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West Driefontein cave, Carletonville, Western Sector, Far West Rand, West Rand District Municipality, Gauteng, South Africai
Regional Level Types
West Driefontein caveCave
Carletonville- not defined -
Western SectorSector
Far West Rand- not defined -
West Rand District MunicipalityMunicipality
GautengProvince
South AfricaCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
26° South , 27° East (est.)
Estimate based on other nearby localities or region boundaries.
Margin of Error:
~5km
GRN:
S18E18
Type:
Cave
Köppen climate type:
Cwb : Subtropical highland climate or temperate oceanic climate with dry winters
Mindat Locality ID:
25595
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:25595:9
GUID (UUID V4):
0


A dolomite cave with the biggest chamber in South Africa. The dolomitic limestone 1.2km thick, overlies the Witwatersrand gold reef.

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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

15 valid minerals. 1 (TL) - type locality of valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded

Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!

Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

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Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ 'Apatite'
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ Aragonite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Brushite
Formula: Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Crandallite
Formula: CaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6
ⓘ Evansite
Formula: Al3(PO4)(OH)6 · 6H2O
ⓘ Gypsum
Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O
ⓘ Hydromagnesite
Formula: Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O
ⓘ Leucophosphite
Formula: KFe3+2(PO4)2(OH) · 2H2O
ⓘ 'Manganomelane'
ⓘ Montgomeryite
Formula: Ca4MgAl4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 12H2O
ⓘ Nitromagnesite
Formula: Mg(NO3)2 · 6H2O
ⓘ Phosphosiderite
Formula: FePO4 · 2H2O
ⓘ Sasaite (TL)
Formula: (Al,Fe3+)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7 · 83H2O
ⓘ Strengite
Formula: FePO4 · 2H2O
ⓘ Variscite
Formula: AlPO4 · 2H2O
ⓘ Whitlockite
Formula: Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
ⓘAragonite5.AB.15CaCO3
ⓘHydromagnesite5.DA.05Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O
ⓘNitromagnesite5.NC.05Mg(NO3)2 · 6H2O
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘGypsum7.CD.40CaSO4 · 2H2O
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘWhitlockite8.AC.45Ca9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)
ⓘCrandallite8.BL.10CaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6
ⓘPhosphosiderite8.CD.05FePO4 · 2H2O
ⓘStrengite8.CD.10FePO4 · 2H2O
ⓘVariscite8.CD.10AlPO4 · 2H2O
ⓘBrushite8.CJ.50Ca(PO3OH) · 2H2O
ⓘSasaite (TL)8.DB.55(Al,Fe3+)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7 · 83H2O
ⓘEvansite8.DF.10Al3(PO4)(OH)6 · 6H2O
ⓘLeucophosphite8.DH.10KFe3+2(PO4)2(OH) · 2H2O
ⓘMontgomeryite8.DH.25Ca4MgAl4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 12H2O
Unclassified
ⓘ'Manganomelane'-
ⓘ'Apatite'-Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ BrushiteCa(PO3OH) · 2H2O
Hⓘ CrandalliteCaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6
Hⓘ EvansiteAl3(PO4)(OH)6 · 6H2O
Hⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Hⓘ HydromagnesiteMg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O
Hⓘ LeucophosphiteKFe23+(PO4)2(OH) · 2H2O
Hⓘ MontgomeryiteCa4MgAl4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 12H2O
Hⓘ NitromagnesiteMg(NO3)2 · 6H2O
Hⓘ PhosphosideriteFePO4 · 2H2O
Hⓘ Sasaite(Al,Fe3+)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7 · 83H2O
Hⓘ StrengiteFePO4 · 2H2O
Hⓘ VarisciteAlPO4 · 2H2O
Hⓘ WhitlockiteCa9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)
Hⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
CCarbon
Cⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Cⓘ HydromagnesiteMg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O
NNitrogen
Nⓘ NitromagnesiteMg(NO3)2 · 6H2O
OOxygen
Oⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Oⓘ BrushiteCa(PO3OH) · 2H2O
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ CrandalliteCaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6
Oⓘ EvansiteAl3(PO4)(OH)6 · 6H2O
Oⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Oⓘ HydromagnesiteMg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O
Oⓘ LeucophosphiteKFe23+(PO4)2(OH) · 2H2O
Oⓘ MontgomeryiteCa4MgAl4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 12H2O
Oⓘ NitromagnesiteMg(NO3)2 · 6H2O
Oⓘ PhosphosideriteFePO4 · 2H2O
Oⓘ Sasaite(Al,Fe3+)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7 · 83H2O
Oⓘ StrengiteFePO4 · 2H2O
Oⓘ VarisciteAlPO4 · 2H2O
Oⓘ WhitlockiteCa9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)
Oⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
FFluorine
Fⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ HydromagnesiteMg5(CO3)4(OH)2 · 4H2O
Mgⓘ MontgomeryiteCa4MgAl4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 12H2O
Mgⓘ NitromagnesiteMg(NO3)2 · 6H2O
Mgⓘ WhitlockiteCa9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)
AlAluminium
Alⓘ CrandalliteCaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6
Alⓘ EvansiteAl3(PO4)(OH)6 · 6H2O
Alⓘ MontgomeryiteCa4MgAl4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 12H2O
Alⓘ Sasaite(Al,Fe3+)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7 · 83H2O
Alⓘ VarisciteAlPO4 · 2H2O
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ BrushiteCa(PO3OH) · 2H2O
Pⓘ CrandalliteCaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6
Pⓘ EvansiteAl3(PO4)(OH)6 · 6H2O
Pⓘ LeucophosphiteKFe23+(PO4)2(OH) · 2H2O
Pⓘ MontgomeryiteCa4MgAl4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 12H2O
Pⓘ PhosphosideriteFePO4 · 2H2O
Pⓘ Sasaite(Al,Fe3+)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7 · 83H2O
Pⓘ StrengiteFePO4 · 2H2O
Pⓘ VarisciteAlPO4 · 2H2O
Pⓘ WhitlockiteCa9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)
Pⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
SSulfur
Sⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Sⓘ Sasaite(Al,Fe3+)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7 · 83H2O
ClChlorine
Clⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
KPotassium
Kⓘ LeucophosphiteKFe23+(PO4)2(OH) · 2H2O
CaCalcium
Caⓘ AragoniteCaCO3
Caⓘ BrushiteCa(PO3OH) · 2H2O
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ CrandalliteCaAl3(PO4)(PO3OH)(OH)6
Caⓘ GypsumCaSO4 · 2H2O
Caⓘ MontgomeryiteCa4MgAl4(PO4)6(OH)4 · 12H2O
Caⓘ WhitlockiteCa9Mg(PO4)6(PO3OH)
Caⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
FeIron
Feⓘ LeucophosphiteKFe23+(PO4)2(OH) · 2H2O
Feⓘ PhosphosideriteFePO4 · 2H2O
Feⓘ Sasaite(Al,Fe3+)14(PO4)11(SO4)(OH)7 · 83H2O
Feⓘ StrengiteFePO4 · 2H2O

Localities in this Region

South Africa
  • Gauteng
    • West Rand District Municipality

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
Somali PlateTectonic Plate
South Africa

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Martini, J. (1978) Sasaite, a new phosphate mineral from West Driefontein Cave, Transvaal, South Africa. Mineralogical Magazine, 42 (323) 401-404 doi:10.1180/minmag.1978.042.323.12
Martini, J.; Kavalieris, I. (1978) Mineralogy of the Transvaal caves. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa, 81. 47-54
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