Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
History
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
England
Discoverer
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
Unknown
Etymology
From its formation process
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Brecciated, Clastic
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Present
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.
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.
Composition
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5.5-67
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
220.00 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.5
-
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.32.86-2.87
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm30 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand