Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
During the impact melted material forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments together form Suevite rock.
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
Canada, Germany
Discoverer
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
Unknown
Etymology
From its formation process
No etymologies found
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Earthy
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Phyllosilicates, Calcite
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
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.
Suevite is a metamorphic rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, formed during an impact event.
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
2.86
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
-
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
-
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
England, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
-
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
-
Banded iron formation vs Suevite 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 Suevite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Suevite. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Suevite in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Suevite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Suevite, 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 Suevite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Banded iron formation and Suevite
Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Suevite. 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 Suevite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Suevite includes Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Suevite, 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, Suevite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Suevite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Suevite. The hardness of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6 and that of Suevite is 5.5. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Suevite are Phyllosilicates, Calcite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Banded iron formation is white while that of Suevite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Suevite 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 Suevite is heat resistant.