PyriteOsS2249508,49510110
Euxenite-(Y)  (*)ColumbiteY(NbTi)O6149493414
Fayalite  (*)OlivineFe2+2(SiO4)149530371
Ferronickelplatinum  (*)PotaritePt2FeNi14950913
Fluorite  (*)FluoriteCaF2249547,495489617
Forsterite  (*)OlivineMg2(SiO4)349508,49510,495281188
Gahnite  (*)SpinelZnAl2O4149493445
Galena  (*)RocksaltPbS349508,49527,4953924243
Genkinite  (*)NonePt4Sb3249508,4951012
Goethite  (*)DiasporeFeO(OH)1495087437
Gold  (*)CopperAu1249493,49496,49500,49501,49502,49508,49509,49510,49513,49515,49527,4953930554
Graphite  (*)NoneC249487,495272812
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O349469,49546,495506890
Halite  (*)RocksaltNaCl449469,49524,49546,495501398
Hedenbergite  (*)PyroxeneCaFe2+Si2O6149530741
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O3449493,49508,49516,4953014640
Hercynite  (*)SpinelFe2+Al2O4149493407
Hessite  (*)NoneAg2Te149527804
Hollandite  (*)CoronaditeBa(Mn4+6Mn3+2)O16249470,49487243
Hollingworthite  (*)UllmanniteRhAsS349508,49509,49510119
Holmquistite  (*)Amphibole   Li2(Mg3Al2)Si8O22(OH)2534.4523.614952042
Hydroxylapatite  (*)ApatiteCa5(PO4)3OH149550367
Ilmenite  (*)CorundumFe2+Ti4+O3534.4523.6649493,49507,49508,49516,49520,495305433
Irarsite  (*)PyriteIrAsS349493,49508,49510154
Iridium  (*)CopperIr149493162
Isoferroplatinum  (*)Auricupride PerovskitePt3Fe349508,49509,49510128
Ixiolite  (*)Columbite(Ta2/3Mn2+1/3)O2534.4523.6149520148
Kainite  (*)NoneKMg(SO4)Cl·2.75H2O14946950
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)4534.4523.6249504,495205591
Kingstonite  (*)KingstoniteRh3S41495094
Kogarkoite  (*)NoneNa3(SO4)F14951214
Kyanite  (*)Not in a structural groupAl2OSiO4449493,49500,49504,495271507
Laitakarite  (*)TetradymiteBi4(Se,S)314952730
Laurite  (*)PyriteRuS2449493,49508,49509,49510226
Lead  (*)CopperPb149493192
Lithiophilite  (*)OlivineLiMn2+(PO4)534.4523.6149520155
Lizardite  (*)Serpentine ClayMg3Si2O5(OH)4149508359
Magnesio-hornblende  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg4Al)(Si7Al)O22(OH)2149508238
Magnesiochromite  (*)SpinelMgCr2O4249493,49505311
Magnesite  (*)CalciteMg(CO3)249493,495081487
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O4534.4523.6949493,49507,49508,49509,49510,49515,49516,49520,4952314899
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)534.4523.6349520,49547,495484924
Milarite  (*)MilariteKCa2(Be2AlSi12)O30·H2O149547156
Millerite  (*)MilleriteNiS1494931066
Mitridatite  (*)ArseniosideriteCa2Fe3+3O2(PO4)3·3H2O149550129
Molybdenite  (*)MolybdeniteMoS21495275800
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2534.4523.6749493,49507,49514,49515,49520,49527,4953917380
Natron  (*)NoneNa2(CO3)·10H2O14952451
Nickeline  (*)NickelineNiAs149527633
Opal  (*)AmorphousSiO2·nH2O949474,49478,49479,49485,49487,49488,49512,49524,495432994
Osmium  (*)NoneOs449493,49508,49509,49510169
Gersdorffite-Pa3  (*)PyriteNiAsS149527767
Pentlandite  (*)Pentlandite(Ni,Fe)9S8449508,49510,49516,495271512
Petzite  (*)NoneAg3AuTe2149527409
Phenakite  (*)PhenakiteBe2(SiO4)249547,49548326
Phillipsite-Ca  (*)HarmotomeCa3(Si10Al6)O32·12H2O14949375
Phlogopite  (*)Mica ClayKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2534.4523.61495202273
Platinum  (*)CopperPt249472,49508485
Pollucite  (*)AnalcimeCs(Si2Al)O6·nH2O534.4523.6149520140
Polydymite  (*)SpinelNi2+Ni3+2S4149493131
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS2534.4523.6749487,49493,49507,49515,49520,49527,4953939462
Pyrolusite  (*)RutileMnO21494703106
Pyrrhotite  (*)NickelineFe7S8249515,495279056
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2534.4523.61649487,49493,49501,49504,49507,49508,49513,49514,49515,49520,49527,49532,49539,49547,49548,4955061156
Robertsite  (*)ArseniosideriteCa2Mn3+3O2(PO4)3·3H2O14955036
Romanèchite  (*)None(Ba,H2O)2(Mn4+,Mn3+)5O10149470312
Rutheniridosmine  (*)None(Ir,Os,Ru)14949347
Ruthenium  (*)NoneRu14949346
Rutile  (*)RutileTiO2534.4523.6349493,49520,495475614
Sanidine  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)249523,49537598
Schorl  (*)TourmalineNaFe2+3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)534.4523.61495202705
Scolecite  (*)NatroliteCa(Si3Al2)O10·3H2O149552390
Sillimanite  (*)Not in a structural groupAl2SiO51494931516
Silver  (*)CopperAg1495395186
Sperrylite  (*)PyritePtAs2349493,49508,49509337
Spessartine  (*)GarnetMn2+3Al2(SiO4)3534.4523.6249508,495201214
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS449493,49515,49527,4953921482
Spodumene  (*)PyroxeneLiAlSi2O6536.4523.6349514,49518,49520688
Staurolite  (*)StauroliteFe2+2Al9Si4O23(OH)534.4523.6249493,49520978
Stibiopalladinite  (*)NonePd5Sb2249508,4951075
Stilbite-Ca  (*)StilbiteNaCa4(Si27Al9)O72·28H2O149552268
Stumpflite  (*)NickelinePtSb1495087
Stützite  (*)NoneAg5-xTe3 (x = 0.24-0.36)14952792
Swinefordite  (*)Clay Smectite-vermiculiteCa0.2(Li,Al,Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH,F)2·nH2O534.4523.61495205
Sylvite  (*)RocksaltKCl249469,49473275
Talc  (*)Clay TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)2534.4523.6649493,49500,49501,49503,49513,495203337
Tantalite-(Mn)  (*)ColumbiteMn2+Ta2O6536.4523.6249518,49520211
Tetraferroplatinum  (*)PotaritePtFe349508,49509,4951066
Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)TetrahedriteCu6(Cu4Zn2)Sb4S131495275317
Topaz  (*)TopazAl2SiO4F2534.4523.61495201476
Tremolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg5.0-4.5Fe2+0.0-0.5)Si8O22(OH)2534.4523.6549507,49508,49513,49520,495272562
Trona  (*)NoneNa3(HCO3)(CO3)·2H2O149512129
Tulameenite  (*)PotaritePt2CuFe349508,49509,4951048
Turquoise  (*)TurquoiseCuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O149477484
Uvarovite  (*)GarnetCa3Cr2(SiO4)3149493212
Violarite  (*)SpinelFeNi2S4249493,49527380
Wodginite  (*)ColumbiteMn2+Sn4+Ta2O8534.4523.614952078
Zircon  (*)ZirconZr(SiO4)534.4523.6349493,49520,495475251


4 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
Alexandra-0205534.4523.6529 ± 5.4U-PbAge of Nb-Ta mineralizationtantalite-(mn)   Tantalite-(Mn) Ta, Nb207321Kenticha Pegmatite Field, Oromia Region (Oromiya Region), EthiopiaKentichaMelcher et al. (2015)10.1016/j.oregeorev.2013.09.003OGR64_667 
Alexandra-0206532.3527.7530 ± 2.3U-PbAge of Nb-Ta mineralizationtantalite-(mn)   Tantalite-(Mn) Ta, Nb207321Kenticha Pegmatite Field, Oromia Region (Oromiya Region), EthiopiaKentichaMelcher et al. (2015)10.1016/j.oregeorev.2013.09.003OGR64_667 
Alexandra-0252533.3525.1529.2±4.1U-PbAge of Nb-Ta mineralizationtantalite-(mn)   Tantalite-(Mn) Ta, Nb207325Bupo I Dyke (Bupo Pegmatite), Kenticha Pegmatite Field, Oromia Region (Oromiya Region), EthiopiaBupoMelcher et al. (2015)10.1016/j.oregeorev.2013.09.003OGR64_667 
Alexandra-0253536.4523.6530±6.4U-PbAge of Nb-Ta mineralizationtantalite-(mn)   Tantalite-(Mn) Ta, Nb207325Bupo I Dyke (Bupo Pegmatite), Kenticha Pegmatite Field, Oromia Region (Oromiya Region), EthiopiaBupoMelcher et al. (2015)10.1016/j.oregeorev.2013.09.003OGR64_667 

SampleSource LocalityReference URL
R100148Ethiopiahttps://rruff.info/R100148
R060652Ethiopiahttps://rruff.info/R060652
R050054Kenticha Mine, Kenticha Pegmatite Field, Oromia Region (Oromiya Region), Ethiopiahttps://rruff.info/R050054

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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