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Banded iron formation and Gneiss


Gneiss and Banded iron formation


Definition

Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age   
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks   

History
  
  

Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From its formation process   
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded, Trellis   
Banded, Foliated, Platy   

Color
Red, Reddish Brown   
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Foliated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   
As Dimension Stone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite   
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US   

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   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon   

Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Impact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
7   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Irregular   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
125.00 N/mm2   
17

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Poor   

Toughness
1.5   
1.2   

Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3   
2.5-2.7   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.6-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia   

Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo   

Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil   
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Banded iron formation and Gneiss Properties

Know all about Banded iron formation and Gneiss properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Banded iron formation belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Gneiss belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Banded iron formation is Banded, Trellis whereas that of Gneiss is Banded, Foliated, Platy. Banded iron formation appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Gneiss appears Foliated. The luster of Banded iron formation is earthy while that of Gneiss is dull. Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Banded iron formation are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Gneiss are cemetery markers, jewelry, tombstones, used in aquariums.

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