Definition
Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Origin
-
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
William Smith
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
Etymology
From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia
From its formation process
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Banded, Trellis
Color
Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Roof Tiles
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.
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, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
5.0-5.3
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Pakistan, Russia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Marl 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. Marl vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Marl and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Marl vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Marl include Decorative aggregates and Floor tiles whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Marl and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Marl in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Marl and Banded iron formation
Here you can know more about Marl 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 Marl and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Marl includes Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz 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 Marl vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Marl is Rough and Dull and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Marl vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Marl is 2-3 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Marl are Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl 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 Marl and Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Marl is 0.80 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.Marl is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.