Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone
History
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
-
Discoverer
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
Unknown
Etymology
From its formation process
From Pelos or clay in Greek
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Foliated
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Metamorphic rock
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Composition
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5.5-65-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Fibrous
Streak
White
-
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Earthy
Earthy
Compressive Strength
220.00 N/mm240.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.5
-
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.33.4-3.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm30-300 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K0.72 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
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
-
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Western Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
-
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia