Kimberlite

Banded iron formation

Kimberlite vs Banded iron formation

Kimberlite

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Definition

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.

Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age

History

Origin

Kimberley, South Africa

Western Australia, Minnesota

Discoverer

John W. Judd

Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Etymology

From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

From its formation process

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Banded, Trellis

Color

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey

Red, Reddish Brown

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Banded

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

Paving Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites

Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene

Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-75.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Coarse Grained

Large and Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Earthy

Compressive Strength

260.00 N/mm²220.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Conchoidal

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.875.0-5.3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.95-2.96 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K3.20 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Russia

China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Kimberlite vs Banded iron formation Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Kimberlite and Banded iron formation Reserves. Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.. Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Kimberlite vs Banded iron formation information and Kimberlite vs Banded iron formation characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Kimberlite 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. Kimberlite vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Kimberlite and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Kimberlite vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Kimberlite include Countertops, 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 Kimberlite and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Kimberlite in construction industry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Kimberlite and Banded iron formation

Here you can know more about Kimberlite 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 Kimberlite and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Kimberlite includes Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, 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 Kimberlite vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Kimberlite is Dull and Banded and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Kimberlite vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Kimberlite is 6-7 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Kimberlite are Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites 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 Kimberlite and Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Kimberlite is 0.92 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.Kimberlite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.