Mineral Evolution Database

Created and maintained by the Mineral Evolution Project in partnership with RRUFF and mindat.

Mineral locality data provided by mindat.org

Important Update News

The RRUFF Project has been migrated to RRUFF.net. Please update your bookmarks immediately, if you have not done so.

The data on this website is already three years out of date, and the entire website will be taken offline before the end of the year.

We are grateful to NASA for the funding of this effort.

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:
Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa

Oldest recorded age at locality: 2500
Youngest recorded age at locality: 1600

mindat Locality ID: 27708
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-27708.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa": 4
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 3

Number of Child Localities: 3
Child Localities:
Foskor Apatite Pit
Guide Mine
Loolekop

Latitude: 23°58'45"S
Longitude: 31°7'34"E
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): -23.979166666667,31.126111111111

A	This mineral is Anthropogenic.
G	This mineral is directly dated.
B	This mineral is reported as having this age.
Y	This mineral is using an age reported as an element mineralization period.
O	This mineral is using an age calculated from all data at the locality.
R	The age displayed for this mineral originates from a different, non-child locality.
P	The 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.

Amphibole	Analcime	Apatite	Apophyllite	Aragonite	Auricupride	Baddeleyite	Baryte	Brucite	Calcite
Chalcopyrite	Chlorite	Clay	Copper	Corrensite	Corundum	Covellite	Cubanite	Feldspar	Fluorite
Gadolinite	Gypsum	Humite	Hydrotalcite	Jalpaite	Malachite	Marcasite	Mica	Millerite	Natrolite
Nickeline	None	Not in a structural group	Pectolite	Pentlandite	Perovskite	Prehnite	Pseudobrookite	Pyrite	Pyroxene
Quartz	Rocksalt	Serpentine	Smectite-vermiculite	Sphalerite	Spinel	Stilbite	Stillwaterite	Tetrahedrite	Thomsonite
Titanite	Valleriite	Wurtzite	Zircon	Zirconolite

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 Bi C Ca Ce Cl Co Cu F Fe H K Mg Na Ni O P Pb Pd Pt S Sb Se Si Sn Sr Te Th Ti U Y Zn Zr

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Ca Cu Fe H Mg Na O S Si Ti

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality:
Amphibole Analcime Apatite Apophyllite Aragonite Auricupride Baddeleyite Baryte Brucite Calcite
Chalcopyrite Chlorite Clay Copper Corrensite Corundum Covellite Cubanite Feldspar Fluorite
Gadolinite Gypsum Humite Hydrotalcite Jalpaite Malachite Marcasite Mica Millerite Natrolite
Nickeline None Not in a structural group Pectolite Pentlandite Perovskite Prehnite Pseudobrookite Pyrite Pyroxene
Quartz Rocksalt Serpentine Smectite-vermiculite Sphalerite Spinel Stilbite Stillwaterite Tetrahedrite Thomsonite
Titanite Valleriite Wurtzite Zircon Zirconolite

96 IMA Minerals at location:

Aegirine ()*	Analcime ()*	Antigorite ()*	Anzaite-(Ce) ()*	Aragonite ()*
Arfvedsonite ()*	Argentopentlandite ()*	Arsenopalladinite ()*	Atokite ()*	Azurite ()*
Baddeleyite ()*	Baryte ()*	Bornite ()*	Brucite ()*	Cabriite ()*
Calcite ()*	Celestine ()*	Chalcocite ()*	Chalcopyrite ()*	Chondrodite ()*
Clinochlore ()*	Covellite ()*	Cubanite ()*	Cuprite ()*	Datolite ()*
Diopside ()*	Dolomite ()*	Fluoborite ()*	Fluorapatite ()*	Fluorapophyllite-(K) ()*
Fluorite ()*	Froodite ()*	Galena ()*	Geikielite ()*	Gold ()*
Gypsum ()*	Hessite ()*	Hydrobiotite ()*	Hydromagnesite ()*	Hydrotalcite ()*
Ilmenite ()*	Iowaite ()*	Jalpaite ()*	Kyanite ()*	Laumontite ()*
Linnaeite ()*	Mackinawite ()*	Magnesite ()*	Magnetite ()*	Majakite ()*
Malachite ()*	Marcasite ()*	Mertieite-II ()*	Mesolite ()*	Millerite ()*
Mooihoekite ()*	Muscovite ()*	Natrolite ()*	Naumannite ()*	Orthoclase ()*
Pectolite ()*	Pentlandite ()*	Phlogopite ()*	Pigeonite ()*	Portlandite ()*
Prehnite ()*	Pseudobrookite ()*	Pyrite ()*	Pyrrhotite ()*	Quartz ()*
Saponite ()*	Scolecite ()*	Siegenite ()*	Silver ()*	Sperrylite ()*
Sphalerite ()*	Stilbite-Ca ()*	Stromeyerite ()*	Strontianite ()*	Taimyrite-I ()*
Talnakhite ()*	Tetra-auricupride ()*	Tetrahedrite-(Zn) ()*	Thomsonite-Ca ()*	Thorianite ()*
Titanite ()*	Ulvöspinel ()*	Uraninite ()*	Valleriite ()*	Vermiculite ()*
Violarite ()*	Witherite ()*	Xonotlite ()*	Zircon ()*	Zirconolite ()*
Zirkelite ()*

Mineral name	Structural Groups	IMA Formula	Max Age (Ma)	Min Age (Ma)	# of Sublocalities containing mineral	LOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids	# of localities containing mineral
Aegirine ()*	Pyroxene	NaFe³⁺Si₂O₆	2060	1993	1	106467	1022
Analcime ()*	Analcime	Na(AlSi₂O₆)·H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	1627
Antigorite ()*	Serpentine Clay	Mg₃Si₂O₅(OH)₄	2060	1993	1	106467	708
Anzaite-(Ce) ()*	Not in a structural group	Ce₄Fe²⁺Ti₆O₁₈(OH)₂	2060	1993	1	106467	2
Aragonite ()*	Aragonite	Ca(CO₃)	2060	1993	1	106467	3250
Arfvedsonite ()*	Amphibole	NaNa₂(Fe²⁺₄Fe³⁺)Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂	2063.3	1993	0		295
Argentopentlandite ()*	Pentlandite	Ag(Fe,Ni)₈S₈	2060	1993	1	106467	67
Arsenopalladinite ()*	Stillwaterite	Pd₈As₃	2060	1993	1	106467	31
Atokite ()*	Auricupride Perovskite	Pd₃Sn	2060	1993	1	106467	29
Azurite ()*	Not in a structural group	Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂	2060	1993	1	106467	5509
Baddeleyite ()*	Baddeleyite	ZrO₂	2060	1993	1	106467	238
Baryte ()*	Baryte	Ba(SO₄)	2094	1993	2	106464,106467	11547
Bornite ()*	None	Cu₅FeS₄	2094	1993	2	106465,106467	5516
Brucite ()*	Brucite	Mg(OH)₂	2060	1993	1	106467	462
Cabriite ()*	None	Pd₂CuSn	2060	1993	1	106467	12
Calcite ()*	Calcite	Ca(CO₃)	2094	1993	3	106464,106465,106467	27770
Celestine ()*	Baryte	Sr(SO₄)	2094	1993	2	106464,106467	1252
Chalcocite ()*	None	Cu₂S	2060	1993	1	106467	5707
Chalcopyrite ()*	Chalcopyrite	CuFeS₂	2094	1993	3	106464,106465,106467	27198
Chondrodite ()*	Humite	Mg₅(SiO₄)₂F₂	2060	1993	1	106467	285
Clinochlore ()*	Chlorite Clay	Mg₅Al(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₈	2060	1993	1	106467	1756
Covellite ()*	Covellite	CuS	2060	1993	1	106467	4165
Cubanite ()*	Cubanite Wurtzite	CuFe₂S₃	2060	1993	1	106467	802
Cuprite ()*	Not in a structural group	Cu₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	2970
Datolite ()*	Gadolinite	CaB(SiO₄)(OH)	2060	1993	1	106467	498
Diopside ()*	Pyroxene	CaMgSi₂O₆	2094	1993	2	106465,106467	4135
Dolomite ()*	None	CaMg(CO₃)₂	2094	1993	2	106464,106467	9895
Fluoborite ()*	None	Mg₃(BO₃)F₃	2060	1993	1	106467	52
Fluorapatite ()*	Apatite	Ca₅(PO₄)₃F	2060	1993	1	106467	2740
Fluorapophyllite-(K) ()*	Apophyllite	KCa₄Si₈O₂₀F·8H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	303
Fluorite ()*	Fluorite	CaF₂	2094	1993	2	106464,106467	9617
Froodite ()*	None	PdBi₂	2060	1993	1	106467	62
Galena ()*	Rocksalt	PbS	2094	1993	2	106465,106467	24243
Geikielite ()*	Corundum	MgTiO₃	2060	1993	1	106467	70
Gold ()*	Copper	Au	2060	1993	1	106467	30554
Gypsum ()*	Gypsum	Ca(SO₄)·2H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	6890
Hessite ()*	None	Ag₂Te	2060	1993	1	106467	804
Hydrobiotite ()*	Corrensite Clay	K(Mg,Fe²⁺)₆(Si,Al)₈O₂₀(OH)₄·nH₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	49
Hydromagnesite ()*	None	Mg₅(CO₃)₄(OH)₂·4H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	341
Hydrotalcite ()*	Hydrotalcite	Mg₆Al₂CO₃(OH)₁₆(H₂O)₄	2060	1993	1	106467	87
Ilmenite ()*	Corundum	Fe²⁺Ti⁴⁺O₃	2060	1993	1	106467	5433
Iowaite ()*	Hydrotalcite	Mg₆Fe³⁺₂(OH)₁₆Cl₂·4H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	14
Jalpaite ()*	Jalpaite	Ag₃CuS₂	2060	1993	1	106467	116
Kyanite ()*	Not in a structural group	Al₂OSiO₄	2060	1993	1	106467	1507
Laumontite ()*	Not in a structural group	CaAl₂Si₄O₁₂·4H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	1271
Linnaeite ()*	Spinel	Co²⁺Co³⁺₂S₄	2060	1993	1	106467	249
Mackinawite ()*	None	(Fe,Ni)_1+xS (x = 0-0.07)	2060	1993	1	106467	451
Magnesite ()*	Calcite	Mg(CO₃)	2060	1993	1	106467	1487
Magnetite ()*	Spinel	Fe²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄	2060	1993	1	106467	14899
Majakite ()*	None	PdNiAs	2060	1993	1	106467	22
Malachite ()*	Malachite	Cu₂(CO₃)(OH)₂	2060	1993	1	106467	12537
Marcasite ()*	Marcasite	FeS₂	2060	1993	1	106467	5674
Mertieite-II ()*	Stillwaterite	Pd₈Sb_2.5As_0.5	2060	1993	1	106467	44
Mesolite ()*	Natrolite	Na₂Ca₂(Si₉Al₆)O₃₀·8H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	425
Millerite ()*	Millerite	NiS	2060	1993	1	106467	1066
Mooihoekite ()*	Chalcopyrite	Cu₉Fe₉S₁₆	2063.3	1993	0		20
Muscovite ()*	Mica Clay	KAl₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂	2060	1993	1	106467	17380
Natrolite ()*	Natrolite	Na₂(Si₃Al₂)O₁₀·2H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	1236
Naumannite ()*	Not in a structural group	Ag₂Se	2060	1993	1	106467	192
Orthoclase ()*	Feldspar	K(AlSi₃O₈)	2094	1993	1	106465	2349
Pectolite ()*	Pectolite	NaCa₂Si₃O₈(OH)	2060	1993	1	106467	363
Pentlandite ()*	Pentlandite	(Ni,Fe)₉S₈	2060	1993	1	106467	1512
Phlogopite ()*	Mica Clay	KMg₃(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂	2047	2047	1	106467	2273
Pigeonite ()*	Pyroxene	(Mg,Fe,Ca)₂Si₂O₆	2063.3	1993	0		303
Portlandite ()*	Brucite	Ca(OH)₂	2060	1993	1	106467	51
Prehnite ()*	Prehnite	Ca₂Al(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂	2060	1993	1	106467	1898
Pseudobrookite ()*	Pseudobrookite	(Fe³⁺₂Ti)O₅	2063.3	1993	0		164
Pyrite ()*	Pyrite	FeS₂	2060	1993	1	106467	39462
Pyrrhotite ()*	Nickeline	Fe₇S₈	2060	1993	1	106467	9056
Quartz ()*	Quartz	SiO₂	2094	1993	2	106464,106467	61156
Saponite ()*	Clay Smectite-vermiculite	(Ca,Na)_0.3(Mg,Fe)₃(Si,Al)₄O₁₀(OH)₂·4H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	301
Scolecite ()*	Natrolite	Ca(Si₃Al₂)O₁₀·3H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	390
Siegenite ()*	Spinel	CoNi₂S₄	2060	1993	1	106467	249
Silver ()*	Copper	Ag	2060	1993	1	106467	5186
Sperrylite ()*	Pyrite	PtAs₂	2060	1993	1	106467	337
Sphalerite ()*	Sphalerite	ZnS	2060	1993	1	106467	21482
Stilbite-Ca ()*	Stilbite	NaCa₄(Si₂₇Al₉)O₇₂·28H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	268
Stromeyerite ()*	None	CuAgS	2060	1993	1	106467	332
Strontianite ()*	Aragonite	Sr(CO₃)	2060	1993	1	106467	589
Taimyrite-I ()*	None	(Pd,Pt)₉Cu₃Sn₄	2060	1993	1	106467	11
Talnakhite ()*	Chalcopyrite	Cu₉Fe₈S₁₆	2060	1993	1	106467	35
Tetra-auricupride ()*	None	CuAu	2060	1993	1	106467	30
Tetrahedrite-(Zn) ()*	Tetrahedrite	Cu₆(Cu₄Zn₂)Sb₄S₁₃	2060	1993	1	106467	5317
Thomsonite-Ca ()*	Thomsonite	NaCa₂(Al₅Si₅)O₂₀·6H₂O	2060	1993	1	106467	452
Thorianite ()*	Fluorite	ThO₂	2060	1993	1	106467	236
Titanite ()*	Titanite	CaTi(SiO₄)O	2094	1993	1	106465	4899
Ulvöspinel ()*	Spinel	Fe²⁺₂TiO₄	2063.3	1993	0		120
Uraninite ()*	Fluorite	UO₂	2060	1993	1	106467	2718
Valleriite ()*	Valleriite	2[(Fe,Cu)S]·1.53[(Mg,Al)(OH)₂]	2060	1993	1	106467	237
Vermiculite ()*	Clay Smectite-vermiculite	Mg_0.7(Mg,Fe,Al)₆(Si,Al)₈O₂₀(OH)₄·8H₂O	2094	1993	3	106464,106465,106467	652
Violarite ()*	Spinel	FeNi₂S₄	2060	1993	1	106467	380
Witherite ()*	Aragonite	Ba(CO₃)	2094	1993	1	106464	251
Xonotlite ()*	None	Ca₆Si₆O₁₇(OH)₂	2060	1993	1	106467	109
Zircon ()*	Zircon	Zr(SiO₄)	2050	2050	1	106467	5251
Zirconolite ()*	Zirconolite	(Ca,Y)Zr(Ti,Mg,Al)₂O₇	2060	1993	1	106467	140
Zirkelite ()*	Fluorite	(Ti,Ca,Zr)O_2-x	2060	1993	1	106467	27

Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:

Age ID	Locality Notes
Jen_0000532	carbonatite complex
Jen_0000533	carbonatite complex
Jen_0000534	carbonatite complex
Jen_0000535	carbonatite complex
Jen_0000536	carbonatite complex
Jen_0001077	MAGMATIC STYLE: 400x900 vertical pipe of arcuate sheets of ‘banded’ carbonatite intruded by a central, irregular body of ‘transgressive’ carbonatite with numerous dykes and veins emanating from it. ASSOCIATED SILICATE ROCKS: Pyroxenite, phoscorite, serpentinite, mica rocks, syenite and fenite.
Jen_0001078	MAGMATIC STYLE: 400x900 vertical pipe of arcuate sheets of ‘banded’ carbonatite intruded by a central, irregular body of ‘transgressive’ carbonatite with numerous dykes and veins emanating from it. ASSOCIATED SILICATE ROCKS: Pyroxenite, phoscorite, serpentinite, mica rocks, syenite and fenite.
Jen_0001079	MAGMATIC STYLE: 400x900 vertical pipe of arcuate sheets of ‘banded’ carbonatite intruded by a central, irregular body of ‘transgressive’ carbonatite with numerous dykes and veins emanating from it. ASSOCIATED SILICATE ROCKS: Pyroxenite, phoscorite, serpentinite, mica rocks, syenite and fenite.

10 Ages assigned to this locality:

Excel ID	Max Age (Ma)	Min Age (Ma)	Age as listed in reference	Dating Method	Prioritized?	Sample Source	Age from other Locality	Dated Mineral	MinDat Locality ID	Dated Locality (Max Age)	Location as listed in reference	Reference	Reference DOI	Reference ID
Jen_0000532	2060.6	2059	2059.8±0.8						27708	Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Phalaborwa	Ernst and Bell (2010)	10.1007/s00710-009-0074-1	MP98_55
Jen_0000533	2061.1	2060.1	2060.6±0.5	U-Pb					27708	Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Phalaborwa	Ernst and Bell (2010)	10.1007/s00710-009-0074-1	MP98_55
Jen_0000534	2063.3	2056.5	2059.9±3.4	U-Pb					27708	Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Phalaborwa	Ernst and Bell (2010)	10.1007/s00710-009-0074-1	MP98_55
Jen_0000535	2060	2059.2	2059.6±0.4	U-Pb					27708	Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Phalaborwa	Ernst and Bell (2010)	10.1007/s00710-009-0074-1	MP98_55
Jen_0001077	2031	1993	2012±19	U-Pb		uranothorianite, baddeleyite			3091	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Phalaborwa	Woolley and Kjarsgaard (2008)	10.4095/225115	GSCOF5796
Jen_0001078	2050	2050	2050	U-Pb		zircon		Zircon	3091	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Phalaborwa	Woolley and Kjarsgaard (2008)	10.4095/225115	GSCOF5796
Jen_0001079	2047	2047	2047	Rb-Sr		phlogopite		Phlogopite	3091	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Phalaborwa	Woolley and Kjarsgaard (2008)	10.4095/225115	GSCOF5796
MD36_189-00001	2060	2060	2060						3091	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Phalabowra Complex	Groves and Vielreivher (2001)	10.1007/s001260050298	MD36_189
ree-00569	2500	1600	Early Proterozoic		low				3091	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	Palabora (Phalaborwa)	Orris and Grauch (2002)		USGSOFR02_189
Jen_0000536	2094	2024	2059±35	U-Pb		apatite	Yes		56243	Schiel, Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa	Schiel	Ernst and Bell (2010)	10.1007/s00710-009-0074-1	MP98_55

Sample	Source Locality	Reference URL
FKM-74	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	https://www.rockptx.com/fkm-51-to-fkm-75/#FKM-74
R100171	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	https://rruff.info/R100171
R060272	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	https://rruff.info/R060272
R060540	Palabora Mine (Foscor Open Pit; PMC Mine), Loolekop, Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa	https://rruff.info/R060540

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

All age data...