Definition
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Origin
USA
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
John Peter Salley
Unknown
Etymology
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Amorphous, Glassy
Banded, Trellis
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Is one of the oldest rock
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
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
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
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Earthy
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Imperfect
Toughness
Not Available
1.5
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
5.0-5.3
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
1100-1400 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, 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, Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
All about Coal and Banded iron formation Properties
Know all about Coal and Banded iron formation properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Coal and Banded iron formation belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Coal is Amorphous, Glassy whereas that of Banded iron formation is Banded, Trellis. Coal appears Veined or Pebbled and Banded iron formation appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Coal is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Banded iron formation is earthy. Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. The commercial uses of Coal are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry and that of Banded iron formation are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork.