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:
Needle's Eye, Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland, UK

Oldest recorded age at locality: 443.8
Youngest recorded age at locality: 185

mindat Locality ID: 2973
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-2973.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Needle's Eye, Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland, UK": 1
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 1

Number of Child Localities: 1
Child Localities:
Needle's Eye Mine

Latitude: 54°53'18"N
Longitude: 3°41'30"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 54.888333333333,-3.6916666666667

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: As Ba Bi C Ca Cl Co Cu Fe H K Mg Mo Na Ni O P Pb S Si U Zn 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
ArsenicAtacamiteAutuniteBaryteBismutiteBrochantiteCalciteChalcopyriteConnelliteCorundum
CovelliteFluoriteGypsumMalachiteMatlockiteMeta-autuniteMixiteNickelineNoneQuartz
ScheeliteSchoepiteSphaleriteTetrahedriteTyroliteVivianite

41 IMA Minerals at location:
Annabergite  (*)Atacamite  (*)Baryte  (*)Bismoclite  (*)Bismuth  (*)
Bismutite  (*)Boltwoodite  (*)Bornite  (*)Botallackite  (*)Brochantite  (*)
Calcite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Connellite  (*)Cornubite  (*)Covellite  (*)
Dolomite  (*)Erythrite  (*)Eulytine  (*)Gypsum  (*)Hematite  (*)
Kahlerite  (*)Langite  (*)Lavendulan  (*)Malachite  (*)Meta-autunite  (*)
Metakahlerite  (*)Metazeunerite  (*)Mixite  (*)Nickeline  (*)Quartz  (*)
Schoepite  (*)Sphalerite  (*)Tennantite-(Fe)  (*)Tyrolite  (*)Uraninite  (*)
Uranophane-α  (*)Vandendriesscheite  (*)Walpurgite  (*)Widenmannite  (*)Wulfenite  (*)
Zeunerite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Annabergite  (*)VivianiteNi3(AsO4)2·8H2O443.81851122296445
Atacamite  (*)AtacamiteCu2Cl(OH)3443.81851122296544
Baryte  (*)BaryteBa(SO4)443.8185112229611547
Bismoclite  (*)MatlockiteBiOCl443.8185112229671
Bismuth  (*)ArsenicBi443.818511222961966
Bismutite  (*)BismutiteBi2O2(CO3)443.81851122296716
Boltwoodite  (*)None(K,Na)(UO2)(SiO3OH)·1.5H2O185185112229667
Bornite  (*)NoneCu5FeS4443.818511222965516
Botallackite  (*)AtacamiteCu2Cl(OH)3443.8185112229649
Brochantite  (*)BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)6443.818511222961633
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)443.8185112229627770
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS2443.8185112229627198
Connellite  (*)ConnelliteCu36(SO4)(OH)62Cl8·6H2O443.81851122296295
Cornubite  (*)NoneCu5(AsO4)2(OH)4443.81851122296109
Covellite  (*)CovelliteCuS443.818511222964165
Dolomite  (*)NoneCaMg(CO3)2443.818511222969895
Erythrite  (*)VivianiteCo3(AsO4)2·8H2O443.81851122296814
Eulytine  (*)NoneBi4(SiO4)3443.8185112229672
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O443.818511222966890
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O3443.8185112229614640
Kahlerite  (*)NoneFe2+(UO2)2(AsO4)2·12H2O185185112229612
Langite  (*)NoneCu4(SO4)(OH)6·2H2O443.81851122296593
Lavendulan  (*)NoneNaCaCu5(AsO4)4Cl·5H2O443.81851122296149
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2443.8185112229612537
Meta-autunite  (*)Meta-autuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2·6H2O1851851122296388
Metakahlerite  (*)NoneFe2+(UO2)2(AsO4)2·8H2O185185112229618
Metazeunerite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(AsO4)2·8H2O1851851122296182
Mixite  (*)MixiteCu6Bi(AsO4)3(OH)6·3H2O443.81851122296168
Nickeline  (*)NickelineNiAs443.81851122296633
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2443.8185112229661156
Schoepite  (*)Schoepite(UO2)4O(OH)6(H2O)6185185112229694
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS443.8185112229621482
Tennantite-(Fe)  (*)TetrahedriteCu6(Cu4Fe2)As4S13443.818511222961803
Tyrolite  (*)TyroliteCa2Cu9(AsO4)4(CO3)(OH)8·11H2O443.81851122296245
Uraninite  (*)FluoriteUO218518511222962718
Uranophane-α  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2(SiO3OH)2·5H2O1851851122296890
Vandendriesscheite  (*)NonePb1.6(UO2)10O6(OH)11·11H2O185185112229652
Walpurgite  (*)NoneBi4O4(UO2)(AsO4)2·2H2O185185112229638
Widenmannite  (*)NonePb2(OH)2[(UO2)(CO3)2]18518511222969
Wulfenite  (*)ScheelitePbMoO4443.818511222961655
Zeunerite  (*)AutuniteCu(UO2)2(AsO4)2·12H2O1851851122296185



Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Giersdorf_00000849The study area is located in the vicinity of the town of Dalbeattie (Kircudbrightshire, south-west Scotland), on the north coast of the Solway Firth. The regional geology has been summarized by Miller and Taylor (1966). The area is mainly underlain by strongly folded Silurian metasedimentary rocks intruded by the Criffell pluton, a late Caledonian (397 _+ 2 Ma, Halliday et al. 1980) granodiorite. This batholith is surrounded by an aureole of contact hornfelses. Carboniferous limestones are present in the coastal area. They are faulted against the Silurian metasediments, through a major NE SW structure dipping 45 ~ to the SE, and known as the coastal fault, since Miller and Taylor have shown that it is responsible for the long, straight, shoreline feature in the Colvend Southwick area (Fig. 1). Much evidence of shearing (ubiquitous southerly dipping shear planes, associated with brecciation, silicificatiom and the development of clay fault gouge) has been observed along this structure by the same authors. In the Needle's Eye area (in the Southwick Coast Wildlife Reserve), the coastal fault runs parallel to the foot of an ancient sea cliff about 35 m high that marks the southern edge of the Criffel batholith. The structure itself, and the Carboniferous limestones to its south are largely covered by Quaternary coastal sediments which are known as the Merse. These postglacial estuarine deposits, about 1-2 m thick, stretch from the base of the cliff to a tidal creek, the Southwick Water. The upper layers of the Merse sediments correlate with the last major (Flandrian) rise in the Irish Sea-level about 6000 7000 years ago (Hooker 1990).
Giersdorf_00000850The study area is located in the vicinity of the town of Dalbeattie (Kircudbrightshire, south-west Scotland), on the north coast of the Solway Firth. The regional geology has been summarized by Miller and Taylor (1966). The area is mainly underlain by strongly folded Silurian metasedimentary rocks intruded by the Criffell pluton, a late Caledonian (397 _+ 2 Ma, Halliday et al. 1980) granodiorite. This batholith is surrounded by an aureole of contact hornfelses. Carboniferous limestones are present in the coastal area. They are faulted against the Silurian metasediments, through a major NE SW structure dipping 45 ~ to the SE, and known as the coastal fault, since Miller and Taylor have shown that it is responsible for the long, straight, shoreline feature in the Colvend Southwick area (Fig. 1). Much evidence of shearing (ubiquitous southerly dipping shear planes, associated with brecciation, silicificatiom and the development of clay fault gouge) has been observed along this structure by the same authors. In the Needle's Eye area (in the Southwick Coast Wildlife Reserve), the coastal fault runs parallel to the foot of an ancient sea cliff about 35 m high that marks the southern edge of the Criffel batholith. The structure itself, and the Carboniferous limestones to its south are largely covered by Quaternary coastal sediments which are known as the Merse. These postglacial estuarine deposits, about 1-2 m thick, stretch from the base of the cliff to a tidal creek, the Southwick Water. The upper layers of the Merse sediments correlate with the last major (Flandrian) rise in the Irish Sea-level about 6000 7000 years ago (Hooker 1990).
Giersdorf_00000851The study area is located in the vicinity of the town of Dalbeattie (Kircudbrightshire, south-west Scotland), on the north coast of the Solway Firth. The regional geology has been summarized by Miller and Taylor (1966). The area is mainly underlain by strongly folded Silurian metasedimentary rocks intruded by the Criffell pluton, a late Caledonian (397 _+ 2 Ma, Halliday et al. 1980) granodiorite. This batholith is surrounded by an aureole of contact hornfelses. Carboniferous limestones are present in the coastal area. They are faulted against the Silurian metasediments, through a major NE SW structure dipping 45 ~ to the SE, and known as the coastal fault, since Miller and Taylor have shown that it is responsible for the long, straight, shoreline feature in the Colvend Southwick area (Fig. 1). Much evidence of shearing (ubiquitous southerly dipping shear planes, associated with brecciation, silicificatiom and the development of clay fault gouge) has been observed along this structure by the same authors. In the Needle's Eye area (in the Southwick Coast Wildlife Reserve), the coastal fault runs parallel to the foot of an ancient sea cliff about 35 m high that marks the southern edge of the Criffel batholith. The structure itself, and the Carboniferous limestones to its south are largely covered by Quaternary coastal sediments which are known as the Merse. These postglacial estuarine deposits, about 1-2 m thick, stretch from the base of the cliff to a tidal creek, the Southwick Water. The upper layers of the Merse sediments correlate with the last major (Flandrian) rise in the Irish Sea-level about 6000 7000 years ago (Hooker 1990).
Giersdorf_00000852The study area is located in the vicinity of the town of Dalbeattie (Kircudbrightshire, south-west Scotland), on the north coast of the Solway Firth. The regional geology has been summarized by Miller and Taylor (1966). The area is mainly underlain by strongly folded Silurian metasedimentary rocks intruded by the Criffell pluton, a late Caledonian (397 _+ 2 Ma, Halliday et al. 1980) granodiorite. This batholith is surrounded by an aureole of contact hornfelses. Carboniferous limestones are present in the coastal area. They are faulted against the Silurian metasediments, through a major NE SW structure dipping 45 ~ to the SE, and known as the coastal fault, since Miller and Taylor have shown that it is responsible for the long, straight, shoreline feature in the Colvend Southwick area (Fig. 1). Much evidence of shearing (ubiquitous southerly dipping shear planes, associated with brecciation, silicificatiom and the development of clay fault gouge) has been observed along this structure by the same authors. In the Needle's Eye area (in the Southwick Coast Wildlife Reserve), the coastal fault runs parallel to the foot of an ancient sea cliff about 35 m high that marks the southern edge of the Criffel batholith. The structure itself, and the Carboniferous limestones to its south are largely covered by Quaternary coastal sediments which are known as the Merse. These postglacial estuarine deposits, about 1-2 m thick, stretch from the base of the cliff to a tidal creek, the Southwick Water. The upper layers of the Merse sediments correlate with the last major (Flandrian) rise in the Irish Sea-level about 6000 7000 years ago (Hooker 1990).


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_00000849185185185±20U-Pbage of pitchblende-bearing veins in the Needle's Eye siteuraninite   Uraninite U5186Needle's Eye Mine, Needle's Eye, Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland, UKNeedle's Eye MineJamet et al. (1993)10.1007/BF00199011MD28_66Age of the uraninite found in the Steps area, within 1 km of the Needle's Eye mine.
Giersdorf_00000850358.9298.9Carboniferous Age is described as Carboniferous      5186Needle's Eye Mine, Needle's Eye, Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland, UKNeedle's Eye MineJamet et al. (1993)10.1007/BF00199011MD28_66Age of limestone found in the Needle's Eye area
Giersdorf_00000851397397397±2        5186Needle's Eye Mine, Needle's Eye, Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland, UKNeedle's Eye MineJamet et al. (1993)10.1007/BF00199011MD28_66Age of the Criffel pluton
Giersdorf_00000852443.8419.2Silurian Age is described as Silurian      5186Needle's Eye Mine, Needle's Eye, Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland, UKNeedle's Eye MineJamet et al. (1993)10.1007/BF00199011MD28_66Age of faulted metasediment in contact with the above limestone in the Needle's Eye area


SampleSource LocalityReference URL


All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

All age data...

Other copyright data...