File:Banded iron formation (Temagami Iron-Formation, Neoarchean, ~2.736 Ga; Temagami North roadcut, Temagami, Ontario, Canada) 157 (47799849511).jpg

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Banded iron formation in the Precambrian of Ontario, Canada.

Whitish = quartz-rich Dark gray = magnetite-rich

The outcrop shown here consists of BIFs - banded iron formations. BIFs are unusual, dense sedimentary rocks consisting of alternating layers of iron-rich oxides and iron-rich silicates. Most BIFs are Proterozoic in age (although some are Late Archean), and do not form today - they're “extinct”! Many specific varieties of iron formation are known, and some are given special rock names. For example, jaspilite is an attractive reddish & silvery gray banded rock consisting of hematite, red chert (“jasper”), and specular hematite or magnetite. This outcrop has magnetite-quartz BIF.

Because of their age, most BIFs have been around long enough to have been subjected to one or more orogenic (mountain-building) events. As such, most BIFs are folded, faulted, and/or metamorphosed to varying degrees.

BIFs are known from around the world, but some of the most famous & extensive BIF deposits are found in the vicinity of North America’s Lake Superior Basin. Many BIFs have economic concentrations of iron and are mined - they are the most important variety of iron ore on Earth.

The rocks at this locality are structurally tilted. Small-scale folds and faults are present in the area. Published literature refers to the folding here as soft-sediment deformation.

Stratigraphy: Temagami Iron-Formation, lower Neoarchean, ~2.736 Ga

Locality: Temagami North Outcrop - roadcut on the western side of Rt. 11, immediately north of town of Temagami, eastern Ontario, southeastern Canada (47° 04’ 06.70” North latitude, 79° 47’ 26.08” West longitude)
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Source Banded iron formation (Temagami Iron-Formation, Neoarchean, ~2.736 Ga; Temagami North roadcut, Temagami, Ontario, Canada) 157
Author James St. John

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This image was originally posted to Flickr by James St. John at https://flickr.com/photos/47445767@N05/47799849511 (archive). It was reviewed on 10 October 2019 by FlickreviewR 2 and was confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.

10 October 2019

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current00:44, 10 October 2019Thumbnail for version as of 00:44, 10 October 20194,000 × 3,000 (7.64 MB)Ser Amantio di Nicolao (talk | contribs)Transferred from Flickr via #flickr2commons

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