Definition
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Origin
Brazil
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
From its formation process
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic
Banded, Trellis
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Red, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Skeletal
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
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
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Peralkaline Nephelinite
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
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
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Nephelinite 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
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Flat
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Metallic
Earthy
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.4-2.9
5.0-5.3
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Rwanda, Tanzania
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Not Yet Found
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Hawaii Islands
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
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Nephelinite 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. Nephelinite vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Nephelinite and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Nephelinite vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Nephelinite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Nephelinite and Banded iron formation
Here you can know more about Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase 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 Nephelinite vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Nephelinite is Skeletal and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Nephelinite vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Nephelinite is 6.5 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite 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 Nephelinite and Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Nephelinite is 0.88 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.Nephelinite is heat resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.