Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From its formation process
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Granular, Phaneritic
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt
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.
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
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, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Not Available
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Toughness
1.5
Not Available
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, 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
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Banded iron formation vs Granite 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 Granite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Granite. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Granite in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Granite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Granite, 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 Granite include As dimension stone.
More about Banded iron formation and Granite
Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Granite. 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 Granite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Granite, 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, Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Granite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Granite. The hardness of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6 and that of Granite is 6-7. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Banded iron formation and Granite is white. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Granite is 0.79 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 Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant.