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:
Balkhash, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan

Oldest recorded age at locality: 393.3
Youngest recorded age at locality: 245

mindat Locality ID: 2659
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-2659.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Balkhash, Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan": 13
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 11

Number of Child Localities: 6
Child Localities:
Akchagyl
Koryk
Kounrad Massif
Mointy (Moyynty)
Sayak Cu Ore Field
Sortuz

Latitude: 46°59'56"N
Longitude: 76°10'53"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 46.998888888889,76.181388888889
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 Be Bi C Ca Cl Co Cu F Fe H K La Mg Mn Mo Na Ni O P Pb S Sb Si Te V W Zn Zr 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AllophaneAluniteAndalusiteApatiteAragoniteArsenicArsenopyriteBerylBrochantiteCalcite
Cancrinite-sodaliteChalcopyriteChalcostibiteClayClinozoisiteCobaltiteCopperCorundumCubaniteCyanotrichite
DevillineDiasporeEnargiteEpidoteFeldsparFluoriteGarnetGermaniteHarkeriteKaolinite
LinariteLudwigiteMalachiteMarcasiteMeneghiniteMicaMolybdeniteMonaziteNickelineNone
Not in a structural groupPhenakitePyritePyroxeneQuartzRocksaltRutileScheeliteSodaliteSphalerite
SpinelStanniteStibniteTetrahedriteTopazValleriiteVesuvianiteWurtziteZircon

85 IMA Minerals at location:
Aikinite  (*)Altaite  (*)Alunite  (*)Andalusite  (*)Andradite  (*)
Arsenopyrite  (*)Azurite  (*)Beaverite-(Cu)  (*)Bertrandite  (*)Beryl  (*)
Bismite  (*)Bismuth  (*)Bismuthinite  (*)Bornite  (*)Brochantite  (*)
Calcite  (*)Cerussite  (*)Chalcocite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Chrysocolla  (*)
Clinokurchatovite  (*)Cobaltite  (*)Colusite  (*)Copper  (*)Corundum  (*)
Cubanite  (*)Cyanotrichite  (*)Diaspore  (*)Dickite  (*)Diopside  (*)
Emplectite  (*)Enargite  (*)Epidote  (*)Famatinite  (*)Ferrimolybdite  (*)
Fluorapatite  (*)Fluorite  (*)Freibergite  (*)Galena  (*)Gearksutite  (*)
Goethite  (*)Gold  (*)Grossular  (*)Harkerite  (*)Hedenbergite  (*)
Helvine  (*)Hematite  (*)Hessite  (*)Hexahydroborite  (*)Jarosite  (*)
Kaolinite  (*)Koechlinite  (*)Linarite  (*)Ludwigite  (*)Luzonite  (*)
Magnetite  (*)Malachite  (*)Marcasite  (*)Microcline  (*)Molybdenite  (*)
Monazite-(La)  (*)Muscovite  (*)Gersdorffite-Pa3  (*)Phenakite  (*)Phlogopite  (*)
Powellite  (*)Prosopite  (*)Pyrite  (*)Pyromorphite  (*)Pyrrhotite  (*)
Quartz  (*)Rhodochrosite  (*)Scheelite  (*)Sellaite  (*)Serpierite  (*)
Silver  (*)Sphalerite  (*)Tennantite-(Fe)  (*)Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)Topaz  (*)
Valleriite  (*)Vesuvianite  (*)Wulfenite  (*)Wurtzite  (*)Zircon  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Aikinite  (*)MeneghiniteCuPbBiS3337298177333315
Altaite  (*)RocksaltPbTe335324177331489
Alunite  (*)NoneKAl3(SO4)2(OH)6335324177331966
Andalusite  (*)AndalusiteAl2SiO53353241773311310
Andradite  (*)GarnetCa3Fe3+2(SiO4)33372451773331534
Arsenopyrite  (*)ArsenopyriteFeAsS337245377327,77331,773339052
Azurite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu3(CO3)2(OH)23353241773315509
Beaverite-(Cu)  (*)AlunitePb(Fe3+2Cu)(SO4)2(OH)6177327132
Bertrandite  (*)Not in a structural groupBe4Si2O7(OH)2303.1292.5277329,77330606
Beryl  (*)BerylBe3Al2Si6O18303.1292.5277329,773304286
Bismite  (*)NoneBi2O3303.1292.5177330214
Bismuth  (*)ArsenicBi3372451773331966
Bismuthinite  (*)StibniteBi2S3303.1292.51773301935
Bornite  (*)NoneCu5FeS4337298377329,77331,773335516
Brochantite  (*)BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)61773271633
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)337245477329,77330,77333,7733727770
Cerussite  (*)AragonitePb(CO3)393.3245277327,773394979
Chalcocite  (*)NoneCu2S3353241773315707
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS2337292.5477327,77330,77331,7733327198
Chrysocolla  (*)Allophane(Cu2-xAlx)H2-xSi2O5(OH)4·nH2O335324277327,773313531
Clinokurchatovite  (*)NoneCaMgB2O53372451773372
Cobaltite  (*)CobaltiteCoAsS337245177333966
Colusite  (*)Sphalerite GermaniteCu13VAs3S16335324177329110
Copper  (*)CopperCu3353241773313846
Corundum  (*)CorundumAl2O33353241773311797
Cubanite  (*)Cubanite WurtziteCuFe2S3335324177331802
Cyanotrichite  (*)CyanotrichiteCu4Al2(SO4)(OH)12(H2O)2335324377327,77329,77331179
Diaspore  (*)DiasporeAlO(OH)335324177331481
Dickite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)4335324177331651
Diopside  (*)PyroxeneCaMgSi2O6303.1292.51773304135
Emplectite  (*)ChalcostibiteCuBiS2337298177333246
Enargite  (*)Enargite WurtziteCu3AsS4335324177331910
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)3372451773338173
Famatinite  (*)Stannite SphaleriteCu3SbS4335324177331163
Ferrimolybdite  (*)NoneFe3+2(Mo6+O4)3·7H2O303.1292.5177330345
Fluorapatite  (*)ApatiteCa5(PO4)3F303.1292.51773302740
Fluorite  (*)FluoriteCaF2303.1292.5277329,773309617
Freibergite  (*)TetrahedriteAg6[Cu4Fe2]Sb4S12335324177331663
Galena  (*)RocksaltPbS337245277331,7733324243
Gearksutite  (*)NoneCaAlF4(OH)·H2O303.1292.517733068
Goethite  (*)DiasporeFeO(OH)393.32451773277437
Gold  (*)CopperAu337245277331,7733330554
Grossular  (*)GarnetCa3Al2(SiO4)33372451773331544
Harkerite  (*)HarkeriteCa48Mg16[AlSi4O15(OH)]4(BO3)16(CO3)16·2(H2O,HCl)33724517733711
Hedenbergite  (*)PyroxeneCaFe2+Si2O6337245177333741
Helvine  (*)Sodalite Cancrinite-sodaliteBe3Mn2+4(SiO4)3S303.1292.5177330237
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O333532417733114640
Hessite  (*)NoneAg2Te337245177333804
Hexahydroborite  (*)NoneCa[B(OH)4]2·2H2O3372451773373
Jarosite  (*)AluniteKFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)63353241773312228
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)43353241773315591
Koechlinite  (*)NoneBi2MoO6303.1292.517733039
Linarite  (*)LinariteCuPb(SO4)(OH)2177327987
Ludwigite  (*)LudwigiteMg2Fe3+O2(BO3)337245177337134
Luzonite  (*)Stannite SphaleriteCu3AsS4335324177331198
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O4337245377331,77333,7733714899
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)233532417733112537
Marcasite  (*)MarcasiteFeS23353241773315674
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)303.1292.51773304924
Molybdenite  (*)MolybdeniteMoS2337245477329,77330,77331,773335800
Monazite-(La)  (*)MonaziteLa(PO4)335292.517732938
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2335292.5377329,77330,7733117380
Gersdorffite-Pa3  (*)PyriteNiAsS337245177333767
Phenakite  (*)PhenakiteBe2(SiO4)303.1292.5177330326
Phlogopite  (*)Mica ClayKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2303.1292.51773302273
Powellite  (*)ScheeliteCa(MoO4)303.1292.5177330494
Prosopite  (*)NoneCaAl2F4(OH)4303.1292.517733039
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS2337245477329,77330,77331,7733339462
Pyromorphite  (*)ApatitePb5(PO4)3Cl393.32451773391725
Pyrrhotite  (*)NickelineFe7S8337245277331,773339056
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2337245377329,77330,7733361156
Rhodochrosite  (*)CalciteMn(CO3)303.1292.5277329,773301711
Scheelite  (*)ScheeliteCa(WO4)303.1292.5277329,773304894
Sellaite  (*)RutileMgF2303.1292.517733046
Serpierite  (*)DevillineCa(Cu,Zn)4(SO4)2(OH)6·3H2O177327292
Silver  (*)CopperAg3353241773315186
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS337245377329,77331,7733321482
Tennantite-(Fe)  (*)TetrahedriteCu6(Cu4Fe2)As4S133353241773311803
Tetrahedrite-(Zn)  (*)TetrahedriteCu6(Cu4Zn2)Sb4S13337298277331,773335317
Topaz  (*)TopazAl2SiO4F2303.1292.5277329,773301476
Valleriite  (*)Valleriite2[(Fe,Cu)S]·1.53[(Mg,Al)(OH)2]335324177331237
Vesuvianite  (*)Vesuvianite(Ca,Na)19(Al,Mg,Fe)13(SiO4)10(Si2O7)4(OH,F,O)10393.32451773271395
Wulfenite  (*)ScheelitePbMoO41773391655
Wurtzite  (*)WurtziteZnS335324177331372
Zircon  (*)ZirconZr(SiO4)335292.51773295251


Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Giersdorf_00001025Location is host to part of a series of stockwork-vein type deposits found in the former Soviet Union, found in the massifs of Tien-Shan and Transbaykalia of the Ural-Mongolian fold belt and in the Burein massif of the Pacific belt.


12 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_00001025393.3382.7Middle Devonian Deposits formation is thought to coincide with the final stages of volcanic processes in the middle Devonian.     U2659Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanBalkhash Ore RegionLaverov et al. (1992)10.1080/00206819209465621IGR34_549Ages are associated with volcanic processes found in the area.
Mo-00379302.4293.4297.9±4.5Re-Os molybdenitexh080910-11(1)  MolybdeniteFerrimolybdite, Molybdenite, PowelliteMo171339East Kounrad Mo-W Deposit, Kounrad Massif, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanEast Kounrad greisen W-Mo depositChen et al. (2010)10.1016/j.gsf.2010.08.006GF1_115 
Mo-00380302.3293.5297.9±4.4Re-Os molybdenitexh080910-11(2)  MolybdeniteFerrimolybdite, Molybdenite, PowelliteMo171339East Kounrad Mo-W Deposit, Kounrad Massif, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanEast Kounrad greisen W-Mo depositChen et al. (2010)10.1016/j.gsf.2010.08.006GF1_115 
Mo-00381303.1292.5297.8±5.3Re-Os molybdenitexh080910-11(3)  MolybdeniteFerrimolybdite, Molybdenite, PowelliteMo171339East Kounrad Mo-W Deposit, Kounrad Massif, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanEast Kounrad greisen W-Mo depositChen et al. (2010)10.1016/j.gsf.2010.08.006GF1_115 
Mo-00382302.5294.3298.4±4.1Re-Os molybdenitexh080910-11(3)  MolybdeniteFerrimolybdite, Molybdenite, PowelliteMo171339East Kounrad Mo-W Deposit, Kounrad Massif, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanEast Kounrad greisen W-Mo depositChen et al. (2010)10.1016/j.gsf.2010.08.006GF1_115 
PorphCu-00327335324335–324      Altaite, Alunite, Andalusite, Arsenopyrite, Bornite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Copper, Corundum, Cubanite, Diaspore, Galena, Gold, Jarosite, Luzonite, Magnetite, Marcasite, Molybdenite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Silver, ValleriiteCu205981Kounrad Copper Mine, Kounrad Massif, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanKounradSinger et al. (2008) USGSOFR2008_1155 
Alexandra-0082337333335 ± 2U–PbAge of crystallisation of rockzirconxh080917-6(2)  Zircon Cu247482Sayak Cu Ore Field, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanSayak Ore-FieldChen et al. (2014)10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.06.011JAES79_723First stage skarn-mineralization in ore-field
Alexandra-0083293.3279.9286.6 ± 6.7Ar–ArAge of cooling of mineralhornblendexh080917-6(2)    247482Sayak Cu Ore Field, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanSayak Ore-FieldChen et al. (2014)10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.06.011JAES79_723 
Alexandra-0084265245255 ± 10Ar–ArAge of cooling of mineralk-feldsparxh080917-6(2)    247482Sayak Cu Ore Field, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanSayak Ore-FieldChen et al. (2014)10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.06.011JAES79_723 
Alexandra-0085309.5303.7306.6 ± 2.9Ar–ArAge of cooling of mineralbiotitexh080917-6(4)    247482Sayak Cu Ore Field, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanSayak Ore-FieldChen et al. (2014)10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.06.011JAES79_723 
Alexandra-0086300294297 ± 3U–PbAge of crystallisation of rockzirconxh080917-9(2)  Zircon  247482Sayak Cu Ore Field, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanSayak Ore-FieldChen et al. (2014)10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.06.011JAES79_723May represent late stage intrusive magmatism after skarn Cu mineralization
Alexandra-0087318298308 ± 10U–PbAge of crystallisation of rockzirconxh080917-12(1)  Zircon Cu247482Sayak Cu Ore Field, Balkhash, Karaganda Region, KazakhstanSayak Ore-FieldChen et al. (2014)10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.06.011JAES79_723Second stage skarn-mineralization in ore-field

SampleSource LocalityReference URL

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