Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
Egypt
Discoverer
Unknown
Alois Wehrle
Etymology
From its formation process
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Banded
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Rough and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
NA
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Not Available
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
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.
Wehrlite 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
Pyroxene
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, 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, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Perfect
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
8.4
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
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
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Banded iron formation vs Wehrlite 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 Wehrlite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Wehrlite. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Wehrlite in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Wehrlite, 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 Wehrlite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Banded iron formation and Wehrlite
Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Wehrlite. 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 Wehrlite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Wehrlite includes Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Wehrlite, 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, Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Wehrlite. Hardness of Banded iron formation and Wehrlite is 5.5-6. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Wehrlite 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 and Wehrlite is white. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Wehrlite is 0.63 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 Wehrlite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.