Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From its formation process
From origin of a Palaeozoic nepheline syenite from northern Shanxi Province, China
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Granular
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Borolanite and Litchfieldite
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
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.
Nepheline Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Greasy to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Toughness
1.5
Not Available
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
2.6
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Andorra, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia