Characterization of Banded Iron Formations by Two-Dimensional XRF Imaging and XANES Analyses

Synchrotron radiation-induced X–ray fluorescence (SR–XRF) and conventional X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were applied to determine the distributions of iron, manganese, calcium, titanium, and silicon, and chemical forms of iron and trace manganese in three banded iron formation (BIF) samples. The XRF imagings on the weathered and altered BIF from the Cleaverville Formation (3. 3–3. 1 Gyr), Western Australia, showed redistributions of iron, calcium, and manganese with the disappearance of the primary bandings, while, in contrast, titanium preserved its primary depositional distribution. The XRF imagings on the BIF from the Hamersley Group (2. 5 Gyr), Western Australia, showed that manganese and titanium distribute originally at boundary region between the iron-rich mesoband and the silica-rich mesoband. The X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) analysis revealed that the chemical forms of manganese and iron well represent the rhythmic change of the bandings.