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Skarn vs Banded iron formation


Banded iron formation vs Skarn


Definition

Definition
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin  
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age  

History
  
  

Origin
USA, Australia  
Western Australia, Minnesota  

Discoverer
Tornebohm  
Johann Gottlob Lehmann  

Etymology
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.  
From its formation process  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough  
Banded, Trellis  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White  
Red, Reddish Brown  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  
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, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  

Types

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

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits  
Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn 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
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite  
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz  

Compound Content
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO  
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
No  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
-  
Chemical Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.5  
5.5-6  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Large and Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Irregular  
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal  

Streak
Light to dark brown  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Earthy  

Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2  
35
220.00 N/mm2  
9

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
2.4  
1.5  

Specific Gravity
2.86  
5.0-5.3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
3.20 kJ/Kg K  
1

Resistance
Heat Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka  
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam  

Africa
South Africa, Western Africa  
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
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
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay  
Bolivia, Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia  

Definition >>
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Skarn 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 Skarn and Banded iron formation Reserves. Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin. 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 Skarn vs Banded iron formation information and Skarn vs Banded iron formation characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Skarn 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. Skarn vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Skarn and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Skarn vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Skarn include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Skarn and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Skarn 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, Gold and silver production, 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 Skarn and Banded iron formation

Here you can know more about Skarn 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 Skarn and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Skarn includes Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Skarn vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Skarn is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Skarn is Dull and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Skarn vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Skarn is 6.5 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Skarn are Endoskarns 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 Skarn is light to dark brown while that of Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Skarn 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.Skarn is heat resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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