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:
Potrerillos Mine, Potrerillos, Chañaral Province, Atacama, Chile

Oldest recorded age at locality: 39
Youngest recorded age at locality: 34

mindat Locality ID: 27221
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-27221.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Potrerillos Mine, Potrerillos, Chañaral Province, Atacama, Chile": 0
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 0

Latitude: 26°29'53"S
Longitude: 69°23'57"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -26.498055555556,-69.399166666667

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 Bi C Ca Cl Cu F Fe H K Mg Na O P Pb S Sb Si Ti Zn 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Ag Al As Au Bi C Ca Cl Cu F Fe H K Mg Na O P Pb S Sb Si Ti Zn 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AllophaneAluniteAmphiboleArsenicArsenopyriteArthuriteBrochantiteChalcophylliteChalcopyriteClay
ClinozoisiteCopperCorundumCovelliteDiasporeEpidoteGypsumKaoliniteMalachiteMica
NoneNot in a structural groupPyritePyrophyllitePyroxeneRocksaltRutileSmectite-vermiculiteSphaleriteSpinel
StibniteWollastonite

43 IMA Minerals at location:
Alunite  (*)Anhydrite  (*)Ankerite  (*)Antimony  (*)Arsenopyrite  (*)
Arthurite  (*)Azurite  (*)Bismuth  (*)Bornite  (*)Brochantite  (*)
Chalcocite  (*)Chalcophyllite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Chrysocolla  (*)Clinozoisite  (*)
Covellite  (*)Cuprite  (*)Diaspore  (*)Dickite  (*)Diopside  (*)
Enstatite  (*)Epidote  (*)Galena  (*)Gold  (*)Gypsum  (*)
Hematite  (*)Jarosite  (*)Kaolinite  (*)Magnetite  (*)Malachite  (*)
Montmorillonite  (*)Muscovite  (*)Pyrite  (*)Pyrophyllite  (*)Rutile  (*)
Silver  (*)Sphalerite  (*)Stibnite  (*)Tremolite  (*)Wollastonite  (*)
Woodhouseite  (*)Zoisite  (*)Zunyite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Alunite  (*)NoneKAl3(SO4)2(OH)639340966
Anhydrite  (*)Not in a structural groupCa(SO4)393401588
Ankerite  (*)NoneCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2393403092
Antimony  (*)ArsenicSb39340363
Arsenopyrite  (*)ArsenopyriteFeAsS393409052
Arthurite  (*)ArthuriteCuFe3+2(AsO4)2(OH)2·4H2O3934035
Azurite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu3(CO3)2(OH)2393405509
Bismuth  (*)ArsenicBi393401966
Bornite  (*)NoneCu5FeS4393405516
Brochantite  (*)BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6393401633
Chalcocite  (*)NoneCu2S393405707
Chalcophyllite  (*)ChalcophylliteCu18Al2(AsO4)4(SO4)3(OH)24·36H2O39340194
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS23934027198
Chrysocolla  (*)Allophane(Cu2-xAlx)H2-xSi2O5(OH)4·nH2O393403531
Clinozoisite  (*)Clinozoisite EpidoteCa2Al3[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)393401025
Covellite  (*)CovelliteCuS393404165
Cuprite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu2O393402970
Diaspore  (*)DiasporeAlO(OH)39340481
Dickite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)439340651
Diopside  (*)PyroxeneCaMgSi2O6393404135
Enstatite  (*)PyroxeneMg2Si2O639340944
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)393408173
Galena  (*)RocksaltPbS3934024243
Gold  (*)CopperAu3934030554
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O393406890
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O33934014640
Jarosite  (*)AluniteKFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6393402228
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)4393405591
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O43934014899
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)23934012537
Montmorillonite  (*)Clay Smectite-vermiculite(Na,Ca)0.3(Al,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2·nH2O393401508
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)23934017380
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS23934039462
Pyrophyllite  (*)Clay PyrophylliteAl2Si4O10(OH)239340771
Rutile  (*)RutileTiO2393405614
Silver  (*)CopperAg393405186
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS3934021482
Stibnite  (*)StibniteSb2S3393403418
Tremolite  (*)Amphibole   Ca2(Mg5.0-4.5Fe2+0.0-0.5)Si8O22(OH)2393402562
Wollastonite  (*)WollastoniteCaSiO3393401247
Woodhouseite  (*)AluniteCaAl3(SO4)(PO4)(OH)63934062
Zoisite  (*)EpidoteCa2Al3[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)393401025
Zunyite  (*)NoneAl13Si5O20(OH,F)18Cl3934086



1 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
PorphCu-00079393439–34      Alunite, Ankerite, Antimony, Arsenopyrite, Bismuth, Bornite, Brochantite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Covellite, Cuprite, Diaspore, Galena, Gold, Jarosite, Magnetite, Montmorillonite, Pyrite, Pyrophyllite, Rutile, Silver, Sphalerite, Stibnite, Woodhouseite, ZunyiteCu27221Potrerillos Mine, Potrerillos, Chañaral Province, Atacama, ChilePotrerillosSinger et al. (2008) USGSOFR2008_1155 


SampleSource LocalityReference URL


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