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Voronkafotra (Vorokafotra; Vohidava mine), Ianabinda, Betroka District, Anosy, Madagascari
Regional Level Types
Voronkafotra (Vorokafotra; Vohidava mine)- not defined -
IanabindaCommune
Betroka DistrictDistrict
AnosyRegion
MadagascarCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
23° South , 45° East (est.)
Estimate based on other nearby localities or region boundaries.
Margin of Error:
~29km
Köppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
108200
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:108200:8
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other Languages:
Malagasy:
Voronkafotra (Vorokafotra), Kaominin' Ianabinda, Distrikan'i Betroka, Faritr' Anosy, Madagasikara


A classic locality for sapphirine situated close to the Route National nr 13 south of the town Betroka (between Betroka and Ianabinda). A sapphirine bearing rock (sakenite) is exposed in one the old phlogopite mines here (eg. Mahatsinjo mine) located near the village of Voronkafotra.

Phlogopite-bearing pyroxenites were mined for mica in three separate areas, Moraharivo, Mahatsinjo and Besakoa respectively. The concession for the old phlogopite mine was P.E. 229 SAINT-BEZARD (Besaire 1966).
The map coordinates given by Besaire (1966) for the phlogopite deposit is X= 292, Y= 348.

The locality is also referred to in the earlier literature as located about 35 km east of the ancient village of Itrongay in the southern part of Madagascar.
According to Behier (1960), this locality probably is A. Lacroix's sapphirine-locality (Lacroix 1922). Lacroix referred to the locality as being situated some 20s km east of Itrongay. A sapphirine-bearing rock (Sakenite) is described from Mahatsinjo (Besaire 1966).

In more recent times the locality (area) is referred to as Vohidava mine in Razakamanana et al. (2006).
According to Razakamanana et al. (2006), the lithology is a granitic, cordierite-garnet leucogneiss that is intercalated with layers of phlogopite-spinel-diopsidite, clinopyroxene-scapolite and spinel-clinohumite-forsterite-diopside-phlogopite marble and sapphirine-bearing granulites.

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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

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Mineral List

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

10 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)
ⓘ Calcite
Formula: CaCO3
ⓘ Cordierite
Formula: (Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18)
ⓘ Corundum
Formula: Al2O3
ⓘ Diopside
Formula: CaMgSi2O6
ⓘ Enstatite
Formula: Mg2Si2O6
Description: an enstatite with XMg values from 0.94 to 0.98, Al2O3 varies between 1.80 to 5.57 wt% and MnO is up to 0.14 wt% (Razakamanana et al. (2006)
ⓘ 'K Feldspar'
ⓘ Kornerupine
Formula: Mg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH)
Description: Lacroix mentions a find of kornerupine about 20 km E of Itrongay. Behier (1960) argues for this being the Voronkafotra locality
ⓘ Phlogopite
Formula: KMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Sapphirine
Formula: Mg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36]
Colour: pale-blue
Description: Sapphirine from here has no Fe3+ with a 0.7-2.0 wt% total FeO (Ackermand et al., 1989, cited in Razakamanana et al 2006).
ⓘ Sillimanite
Formula: Al2(SiO4)O
ⓘ Spinel
Formula: MgAl2O4

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘSpinel4.BB.05MgAl2O4
ⓘCorundum4.CB.05Al2O3
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘCalcite5.AB.05CaCO3
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘSillimanite9.AF.05Al2(SiO4)O
ⓘKornerupine9.BJ.50Mg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH)
ⓘCordierite9.CJ.10(Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18)
ⓘEnstatite9.DA.05Mg2Si2O6
ⓘDiopside9.DA.15CaMgSi2O6
ⓘSapphirine9.DH.45Mg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36]
ⓘPhlogopite9.EC.20KMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Unclassified
ⓘ'K Feldspar'-
ⓘ'Apatite'-Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ KornerupineMg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH)
Hⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
BBoron
Bⓘ KornerupineMg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH)
CCarbon
Cⓘ CalciteCaCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Oⓘ Cordierite(Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18)
Oⓘ CorundumAl2O3
Oⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Oⓘ EnstatiteMg2Si2O6
Oⓘ KornerupineMg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH)
Oⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ SapphirineMg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36]
Oⓘ SillimaniteAl2(SiO4)O
Oⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
Oⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
FFluorine
Fⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ Cordierite(Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18)
Mgⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Mgⓘ EnstatiteMg2Si2O6
Mgⓘ KornerupineMg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH)
Mgⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Mgⓘ SapphirineMg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36]
Mgⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
AlAluminium
Alⓘ Cordierite(Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18)
Alⓘ CorundumAl2O3
Alⓘ KornerupineMg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH)
Alⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ SapphirineMg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36]
Alⓘ SillimaniteAl2(SiO4)O
Alⓘ SpinelMgAl2O4
SiSilicon
Siⓘ Cordierite(Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18)
Siⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Siⓘ EnstatiteMg2Si2O6
Siⓘ KornerupineMg3Al6(Si,Al,B)5O21(OH)
Siⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ SapphirineMg4(Mg3Al9)O4[Si3Al9O36]
Siⓘ SillimaniteAl2(SiO4)O
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ClChlorine
Clⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
KPotassium
Kⓘ PhlogopiteKMg3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
CaCalcium
Caⓘ CalciteCaCO3
Caⓘ DiopsideCaMgSi2O6
Caⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
FeIron
Feⓘ Cordierite(Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18)

Localities in this Region

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African Plate
Madagascar
Somali PlateTectonic Plate

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