Definition
Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Origin
Unknown
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From old English cealc chalk, lime, plaster; pebble, from Greek khalix small pebble, in English transferred to the opaque, white, soft limestone
From its formation process
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Banded, Trellis
Color
Grey, White, Yellow
Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Soft
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Powder
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Paper Industry, Production of Lime, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Whiting, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.
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.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.3-2.4
5.0-5.3
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.49-2.50 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Colombia
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Chalk vs Banded iron formation 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. Chalk vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chalk and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Chalk vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Chalk include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Chalk and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Chalk in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Chalk and Banded iron formation
Here you can know more about Chalk and Banded iron formation. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chalk and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chalk includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chalk vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Chalk is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Chalk is Soft and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chalk vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Chalk is 1 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Chalk are Not Available whereas types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Chalk and Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Chalk is 0.90 kJ/Kg K and that of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Chalk is heat resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.