Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
History
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
Germany
Discoverer
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From its formation process
From Greek di + base
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Aphanitic, Granular
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Dark Grey to Black
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Vesicular
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
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, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Dolerite
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
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.
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
Composition
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5.5-67
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Earthy
-
Compressive Strength
220.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.5
1.6
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.32.86-2.87
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm32.7-3.3 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
India
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia