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:
Almadén Mine, Almadén, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain

Oldest recorded age at locality: 429.7
Youngest recorded age at locality: 358.2

mindat Locality ID: 3115
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-3115.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Almadén Mine, Almadén, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain": 0
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 0

Latitude: 38°46'31"N
Longitude: 4°50'50"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 38.775277777778,-4.8472222222222

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.

Baryte	Calcite	Chalcopyrite	Clay	Corundum	Diaspore	Gypsum	Kaolinite	Marcasite	Mica
Millerite	Nickeline	None	Pyrite	Quartz	Rocksalt	Sphalerite	Titanite	Wurtzite	Zircon

Ankerite ()*	Baryte ()*	Calcite ()*	Calomel ()*	Chalcopyrite ()*
Cinnabar ()*	Dickite ()*	Dolomite ()*	Galena ()*	Gianellaite ()*
Goethite ()*	Graphite ()*	Greenockite ()*	Gypsum ()*	Ilmenite ()*
Kaolinite ()*	Marcasite ()*	Mercury ()*	Metacinnabar ()*	Millerite ()*
Muscovite ()*	Pyrite ()*	Pyrrhotite ()*	Quartz ()*	Schuetteite ()*
Siderite ()*	Sphalerite ()*	Titanite ()*	Zircon ()*

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 Ba C Ca Cd Cl Cu Fe H Hg K Mg N Ni O Pb S Si Ti Zn Zr

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Al Ba C Ca Cd Cl Cu Fe H Hg K Mg N Ni O Pb S Si Ti Zn Zr

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality:
Baryte Calcite Chalcopyrite Clay Corundum Diaspore Gypsum Kaolinite Marcasite Mica
Millerite Nickeline None Pyrite Quartz Rocksalt Sphalerite Titanite Wurtzite Zircon

29 IMA Minerals at location:

Mineral name	Structural Groups	IMA Formula	Max Age (Ma)	Min Age (Ma)	# of localities containing mineral
Ankerite ()*	None	Ca(Fe²⁺,Mg)(CO₃)₂	429.7	361.3	3092
Baryte ()*	Baryte	Ba(SO₄)	429.7	361.3	11547
Calcite ()*	Calcite	Ca(CO₃)	429.7	361.3	27770
Calomel ()*	None	HgCl	429.7	361.3	91
Chalcopyrite ()*	Chalcopyrite	CuFeS₂	429.7	361.3	27198
Cinnabar ()*	None	HgS	429.7	361.3	2600
Dickite ()*	Clay Kaolinite	Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄	429.7	361.3	651
Dolomite ()*	None	CaMg(CO₃)₂	429.7	361.3	9895
Galena ()*	Rocksalt	PbS	429.7	361.3	24243
Gianellaite ()*	None	(Hg₂N)₂(SO₄)(H₂O)_x	429.7	361.3	3
Goethite ()*	Diaspore	FeO(OH)	429.7	361.3	7437
Graphite ()*	None	C	429.7	361.3	2812
Greenockite ()*	Wurtzite	CdS	429.7	361.3	717
Gypsum ()*	Gypsum	Ca(SO₄)·2H₂O	429.7	361.3	6890
Ilmenite ()*	Corundum	Fe²⁺Ti⁴⁺O₃	429.7	361.3	5433
Kaolinite ()*	Clay Kaolinite	Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄	429.7	361.3	5591
Marcasite ()*	Marcasite	FeS₂	429.7	361.3	5674
Mercury ()*	None	Hg	429.7	361.3	397
Metacinnabar ()*	Sphalerite	HgS	429.7	361.3	255
Millerite ()*	Millerite	NiS	429.7	361.3	1066
Muscovite ()*	Mica Clay	KAl₂(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂	429.7	361.3	17380
Pyrite ()*	Pyrite	FeS₂	429.7	361.3	39462
Pyrrhotite ()*	Nickeline	Fe₇S₈	429.7	361.3	9056
Quartz ()*	Quartz	SiO₂	429.7	361.3	61156
Schuetteite ()*	None	Hg₃O₂(SO₄)	0	0	21
Siderite ()*	Calcite	Fe(CO₃)	429.7	361.3	6417
Sphalerite ()*	Sphalerite	ZnS	429.7	361.3	21482
Titanite ()*	Titanite	CaTi(SiO₄)O	429.7	361.3	4899
Zircon ()*	Zircon	Zr(SiO₄)	429.7	361.3	5251

Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:

Age ID	Locality Notes
Hg-00028	Mercury mineralization at Almaden is hosted by Paleozoic sedimentary and mafic volcanic rocks that unconformably overlie Pre-Ordovician basement rock in the central part of the Iberian Peninsula

6 Ages assigned to this locality:

Excel ID	Max Age (Ma)	Min Age (Ma)	Age as listed in reference	Dating Method	Age Interpret	Sample Source	Sample Num	Age from other Locality	Minerals explicitely stated as having this age	Age applies to these Elements	MinDat Locality ID	Dated Locality (Max Age)	Location as listed in reference	Reference	Reference DOI	Reference ID	Age Notes
Hg-00028	429.7	361.3		Ar-Ar					Calomel, Cinnabar, Mercury, Metacinnabar, Schuetteite	Hg	3115	Almadén Mine, Almadén, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain		Hall et al. (1997)	10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1	EPSL148_287	Lower Silurian was onset of mineralization, continuing mineralization until Upper Devonian. W/ 2 main episodes of mineralization "one in early Silurian time and another ending in early Carboniferous time. This suggests, in turn, that mercury was deposited both by the alkali basalt volcanic rocks and by later Hercynian metamorphism or magmatism. The early event remains poorly constrained, although it probably took place shortly after deposition of the ore-hosting Lower Silurian Criadero quartzite"
Hg-00028-Las-Cuevas	364	362.4	363.2 ± .8	Ar-Ar	minimum age of illite	illite	sc87/403	Yes		Hg	133000	Las Cuevas Mine, Almadén, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain	Las Cuevas	Hall et al. (1997)	10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1	EPSL148_287	Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation
Hg-00028-El Entredicho-01	360.8	360	360.4 ± .4	Ar-Ar	minimum age of illite	illite	ee4	Yes		Hg	130643	El Entredicho Mine, Almadenejos, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain	El Entredicho	Hall et al. (1997)	10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1	EPSL148_287	Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation
Hg-00028-El Entredicho-02	359	358.2	358.6 ±.4	Ar-Ar	minimum age of illite	illite	sme32/1	Yes		Hg	130643	El Entredicho Mine, Almadenejos, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain	El Entredicho	Hall et al. (1997)	10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1	EPSL148_287	Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation
Hg-00028-El Entredicho-03	363.1	361.5	362.3 ± .8	Ar-Ar	minimum age of illite	illite	sme32/2 < I um	Yes		Hg	130643	El Entredicho Mine, Almadenejos, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain	El Entredicho	Hall et al. (1997)	10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1	EPSL148_287	Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation
Hg-00028-El Entredicho-04	361.1	359.5	360.3 ±.8	Ar-Ar	minimum age of illite	illite	sme32/2 < 0.2 um	Yes		Hg	130643	El Entredicho Mine, Almadenejos, Almadén District, Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain	El Entredicho	Hall et al. (1997)	10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00041-1	EPSL148_287	Ar retention ages are equivelent to K-Ar ages, so, represent the minimum age of illite formation

Sample	Source Locality	Reference URL

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

All age data...