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:
Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South Africa

Oldest recorded age at locality: 263
Youngest recorded age at locality: 212

mindat Locality ID: 236269
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-236269.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South Africa": 9
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 7

Number of Child Localities: 2
Child Localities:
Beaufort West
Prince Albert

Latitude: 32°30'"S
Longitude: 22°26'59"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -32.5,22.449722222222

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 As Au C Ca Cl Cr Cu F Fe H K Mg Mo Na Ni O P Pb S Sb Se Si Ti U V Zn 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AmorphousArsenopyriteAtacamiteAutuniteCalciteCopiapiteCopperCorundumCubaniteDigenite
FluoriteHalotrichiteIronLöllingiteMeta-autuniteMolybdeniteNatroautuniteNoneNot in a structural groupPhosphuranylite
PyriteQuartzRocksaltSphaleriteSpinelTetrahedriteZircon

46 IMA Minerals at location:
Abernathyite  (*)Arsenopyrite  (*)Arsenuranylite  (*)Autunite  (*)Boltwoodite  (*)
Calcite  (*)Carnotite  (*)Chalcocite  (*)Chromite  (*)Clausthalite  (*)
Coffinite  (*)Copiapite  (*)Digenite  (*)Gold  (*)Nováčekite-I  (*)
Ilmenite  (*)Iriginite  (*)Iron  (*)Isocubanite  (*)Jordisite  (*)
Laumontite  (*)Löllingite  (*)Mackinawite  (*)Meta-autunite  (*)Metakahlerite  (*)
Metatorbernite  (*)Metauranospinite  (*)Metazeunerite  (*)Molybdenite  (*)Paratacamite  (*)
Uranophane-β  (*)Phosphuranylite  (*)Pickeringite  (*)Pyrite  (*)Quartz  (*)
Sabugalite  (*)Taenite  (*)Tennantite-(Fe)  (*)Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)Torbernite  (*)
Troilite  (*)Uraninite  (*)Uranophane-α  (*)Uranospathite  (*)Uranospinite  (*)
Zeunerite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Abernathyite  (*)NatroautuniteK(UO2)(AsO4)·3H2O246213110730916
Arsenopyrite  (*)ArsenopyriteFeAsS2152132107309,1073119052
Arsenuranylite  (*)PhosphuranyliteCa(UO2)4(AsO4)2(OH)4·6H2O24621311073097
Autunite  (*)AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2·10-12H2O21521311073111272
Boltwoodite  (*)None(K,Na)(UO2)(SiO3OH)·1.5H2O246213110730967
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)263212110731627770
Carnotite  (*)NoneK2(UO2)2(VO4)2·3H2O24621311073091184
Chalcocite  (*)NoneCu2S24621311073095707
Chromite  (*)SpinelFe2+Cr2O42462132107310,1073123902
Clausthalite  (*)RocksaltPbSe2462131107309281
Coffinite  (*)ZirconU(SiO4)·nH2O2462131107309566
Copiapite  (*)CopiapiteFe2+Fe3+4(SO4)6(OH)2·20H2O2152131107311382
Digenite  (*)DigeniteCu1.8S21521311073111027
Gold  (*)CopperAu2632123107313,107316,10731730554
Nováčekite-I  (*)NoneMg(UO2)2(AsO4)2·12H2O246213110730955
Ilmenite  (*)CorundumFe2+Ti4+O324621311073105433
Iriginite  (*)None(UO2)Mo6+2O7·3H2O215213110731115
Iron  (*)IronFe2462132107310,1073121089
Isocubanite  (*)Sphalerite CubaniteCuFe2S32462132107310,107312191
Jordisite  (*)AmorphousMoS22152131107311102
Laumontite  (*)Not in a structural groupCaAl2Si4O12·4H2O24621311073091271
Löllingite  (*)LöllingiteFeAs22152131107311762
Mackinawite  (*)None(Fe,Ni)1+xS (x = 0-0.07)2462132107310,107312451
Meta-autunite  (*)Meta-autuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2·6H2O2152131107311388
Metakahlerite  (*)NoneFe2+(UO2)2(AsO4)2·8H2O215213110731118
Metatorbernite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(PO4)2·8H2O2152131107311443
Metauranospinite  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2(AsO4)2·8H2O246213110730914
Metazeunerite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(AsO4)2·8H2O2152131107311182
Molybdenite  (*)MolybdeniteMoS224621311073095800
Paratacamite  (*)AtacamiteCu3(Cu,Zn)Cl2(OH)62462131107309158
Uranophane-β  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2·5H2O2152131107311144
Phosphuranylite  (*)PhosphuranyliteKCa(H3O)3(UO2)7(PO4)4O4·8H2O2462131107309182
Pickeringite  (*)HalotrichiteMgAl2(SO4)4·22H2O2152131107311265
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS2246213110730939462
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO22632123107313,107316,10731761156
Sabugalite  (*)NoneHAl(UO2)4(PO4)4·16H2O246213110730987
Taenite  (*)None(Ni,Fe)2462131107312703
Tennantite-(Fe)  (*)TetrahedriteCu6(Cu4Fe2)As4S1324621311073091803
Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)TetrahedriteCu6(Cu4Zn2)Sb4S1324621311073095317
Torbernite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(PO4)2·12H2O21521311073111059
Troilite  (*)NoneFeS2462132107310,1073121044
Uraninite  (*)FluoriteUO22152132107309,1073112718
Uranophane-α  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2·5H2O2152131107311890
Uranospathite  (*)None(Al,   )(UO2)2F(PO4)2·20H2O215213110731120
Uranospinite  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2(AsO4)2·10H2O215213110731151
Zeunerite  (*)AutuniteCu(UO2)2(AsO4)2·12H2O2152131107311185



Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Giersdorf_00000797The Rietkuil Mine is part of the Karoo Basin and the Elliot Formation of the Karoo Supergroup. The overall mineral area is referred to as the Beaufort West Uranium Deposits
Giersdorf_00000798The Beaufort West Uranium Deposits is a series of uranium deposits found in the metamorphic belt of the Cape of Africa
Giersdorf_00000799The Karoo Basin is a widespread sedimentary sequence that covers the majority of the country of South Africa
Giersdorf_00000800The Karoo Basin is a widespread sedimentary sequence that covers the majority of the country of South Africa
Giersdorf_00000801The Karoo Basin is a widespread sedimentary sequence that covers the majority of the country of South Africa
Giersdorf_00000803The Karoo Basin is a widespread sedimentary sequence that covers the majority of the country of South Africa
Giersdorf_00000804The Karoo Basin is a widespread sedimentary sequence that covers the majority of the country of South Africa


7 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_00000799263253258±5Ar-Ar       236269Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South AfricaKaroo BasinBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Age given for a minor plateau-forming event of the Karoo Basin supergroup
Giersdorf_00000800250246248±2Ar-Ar       236269Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South AfricaKaroo BasinBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Age given for a major plateau-forming event of the Karoo Basin supergroup
Giersdorf_00000801218212215±3U-PbAge given in support of earlier works by Gentle el al. (1978) due to its consistency in its findingszircon   Zircon  236269Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South AfricaKaroo BasinBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Age of tectonically-driven fluid migration in the southern Karoo
Giersdorf_00000803250244247±3 Age given in support of earlier works by Gentle el al. (1978) due to its consistency in its findings      236269Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South AfricaKaroo BasinBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Age attributed to a metamorphic event of the Karoo group
Giersdorf_00000804260256258±2 Age given in support of earlier works by Gentle el al. (1978) due to its consistency in its findings      236269Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South AfricaKaroo BasinBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Age attributed to a metamorphic event of the Karoo group
Giersdorf_00000798246217246-217U-PbAge given in support of earlier works by Gentle el al. (1978) due to its consistency in its findings      56312Beaufort West, Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South AfricaBeaufort WestBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Pb207-U235 age
Giersdorf_00000797215213215-213U-PbAge given in support of earlier works by Gentle el al. (1978) due to its consistency in its findings      56313Rietkuil, Beaufort West, Central Karoo District, Western Cape, South AfricaRietkuilBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Pb207-U235 age


SampleSource LocalityReference URL


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