Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
Italy
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From its formation process
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball
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, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Clastic
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Shiny and Rounded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
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, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Not Available
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
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.
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
NaCl, CaO
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
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
1.5
Not Available
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
2.86-2.88
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
1.7-2.3 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
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, 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
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Banded iron formation vs Conglomerate Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Banded iron formation vs Conglomerate characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Conglomerate. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Conglomerate in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Conglomerate include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Conglomerate, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Banded iron formation in construction industry include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills. and that of Conglomerate include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Banded iron formation and Conglomerate
Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Conglomerate. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Banded iron formation and Conglomerate consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Conglomerate includes Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Conglomerate, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas, Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Conglomerate is Shiny and Rounded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Conglomerate. The hardness of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6 and that of Conglomerate is 2-3. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Conglomerate are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Banded iron formation and Conglomerate is white. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Conglomerate is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Conglomerate is heat resistant.