Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Van Tooren
Etymology
From its formation process
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, 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.
Landscaping
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Not Available
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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.
Tephrite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
2.86
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Not Yet Found
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Namibia, Uganda
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Banded iron formation vs Tephrite 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 Tephrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Tephrite. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Tephrite in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Tephrite, 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 Tephrite include Landscaping.
More about Banded iron formation and Tephrite
Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Tephrite. 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 Tephrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Tephrite, 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, Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Tephrite is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Tephrite. The hardness of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6 and that of Tephrite is 6.5. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Tephrite 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 is white while that of Tephrite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Tephrite 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 Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant.