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Banded Iron Formations

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Geobiology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Synonyms

BIFs

Definition

Sedimentary deposits of alternating iron-rich (∼20–40% Fe) and iron-poor, siliceous (∼40–50% SiO2) mineral layers that primarily precipitated throughout much of the late Archean (2.7–2.5 Ga) and Paleoproterozoic (2.5–1.8 Ga), but then remerged in the Neoproterozoic (∼0.8 Ga).

BIF characterization, mineralogy, and distribution

BIFs are globally distributed, with some of the larger formations being those of the Hamersley range in Australia and the Transvaal Supergroup in South Africa (Figures 1 and 2). Other major BIFs include Krivoy Rog Supergroup, Ukraine (2.2 Ga); Labrador Trough, Canada; Lake Superior Region, USA; Gunflint and Biwabik, North America (2.2–2.0 Ga), Carajás Formation (2.6 Ga) and Urucum Region, Brazil (0.8 Ga).

Banded Iron Formations. Figure 1
figure 1

Appearance of BIFs in geological time and marked as Algoma and Superior types.

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  1. Geomicrobiology Group Center for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Sigwartstrasse 10, 72072, Tübingen, Germany

    Nicole R. Posth & Andreas Kappler

  2. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada

    Kurt O. Konhauser

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Posth, N.R., Konhauser, K.O., Kappler, A. (2011). Banded Iron Formations. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_19

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