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:
Virgin Mts, Clark Co., Nevada, USA

Oldest recorded age at locality: 1650
Youngest recorded age at locality: 1390

mindat Locality ID: 65120
mindat URL: http://www.mindat.org/loc-65120.html

Tectonic Settings:

Total number of sublocalities beneath "Virgin Mts, Clark Co., Nevada, USA": 30
Total number of bottom-level sublocalities: 28

Number of Child Localities: 1
Child Localities:
Bunkerville District

Latitude: 36°36'30"N
Longitude: 114°6'7"W
Decimal Degree (lat, lon): 36.608333333333,-114.10194444444
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 As Au B Be Bi C Ca Cl Co Cr Cu Fe H K Mg Mo Na Ni O Pb Pd Pt S Si Te V W Zn 

Elements from minerals reported directly at this locality: Al Fe H O Si 

Structural Groups for minerals in this locality: 
AllophaneAmorphousApatiteBerylBrochantiteChalcanthiteChalcopyriteClayClinozoisiteCopper
CorundumDumortieriteEpidoteFeldsparGarnetGypsumMalachiteMeloniteMicaMillerite
MolybdeniteNickelineNoneNot in a structural groupOlivinePentlanditePhenakitePyriteQuartzScheelite
SphaleriteSpinelStauroliteTalcTourmalineUllmanniteVivianite

49 IMA Minerals at location:
Albite  (*)Almandine  (*)Azurite  (*)Beryl  (*)Brochantite  (*)
Chalcanthite  (*)Chalcopyrite  (*)Chromite  (*)Chrysoberyl  (*)Chrysocolla  (*)
Corundum  (*)Cuprite  (*)Dumortierite  (*)Epidote  (*)Erythrite  (*)
Glaukosphaerite  (*)Gold  (*)Gypsum  (*)Hematite  (*)Heterogenite  (*)
Kotulskite  (*)Magnetite  (*)Malachite  (*)Merenskyite  (*)Michenerite  (*)
Microcline  (*)Millerite  (*)Molybdenite  (*)Moncheite  (*)Muscovite  (*)
Opal  (*)Palladium  (*)Pentlandite  (*)Phenakite  (*)Polydymite  (*)
Pyrite  (*)Pyrrhotite  (*)Quartz  (*)Scheelite  (*)Schorl  (*)
Sillimanite  (*)Sperrylite  (*)Sphalerite  (*)Spinel  (*)Staurolite  (*)
Talc  (*)Vanadinite  (*)Violarite  (*)Vysotskite  (*)
Mineral nameStructural GroupsIMA FormulaMax Age (Ma)Min Age (Ma)# of Sublocalities containing mineralLOCALITY IDs, not mindat ids# of localities containing mineral
Albite  (*)FeldsparNa(AlSi3O8)1650139012355088803
Almandine  (*)GarnetFe2+3Al2(SiO4)31650139012354852353
Azurite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu3(CO3)2(OH)21650139012355135509
Beryl  (*)BerylBe3Al2Si6O18165013905235493,235499,235505,235506,2355084286
Brochantite  (*)BrochantiteCu4(SO4)(OH)61650139012355131633
Chalcanthite  (*)ChalcanthiteCu(SO4)·5H2O165013901235513925
Chalcopyrite  (*)ChalcopyriteCuFeS2165013902235492,23551327198
Chromite  (*)SpinelFe2+Cr2O4165013902235492,2355133902
Chrysoberyl  (*)OlivineBeAl2O4165013902235499,235508321
Chrysocolla  (*)Allophane(Cu2-xAlx)H2-xSi2O5(OH)4·nH2O165013902235485,2355133531
Corundum  (*)CorundumAl2O31650139012354851797
Cuprite  (*)Not in a structural groupCu2O1650139012355132970
Dumortierite  (*)DumortieriteAlAl6BSi3O18165013901235504231
Epidote  (*)Epidote ClinozoisiteCa2(Al2Fe3+)[Si2O7][SiO4]O(OH)1650139012354858173
Erythrite  (*)VivianiteCo3(AsO4)2·8H2O165013901235513814
Glaukosphaerite  (*)MalachiteCuNi(CO3)(OH)216501390123551325
Gold  (*)CopperAu165013902235494,23549630554
Gypsum  (*)GypsumCa(SO4)·2H2O165013903235490,235502,2355076890
Hematite  (*)CorundumFe2O316501390123549914640
Heterogenite  (*)NoneCo3+O(OH)165013901235513111
Kotulskite  (*)NickelinePd(Te,Bi)2-x (x ≈ 0.4)165013901235513116
Magnetite  (*)SpinelFe2+Fe3+2O4165013902235492,23551314899
Malachite  (*)MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)216501390123551312537
Merenskyite  (*)MelonitePdTe2165013901235513155
Michenerite  (*)UllmannitePdBiTe165013902235485,235513114
Microcline  (*)FeldsparK(AlSi3O8)145614562235499,2355084924
Millerite  (*)MilleriteNiS1650139012355131066
Molybdenite  (*)MolybdeniteMoS21650139012355135800
Moncheite  (*)MelonitePt(Te,Bi)2165013901235513133
Muscovite  (*)Mica ClayKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2165013904235493,235499,235506,23550817380
Opal  (*)AmorphousSiO2·nH2O1650139012354852994
Palladium  (*)CopperPd16501390123551359
Pentlandite  (*)Pentlandite(Ni,Fe)9S8165013902235492,2355131512
Phenakite  (*)PhenakiteBe2(SiO4)165013902235499,235505326
Polydymite  (*)SpinelNi2+Ni3+2S4165013902235492,235513131
Pyrite  (*)PyriteFeS2165013903235492,235500,23551339462
Pyrrhotite  (*)NickelineFe7S8165013902235492,2355139056
Quartz  (*)QuartzSiO2165013903235500,235508,23551361156
Scheelite  (*)ScheeliteCa(WO4)165013902235500,2355104894
Schorl  (*)TourmalineNaFe2+3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH)1650139012355082705
Sillimanite  (*)Not in a structural groupAl2SiO51650139012354851516
Sperrylite  (*)PyritePtAs2165013901235513337
Sphalerite  (*)SphaleriteZnS16501390123551321482
Spinel  (*)SpinelMgAl2O4165013902235492,2355141934
Staurolite  (*)StauroliteFe2+2Al9Si4O23(OH)165013900978
Talc  (*)Clay TalcMg3Si4O10(OH)21650139012355133337
Vanadinite  (*)ApatitePb5(VO4)3Cl165013901235491605
Violarite  (*)SpinelFeNi2S4165013902235492,235513380
Vysotskite  (*)NonePdS16501390123548553


Locality Notes from all Ages at Locality:
Age IDLocality Notes
Jen_000005660 square miles in an arcuate belt south of the Virgin River in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona
Jen_0000056a60 square miles in an arcuate belt south of the Virgin River in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona
Jen_0000056b60 square miles in an arcuate belt south of the Virgin River in southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona


3 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
Jen_0000056165016501650K-Arage of metamorphismhornblendeN-1    65120Virgin Mts, Clark Co., Nevada, USANorth Virgin MtnsWasserburg and Lanphere (1965)10.1130/0016-7606(1965)76[735:ADITPO]2.0.CO;2GSAB76_735intrusion of younger granite into older metamorphic terrain
Jen_0000056a144613901446-1390K-Ar/Rb-Srage of metamorphismbiotiteN-17    65120Virgin Mts, Clark Co., Nevada, USANorth Virgin MtnsWasserburg and Lanphere (1965)10.1130/0016-7606(1965)76[735:ADITPO]2.0.CO;2GSAB76_735 
Jen_0000056b145614561456Rb-Srage of intrusionmicroclineN-15  Microcline  65120Virgin Mts, Clark Co., Nevada, USANorth Virgin MtnsWasserburg and Lanphere (1965)10.1130/0016-7606(1965)76[735:ADITPO]2.0.CO;2GSAB76_735intrusion of younger granite into older metamorphic terrain

SampleSource LocalityReference URL

All locality data graciously provided by mindat.org

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