Definition
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Origin
-
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
Unknown
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
Etymology
-
From its formation process
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Banded, Trellis
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Soft
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Epidosite 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.
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
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
5.0-5.3
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
-9999 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Iceland
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Epidosite 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. Epidosite vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Epidosite and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Epidosite vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Epidosite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Epidosite and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Epidosite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Epidosite and Banded iron formation
Here you can know more about Epidosite 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 Epidosite and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Epidosite vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Epidosite is Dull and Soft and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Epidosite vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Epidosite is 6 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Epidosite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite 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 Epidosite is white to grey while that of Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Epidosite is 0.84 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.Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.