Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
A ganister is a hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone or orthoquartzite which is basically used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces and is a type of sedimentary rocks.
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
England
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From its formation process
From gan′is-ter i.e a hard, close-grained siliceous stone, often forming the stratum which underlies a coal-seam
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Rough
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
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
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Not Available
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained 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
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not 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.
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Coarse or Fine
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Splintery
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Perfect
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure 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 Ganister 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 Ganister characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Ganister. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Ganister in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Ganister include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Ganister, 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 Ganister include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Banded iron formation and Ganister
Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Ganister. 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 Ganister consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Ganister includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Ganister, 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, Ganister is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Ganister is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Ganister. The hardness of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6 and that of Ganister is 6-7. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Ganister 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 Ganister is white. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Ganister 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 Ganister is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.