Graphites which occur in the Early Precambrian banded iron formation (BIF)(3.1×109 yr, Algoma type) at Gongchangling, Anshan, China can be divided into two genetie types on the basis of their modes of occurrence: biogenic and inorganic; the former occurs in garnet-mica-quartz schist and the latter in rich magnetite ore. The garnet-mica-quartz schist is located at the bottom of the formation. Its original rock is a volcanic tuff-bearing clayey siltstone. Graphite disseminates fairly uniformly in the schist. Chemical analysis of 20 samples of graphite yields an average content of 0.29±0.22%. The average δ13C value of 4 samples is -26.6±0.6‰ (PDB). Rich magnetite ore bodies occur in the form of lens and layer within the banded magnetite quartzite, and wall-rock alteration is also noticed. Graphite-bearing rich magnetite ore is composed of magnetite, maghemite and minor graphite. Late chlorite and siderite are recognized locally. Disseminated graphite is generally distributed in scaly aggregates interstitial to the grains of magnetite, occasionally found within the grains of magnetite. It is non-uniformly distributed in the horizon of shoot, mainly in the core of the shoot. No graphite is found in the outer part of the shoot, poor ore in the same horizon, wallrock near the shoot and altered rock, indicating that graphite has a great bearing on the shoot. Chemical analysis of 15 samples gives an average graphite content of 0.89±0.51%. The average δ23C value of 18 samples is-4.7±2.1‰(PDB). This kind of graphite seems to have been formed by the following reaction:6 FeCO3=2 Fe3O4+5 CO2+C in the primary sedimentary siderite under condition of amphibole-facies regional metamorphism.
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