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Banded iron formation vs Schist


Schist vs Banded iron formation


Definition

Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age   
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation   

History
  
  

Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From its formation process   
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded, Trellis   
Foliated, Platy   

Color
Red, Reddish Brown   
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Layered and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings   
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates   

Types

Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite   
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc   

Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
3.5-4   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Shiny   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Slaty   

Toughness
1.5   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3   
2.5-2.9   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland   

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Banded iron formation vs Schist Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Banded iron formation and Schist Reserves. Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Banded iron formation vs Schist information and Banded iron formation vs Schist characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Banded iron formation vs Schist 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 Schist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Schist. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Schist in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Schist, 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 Schist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone.

More about Banded iron formation and Schist

Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Schist. 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 Schist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Schist, 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, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Schist. The hardness of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Banded iron formation and Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Schist is Not Available. 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 Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.

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