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:
Mystery Valley, Mineral Mining District, Navajo Co., Arizona, USA

Oldest recorded age at locality: 180
Youngest recorded age at locality: 180

mindat Locality ID: 52169
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-52169.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Mystery Valley, Mineral Mining District, Navajo Co., Arizona, USA": 6
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 5

Number of Child Localities: 3
Child Localities:
Gold Crown Mine
Monument No. 1 Channel (Channel No. 36)
Mystery Valley No. 2 Channel (Channel No. 54)

Latitude: 36°54'59"N
Longitude: 110°12'10"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 36.916388888889,-110.20277777778
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: Al C Ca Cu Fe H K Mn Na O P S Si Sr U V 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AdeliteAllophaneAluniteAutuniteCalciteChalcanthiteClayDiasporeFluoriteFritzscheite
HewettiteKaoliniteMalachiteMicaNoneNot in a structural groupPyriteQuartzStraczekiteVolborthite
ZippeiteZircon

27 IMA Minerals at location:
Autunite  (*)Azurite  (*)Calcite  (*)Carnotite  (*)Chalcanthite  (*)
Chalcocite  (*)Chrysocolla  (*)Coffinite  (*)Corvusite  (*)Hewettite  (*)
Jarosite  (*)Kaolinite  (*)Malachite  (*)Metatorbernite  (*)Metatyuyamunite  (*)
Montroseite  (*)Pyrite  (*)Quartz  (*)Rauvite  (*)Roscoelite  (*)
Santafeite  (*)Tangeite  (*)Torbernite  (*)Tyuyamunite  (*)Uraninite  (*)
Volborthite  (*)Zippeite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Autunite  (*)AutuniteCa(UO2)2(PO4)2·10-12H2O1801802143267,1432691272
Azurite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu3(CO3)2(OH)21801803143267,143269,1432705509
Calcite  (*)CalciteCa(CO3)1801803143267,143268,14326927770
Carnotite  (*)NoneK2(UO2)2(VO4)2·3H2O1801803143265,143267,1432691184
Chalcanthite  (*)ChalcanthiteCu(SO4)·5H2O1801801143267925
Chalcocite  (*)NoneCu2S18018011432675707
Chrysocolla  (*)Allophane(Cu2-xAlx)H2-xSi2O5(OH)4·nH2O1801802143267,1432693531
Coffinite  (*)ZirconU(SiO4)·nH2O1801801143269566
Corvusite  (*)Straczekite(Na,Ca,K)1-x(V5+,V4+,Fe2+)8O20·4H2O1801802143267,14326979
Hewettite  (*)HewettiteCaV5+6O16·9H2O1801802143267,14326958
Jarosite  (*)AluniteKFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)618018011432692228
Kaolinite  (*)Clay KaoliniteAl2Si2O5(OH)418018011432695591
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)21801803143267,143269,14327012537
Metatorbernite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(PO4)2·8H2O1801802143267,143269443
Metatyuyamunite  (*)FritzscheiteCa(UO2)2(VO4)2·3H2O1801802143267,143269129
Montroseite  (*)Diaspore(V3+,Fe2+,V4+)O(OH)1801801143269136
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS21801804143265,143267,143268,14326939462
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2180180114326761156
Rauvite  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2V10O28·16H2O1801802143267,14326932
Roscoelite  (*)MicaKV3+2(Si3Al)O10(OH)21801802143267,143269253
Santafeite  (*)None(Ca,Sr,Na)3(Mn2+,Fe3+)2Mn4+2(VO4)4(OH,O)5·2H2O18018011432695
Tangeite  (*)AdeliteCaCu(VO4)(OH)180180114326960
Torbernite  (*)NoneCu(UO2)2(PO4)2·12H2O1801802143267,1432691059
Tyuyamunite  (*)NoneCa(UO2)2(VO4)2·5-8H2O1801804143265,143267,143268,143269628
Uraninite  (*)FluoriteUO218018011432692718
Volborthite  (*)VolborthiteCu3V2O7(OH)2·2H2O1801802143267,143269155
Zippeite  (*)ZippeiteK2[(UO2)4(SO4)2O2(OH)2](H2O)41801802143267,143269175


Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Giersdorf_00000992Uranium mineralization is hosted by the Chinle Formation in the Monument Valley district. The major deposits are particularly found within the Shinarump Member of the Chinle Formation. Uranium deposits are commonly localised at confluences and intersections of channels and/or near bends. This is interpreted to be caused by stronger currents able to cut deep scours in the basement.


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
Giersdorf_00000992180180180     Yes U310569Mineral Mining District, Navajo Co., Arizona, USAMonument Valley Mining DistrictJaireth et al. (2010) AN97_21Age of the initial mineralization of U in the district with several following mobilization events

SampleSource LocalityReference URL

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