Definition
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
History
Origin
USA
Western Australia, Minnesota
Discoverer
Unknown
Johann Gottlob Lehmann
Etymology
From English word serpentinization.
From its formation process
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Banded, Trellis
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Red, Reddish Brown
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Jadeitite
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
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
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
Chemical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-55.5-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
310.00 N/mm2220.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
7
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.79-35.0-5.3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K3.20 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Western Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Colombia
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia