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:
Uthungulu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Oldest recorded age at locality: 1175
Youngest recorded age at locality: 259

mindat Locality ID: 260155
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-260155.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Uthungulu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa": 14
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 10

Number of Child Localities: 9
Child Localities:
Empangeni
Eshowe
Macibini Meteorite
Melmoth
Nkandla Area
Richards Bay
Umfuli Tin Field
Umhlatuzi
Wangu Hill

Latitude: 28°48'21"S
Longitude: 31°46'28"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -28.805833333333,31.774444444444

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 C Ca Cr Cu F Fe H K Mg Na O S Si Sn Ti Zr 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AmphiboleApophylliteCalciteCopperCorundumFeldsparIronMalachiteNatroliteNone
Not in a structural groupPrehnitePyroxeneQuartzRutileSpinelZircon

28 IMA Minerals at location:
Actinolite  (*)Aegirine  (*)Albite  (*)Anorthite  (*)Augite  (*)
Calcite  (*)Cassiterite  (*)Chromite  (*)Copper  (*)Fluorapophyllite-(K)  (*)
Hedenbergite  (*)Ilmenite  (*)Iron  (*)Kyanite  (*)Laumontite  (*)
Magnesite  (*)Magnetite  (*)Malachite  (*)Microcline  (*)Natrolite  (*)
Pigeonite  (*)Prehnite  (*)Quartz  (*)Riebeckite  (*)Rutile  (*)
Tremolite  (*)Troilite  (*)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)226125911063423419
Aegirine  (*)PyroxeneNaFe3+Si2O626125911063501022
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)2612592106339,1063508803
Anorthite  (*)FeldsparCa(Al2Si2O8)11063411036
Augite  (*)Pyroxene(Ca,Mg,Fe)2Si2O62612592106341,1063502060
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)261259110633827770
Cassiterite  (*)RutileSnO22612592106345,1063465171
Chromite  (*)SpinelFe2+Cr2O411063413902
Copper  (*)CopperCu26125911063493846
Fluorapophyllite-(K)  (*)ApophylliteKCa4Si8O20F·8H2O2612591106338303
Hedenbergite  (*)PyroxeneCaFe2+Si2O61106341741
Ilmenite  (*)CorundumFe2+Ti4+O32612592106341,1063445433
Iron  (*)IronFe11063411089
Kyanite  (*)Not in a structural groupAl2OSiO426125911063431507
Laumontite  (*)Not in a structural groupCaAl2Si4O12·4H2O26125911063381271
Magnesite  (*)CalciteMg(CO3)26125911063401487
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O4261259110635014899
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2261259110634912537
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)26125911063504924
Natrolite  (*)NatroliteNa2(Si3Al2)O10·2H2O26125911063381236
Pigeonite  (*)Pyroxene(Mg,Fe,Ca)2Si2O61106341303
Prehnite  (*)PrehniteCa2Al(Si3Al)O10(OH)226125911063381898
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO22612593106338,106345,10635061156
Riebeckite  (*)Amphibole   Na2(Fe2+3Fe3+2)Si8O22(OH)22612591106350375
Rutile  (*)RutileTiO226125911063445614
Tremolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg5.0-4.5Fe2+0.0-0.5)Si8O22(OH)226125911063422562
Troilite  (*)NoneFeS11063411044
Zircon  (*)ZirconZr(SiO4)11752592106344,1063485251



Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Giersdorf_00000802The Eshowe Formation is part of the sediments of the KwaZulu-Natal area of South Africa
Jen_0000998MAGMATIC STYLE: Carbonate-rich gneiss bands, up to 200x20 m, are considered to be tectonically deformed carbonatites. ASSOCIATED SILICATE ROCKS: Syenitic gneiss, nepheline syenite gneiss and gneissose peralkaline microsyenite dykes.
Jen_0000999MAGMATIC STYLE: Carbonate-rich gneiss bands, up to 200x20 m, are considered to be tectonically deformed carbonatites. ASSOCIATED SILICATE ROCKS: Syenitic gneiss, nepheline syenite gneiss and gneissose peralkaline microsyenite dykes.
Jen_0001000MAGMATIC STYLE: Carbonate-rich gneiss bands, up to 200x20 m, are considered to be tectonically deformed carbonatites. ASSOCIATED SILICATE ROCKS: Syenitic gneiss, nepheline syenite gneiss and gneissose peralkaline microsyenite dykes.


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
Giersdorf_00000802261259260±1 Age given in support of earlier works by Gentle el al. (1978) due to its consistency in its findings      57245Eshowe, Uthungulu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaEshoweBordy et al. (2005)10.2113/108.3.454SAJG107_397Age of the clays of the Eshowe group
Jen_0000998900900900        57405Bull's Run Estate, Umhlatuzi, Uthungulu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaBull's RunWoolley and Kjarsgaard (2008)10.4095/225115GSCOF5796 
Jen_0000999117511051140±35U-Th-Pb zircon   Zircon  57405Bull's Run Estate, Umhlatuzi, Uthungulu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaBull's RunWoolley and Kjarsgaard (2008)10.4095/225115GSCOF5796 
Jen_0001000114010601100±40K-Ar biotite     57405Bull's Run Estate, Umhlatuzi, Uthungulu District, KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaBull's RunWoolley and Kjarsgaard (2008)10.4095/225115GSCOF5796 


SampleSource LocalityReference URL


All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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