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Jed8 97
Jed8 97
e-mail: roy.subrata11@yahoo.com
The geological complexities of banded iron formation (BIF) and associated iron ores of Jilling
Langalata iron ore deposits, SinghbhumNorth Orissa Craton, belonging to Iron Ore Group (IOG)
eastern India have been studied in detail along with the geochemical evaluation of dierent iron ores.
The geochemical and mineralogical characterization suggests that the massive, hard laminated,
soft laminated ore and blue dust had a genetic lineage from BIFs aided with certain input from
hydrothermal activity. The PAAS normalized REE pattern of Jilling BIF striking positive Eu
anomaly, resembling those of modern hydrothermal solutions from mid-oceanic ridge (MOR). Major
part of the iron could have been added to the bottom sea water by hydrothermal solutions derived
from hydrothermally active anoxic marine environments. The ubiquitous presence of intercalated
tuaceous shales indicates the volcanic signature in BIF.
Mineralogical studies reveal that magnetite was the principal iron oxide mineral, whose depositional history is preserved in BHJ, where it remains in the form of martite and the platy hematite
is mainly the product of martite. The dierent types of iron ores are intricately related with the
BHJ. Removal of silica from BIF and successive precipitation of iron by hydrothermal uids of
possible meteoric origin resulted in the formation of martite-goethite ore. The hard laminated ore
has been formed in the second phase of supergene processes, where the deep burial upgrades the
hydrous iron oxides to hematite. The massive ore is syngenetic in origin with BHJ. Soft laminated
ores and biscuity ores were formed where further precipitation of iron was partial or absent.
1. Introduction
Banded iron formation (BIF) represents one of
the most distinctive rock types that occur widespread in space and time in the earlier part of
the Precambrian in most of the shield areas of the
world. The huge iron ore deposits of Jharkhand
Orissa region, eastern India (gure 1a) are part
of the volcano-sedimentary basins containing iron
and to some extent manganese deposits of Precambrian age (Jones 1934). Various workers from
time to time studied on dierent aspects of BIF
and iron ores of eastern India (Jones 1934; Dunn
Keywords. Banded iron formation; hematite; blue dust; mineralogical characterization; archean iron ore group; India.
J. Earth Syst. Sci. 118, No. 6, December 2009, pp. 619641
Indian Academy of Sciences
619
620
Figure 1(a). Geological map of iron ore deposits of eastern India (modied after Chakraborty and Majumder 1986).
(JillingLangalata iron ore deposits are located at the eastern limb of the synclinorium).
Figure 1(b).
locations.
621
Geological map of JillingLangalata iron ore deposits showing distribution of dierent ore types and sample
have been postulated by various workers elsewhere. They include deep-seated hydrothermal,
syngenetic and diagenetic (Taylor et al 2001).
Supergene enrichment followed by metamorphism
is the most widely cited explanation for the genesis
of high-grade hematite ores in Hamersley province
(Morris 1985; Harmsworth et al 1990 and Thorne
et al 2008). However, certain workers expressed
reservations over this supergene model (Findlay
1994; Martin et al 1998; Barley et al 1999; Oliver
622
Figure 2.
shale.
623
A closer view of quarry face in JillingLangalata iron ore mines showing occurrence of middle shale and upper
Figure 3. A closer view of quarry face in JillingLangalata iron ore mines showing occurrence of blue dust in contact with
banded hematite jasper.
624
Figure 4. Photomicrographs of iron ore samples under reected light microscope, (a) alternate bands of hematite and jasper
in banded hematite jasper, (b) martite in banded hematite jasper, (c) martite in massive iron ore, and (d) ne-to-medium
grained micro-platy hematite grains are intricately associated with each other leaving very ne inter-granular micro-pore
spaces in massive ore.
conducted to study the mineralogy, texture, microstructural aspects in respect to various ore types.
For SEM study, sample (5 5 5 mm size) was
rst coated with ultra thin lm of carbon by an
ion sputtered JFC-1100 and then exposed under
JEOL, JSM-35CF electron microscope at National
Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), Jamshedpur. For
this, the working height was kept at 15 mm
with voltage ranging between 1025 kV. Backscattered images were obtained to delineate the
various mineral phases. The detailed microscopic
and mineral chemical studies using XRD, SEMEDS revealed the presence of various iron mineral
phases, nature of iron and gangue minerals and
their specic textural variations.
Samples were crushed and pulverized to 200
micron size for chemical analysis. Representative
samples were analyzed for major element analysis
using XRF spectrometry. The trace and rare earth
elements (REE) were analyzed at National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad,
625
Figure 5. Photomicrographs of iron ore samples under reected light microscope, (a) bands of specular hematite in hard
laminated ore, (b) the alternate bands of hard laminated ore shows contrasting mineralogical association and texture,
(c) presence of very minor silica in the interstitial spaces in hard laminated ore, and (d) goethite occurs as voids and
cavities in martite-goethite ore.
Bands are generally parallel (gure 4a) and continuous but pinching and swelling feature is also
recorded. Some of the samples are martitized
revealing a relict magnetite phase in these rocks
(gure 4b).
4.2 Massive ore
Hematite grains are ne grained and tightly packed
forming as a compact mass in this type of ore. Martite is very common in this type of ore (gure 4c).
Fine-to-medium grained martite and microplaty
crystals of hematite (specularite) are intricately
associated with each other leaving very ne intergranular micro pore spaces (gure 4d).
4.3 Hard laminated ore
626
Figure 6. Photomicrographs of iron ore samples under reected light microscope, (a) highly porous and fragile lamellae in
soft laminated ore, (b) goethite occurs as colloform bands and as vein lling within the voids and cavities in goethitic-lateritic
ore, (c) SEM photograph of blue dust shows ne powdery material mainly composed of micro-platy hematite and martite,
and (d) hematite and goethite in aky friable ore.
627
628
Figure 7.
shale.
SEM photomicrographs of shale samples with EDS (a) lower shale, (b) middle or parting shale, and (c) upper
629
Table 1. Major element constituents of banded hematite jasper in the JillingLangalata iron ore deposits of Singhbhum
Orissa belt.
Sample
Fe2 O3
SiO2
Al2 O3
CaO
MgO
P2 O5
Na2 O
K2 O
Total S
TiO2
MnO2
LOI
Total
BHJ1
BHJ2
BHJ3
BHJ4
BHJ5
BHJ6
BHJ7
BHJ8
BHJ9
BHJ10
BHJ11
BHJ12
BHJ13
BHJ14
BHJ15
BHJ16
BHJ17
BHJ18
BHJ19
49.3
50.8
45.75
47.3
51.1
51.6
51.2
60.87
61.5
64.8
65.04
60.13
59.5
37.26
36.6
61.44
41.4
40.75
41.15
47.04
44.93
50.49
48.84
45.12
44.09
45.35
36.25
34.52
31.61
29.86
34.85
35.54
57.78
58.2
33.11
55.37
54.31
53.93
1.5
1.6
1.5
1.8
1.5
2
1.2
1
2
1.2
2.4
2.3
2.7
2.5
2.5
2.8
0.7
2.3
2.3
0.09
0.17
0.16
0.19
0.13
0.21
0.09
0.17
0.19
0.24
0.26
0.25
0.08
0.18
0.2
0.21
0.19
0.16
0.09
0.06
0.05
0.09
0.08
0.32
0.18
0.12
0.14
0.16
0.15
0.21
0.09
0.19
0.22
0.19
0.21
0.23
0.06
0.13
0.0511
0.0432
0.0549
0.0545
0.0525
0.0592
0.045
0.0432
0.0592
0.0458
0.0412
0.0425
0.0323
0.0412
0.0518
0.0413
0.0425
0.0512
0.0549
0.15
0.15
0.13
0.15
0.14
0.17
0.13
0.16
0.15
0.16
0.15
0.16
0.15
0.16
0.15
0.14
0.17
0.15
0.17
0.13
0.06
0.06
0.09
0.14
0.11
0.13
0.06
0.07
0.06
0.08
0.09
0.05
0.05
0.08
0.09
0.12
0.15
0.13
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.058
0.058
0.061
0.061
0.05
0.035
0.046
0.046
0.046
0.045
0.045
0.061
0.061
0.061
0.056
0.061
0.056
0.062
0.062
0.171
0.163
0.11
0.132
0.154
0.085
0.055
0.055
0.065
0.075
0.055
0.154
0.198
0.056
0.085
0.055
0.095
0.081
0.028
1.41
1.93
1.56
1.26
1.25
1.42
1.59
1.17
1.2
1.57
1.82
1.83
1.46
1.65
1.85
1.8
1.59
1.89
1.92
100.00
99.99
100.01
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
Table 2. Major element constituents of hard laminated ore (HLO), soft laminated ore (SLO) and lateritic ore (LO) in the
JillingLangalata iron ore deposits of SinghbhumOrissa belt.
Sample
Fe2 O3
SiO2
Al2 O3
CaO
MgO
P2 O5
Na2 O
K2 O
Total S
TiO2
MnO2
LOI
Total
HLO1
HLO2
HLO3
HLO4
HLO5
HLO6
HLO7
95
93.8
95.1
95.06
96.38
96.32
95
1.53
2.11
1.62
1.56
0.67
1.31
1.65
1.33
2.03
1.4
1.06
0.3
0.7
1.5
0.05
0.08
0.05
0.05
0.02
0.07
0.09
0.06
0.08
0.09
0.02
0.2
0.7
0.2
0.046
0.046
0.022
0.037
0.046
0.046
0.023
0.0412
0.052
0.042
0.0406
0.0356
0.032
0.0462
0.078
0.087
0.065
0.062
0.044
0.043
0.052
0.042
0.044
0.043
0.065
0.042
0.045
0.043
0.041
0.051
0.042
0.044
0.042
0.041
0.046
0.187
0.055
0.055
0.055
0.055
0.055
0.055
1.56
1.5
1.47
1.95
2.17
0.64
1.27
99.97
99.94
100.00
100.00
100.00
100.00
99.98
SLO1
SLO2
SLO3
SLO4
SLO5
89.5
87.4
83.64
87.7
85.9
5.8
2.5
7.1
4.9
5.3
1.8
5.2
4.7
3.6
4.2
0.11
0.12
0.15
0.12
0.06
0.06
0.2
0.09
0.2
0.07
0.046
0.065
0.055
0.046
0.046
0.042
0.041
0.05
0.043
0.054
0.051
0.057
0.076
0.056
0.068
0.043
0.045
0.043
0.041
0.043
0.047
0.051
0.072
0.061
0.051
0.055
0.198
0.055
0.055
0.055
2.45
4.13
3.97
3.18
4.1
100.00
100.01
100.00
100.00
99.95
LO1
LO2
LO3
LO4
LO5
LO6
LO7
55.5
64.15
79.11
57.05
70.81
67.34
53.5
18.02
14.85
6.42
16.87
11.52
13.31
19.11
14.89
12.82
5.32
14.76
9.52
10.85
16.57
0.13
0.14
0.05
0.14
0.06
0.07
0.08
0.07
0.11
0.2
0.13
0.07
0.08
0.12
0.096
0.062
0.062
0.09
0.066
0.076
0.969
0.12
0.11
0.13
0.143
0.143
0.133
0.098
0.129
0.06
0.12
0.15
0.072
0.13
0.15
0.074
0.084
0.044
0.053
0.061
0.054
0.065
0.86
0.705
0.625
0.84
0.612
0.66
0.852
0.211
0.055
0.11
0.211
0.084
0.214
0.211
9.8
6.8
7.8
9.5
6.97
7.08
8.2
99.90
99.95
99.99
99.94
99.99
100.00
99.93
630
Table 3. Major element constituents of martite-goethite ore (MGO) and blue dust in the JillingLangalata iron ore deposits
of SinghbhumOrissa belt.
Sample
Fe2 O3
SiO2
Al2 O3
CaO
MgO
P2 O5
Na2 O
K2 O
Total S
TiO2
MnO2
LOI
Total
MGO1
MGO2
MGO3
MGO4
MGO5
88.54
89.42
87.72
86.43
86.38
4.32
3.25
4.36
5.14
5.34
3.24
2.65
3.5
4.65
4.65
0.11
0.13
0.11
0.14
0.098
0.087
0.082
0.093
0.084
0.098
0.057
0.046
0.056
0.066
0.065
0.043
0.045
0.053
0.058
0.059
0.053
0.051
0.056
0.076
0.067
0.041
0.042
0.043
0.045
0.044
0.043
0.043
0.045
0.056
0.053
0.167
0.187
0.198
0.155
0.128
3.23
4
3.7
3.1
3
99.93
99.95
99.93
100.00
99.98
BD1
BD2
BD3
BD4
BD5
BD6
94.55
95.76
95.86
95.13
91.36
90.74
1.89
1.77
1.75
2.42
4.18
4.32
1.23
0.67
0.55
0.91
2.14
2.11
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.046
0.046
0.046
0.046
0.046
0.046
0.054
0.043
0.042
0.042
0.061
0.063
0.065
0.064
0.076
0.064
0.068
0.073
0.038
0.037
0.041
0.042
0.044
0.037
0.051
0.04
0.045
0.057
0.058
0.051
0.045
0.045
0.045
0.045
0.045
0.045
1.8
1.3
1.3
1
1.7
2.2
99.99
100.00
99.98
99.98
99.92
99.91
Table 4. Major element constituents of lower shale (LS), middle shale (MS) and upper shale (US) in the JillingLangalata
iron ore deposits of SinghbhumOrissa belt.
Sample
Fe2 O3
SiO2
Al2 O3
CaO
MgO
P 2 O5
Na2 O
K2 O
Total S
TiO2
MnO2
LOI
Total
US1
US2
US3
US4
US5
18.7
21.32
18.83
19.05
15.95
20.69
27.63
22.93
23.24
28.93
33.02
33.67
29.84
35.66
38.12
0.178
0.056
0.19
0.163
0.167
0.041
0.041
0.031
0.045
0.036
0.073
0.057
0.08
0.082
0.117
0.343
0.366
0.355
0.324
0.321
0.246
0.235
0.204
0.304
0.284
0.043
0.004
0.085
0.05
0.04
3.68
3.63
5.58
5.43
3.31
5.015
0.253
4.047
1.215
0.935
10.21
12.32
11.55
12.53
10.3
92.24
99.58
93.72
98.09
98.51
MS1
MS2
MS3
MS4
MS5
50.25
51.91
54.12
46.23
45.6
16.7
15.5
12.46
16.6
18.4
23.18
22.11
21.89
25.13
23.97
0.013
0.021
0.012
0.032
0.16
0.052
0.051
0.065
0.052
0.058
0.055
0.117
0.057
0.055
0.05
0.529
0.524
0.437
0.432
0.535
0.02
0.17
0.13
0.13
0.129
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.59
0.55
0.72
0.89
0.96
0.056
0.021
0.057
0.071
0.068
8.4
8.9
9.9
10.2
9.9
99.89
99.91
99.89
99.86
99.87
LS1
LS2
LS3
LS4
LS5
LS6
27.82
26.54
25.46
26.62
24.7
26.31
39.67
41.83
45.14
44.03
43.93
44.29
19.16
20.2
19.52
18.452
18.6
17.08
0.137
0.066
0.144
0.126
0.186
0.151
0.087
0.064
0.083
0.098
0.075
0.082
0.048
0.055
0.053
0.057
0.055
0.073
0.81
0.71
0.871
0.951
0.932
0.754
1.84
1.07
0.129
0.811
1.11
0.905
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.032
0.94
1.21
1.05
1.06
1.68
1.58
0.043
0.027
0.049
0.038
0.014
0.056
9.32
8.12
7.36
7.63
8.63
8.565
99.92
99.93
99.90
99.91
99.95
99.88
slow rate of accumulation and hence shows exposure to sea water. Uranium in these samples varies
from 0.39 to 0.70 ppm while thorium varies from
0.453.05 ppm.
In terms of individual values, Ni, Cu and Zn
of the Jilling BHJ have a near similarity to
the Algoma type while the values of Zr and Ba
are closer. However, the Jilling BHJ samples are
depleted in Co, Sr and Y values compared to
the Algoma facies iron formation. Lower values
of Sr and Y indicating the absence of source of
crustal felsic rock, as these components are derived
from weathering of crustal felsic rocks (Rao and
Naqvi 1995). The supergene hematite-martite ores
are characterized by distinctly elevated concentrations of Sr and Ba and ecient fractionation of
LREE from HREE (Gutzmer et al 2008).
0.90
25.73
17.20
2.18
72.82
21.99
50.03
0.71
0.76
8.32
2.43
9.42
0.97
3.95
171.75
Sc
V
Cr
Co
Ni
Cu
Zn
Ga
Rb
Sr
Y
Zr
Nb
Cs
Ba
0.91
22.72
39.71
4.24
151.57
30.06
40.73
2.18
0.51
7.67
2.44
25.37
7.11
1.51
89.84
Jilling
BHJ2
0.88
23.56
27.54
3.86
89.76
27.68
42.56
1.34
0.66
7.90
2.12
16.43
3.45
2.13
93.23
Jilling
BHJ3
1.18
28.39
48.33
2.33
69.10
36.74
78.73
1.96
1.01
13.86
5.40
27.11
3.30
4.64
704.44
Jilling
HLO
1.29
41.00
12.11
1.21
27.06
29.25
40.11
1.14
1.38
8.11
2.52
20.71
1.86
8.80
143.69
Jilling
Blue dust
4.70
128.36
60.62
2.27
37.77
31.21
72.10
35.96
10.03
42.59
56.80
341.50
36.69
20.27
121.18
Jilling
U. shale
ND
30
122
27
32
10
2
ND
ND
42
41
5
ND
ND
180
Superior
iron
formation
ND
97
78
38
83
96
33
ND
ND
98
54
84
ND
ND
170
Algoma
type iron
formation
ND
30
30
35
15
10
ND
ND
ND
15
ND
10
ND
ND
70
Minas
Gerais
Itabirite
ND
35
28.5
69
20.3
22
ND
ND
ND
20.5
ND
17.3
ND
ND
179
Orissa
BIF
BHJ1
BHJ2
BHJ3
Blue dust
Hard laminated ore
Upper shale
REE (ppm)
2.44
5.67
3.28
7.82
11.47
71.12
La
3.37
5.37
4.12
12.01
16.96
118.62
Ce
0.38
0.76
0.58
1.06
2.08
12.13
Pr
2.14
3.82
2.54
5.51
11.44
61.88
Nd
0.69
0.64
0.70
1.42
3.05
10.52
Sm
0.17
0.15
0.19
0.31
0.70
1.44
Eu
0.58
0.52
0.63
1.43
2.50
7.61
Gd
0.06
0.06
0.07
0.19
0.24
0.76
Tb
0.46
0.47
0.50
1.15
1.43
5.48
Dy
0.08
0.09
0.08
0.13
0.22
1.00
Ho
0.20
0.25
0.21
0.23
0.50
2.78
Er
0.05
0.06
0.05
0.04
0.11
0.60
Tm
0.24
0.39
0.30
0.23
0.61
3.48
Yb
0.04
0.06
0.05
0.04
0.09
0.59
Lu
1.28
1.19
1.33
1.04
1.20
0.76
Eu/Eu
La/La
23.37
4.35
1.88
5.86
9.46
3.97
0.18
0.31
0.20
0.10
0.17
0.09
ND
44
23
100
10
10
26
ND
20
51
22
60
5
ND
293
Maru iron
formation
Ce/Ce
ND
ND
45
600
15
40
ND
ND
ND
1000
ND
15
ND
ND
ND
Volcanogenic
iron
formation
USSR
Table 6. Rare earth element constituents of various types of iron ores along with banded hematite jasper from JillingLangalata iron ore deposits.
Jilling
BHJ1
Trace
element
(ppm)
Table 5. A geochemical comparison of trace elements of various Eastern Indian iron ores along with BIF from JillingLangalata iron ore deposits and BIF from other
parts of the world.
632
The REE data is presented in table 6. A synthesis of results reveals that the ore in general,
are poor in rare earth elements. The summation of
heavy rare earth element is found to be very low
compared to LREE. Ore samples show decrease in
concentration from LREE to HREE. In BHJ, the
average HREE is only 2 ppm in contrast to that
of LREE (12 ppm). The REE normalized prole
related to BHJ and iron ores are shown in gure 13.
The REE values are normalized with PAAS (Post
Archean Australian Shale) values. Most of the ore
types have more or less similar normalized REE
proles though they dier widely in their absolute
REE contents.
BHJ samples show positive Eu anomaly
Figure 8.
633
Binary relations of some selected trace elements in various types of iron ores and banded hematite jasper.
634
Figure 9.
Variation in chemical composition of Jilling BIF and BIF from other parts.
The present-day sea water is generally characteristic of a strong negative Ce anomaly because of
Ce oxidation and removal (Eldereld and Greaves
1982; De Baar et al 1985). The slight negative or no
Ce anomaly of BIFs suggests that sea water older
than 3.4 Ga had no Ce anomaly and was less oxic
than modern sea water. Jilling BIF has also slightly
negative Ce anomaly, hence the depleted nature
of REE and positive Eu anomalies in Jilling
BIF indicate that their metal content was added
to ambient oceans by hydrothermal solutions at
hydrothermally active o-shelf environment.
6.2 Genesis of dierent ore types
High-grade BIF-hosted deposits are the worlds
most important source of iron ore. Despite their
economic signicance, the origin of these deposits
has long remained poorly constrained. Several
Figure 13.
635
PAAS normalized rare earth abundances of the JillingLangalata banded iron formations and associated ores.
636
Figure 15. Trace element patterns of banded hematite jasper, dierent ore and upper shale from JillingLangalata deposits
show a similar trend of trace elements of BHJ and dierent ore types.
Figure 16.
Model showing the evolutionary pattern of dierent types of iron ores along with BIF in the study area.
638
639
640
641