Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
USA
Discoverer
Unknown
John Peter Salley
Etymology
From its formation process
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Cleavage
Imperfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
1.5
Not Available
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
1100-1400 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
All about Banded iron formation and Coal Properties
Know all about Banded iron formation and Coal properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Banded iron formation and Coal belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Banded iron formation is Banded, Trellis whereas that of Coal is Amorphous, Glassy. Banded iron formation appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Coal appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Banded iron formation is earthy while that of Coal is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Banded iron formation are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Coal are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.