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Most of the world’s iron ore, including that found in northern Minnesota, formed during the middle Precambrian period, ranging in age from 1.8 to 2.5 billion years old. They are composed of alternating layers of iron-rich material, most often magnetite or hematite, and silica. These iron oxide minerals formed on the ocean floor, creating the banded iron deposits you see here. What was the source of the oxygen that ed to produce these deposits?
A) The oxygen that was released into the atmosphere as a by-product of photosynthesis caused iron deposits to oxidize creating the iron oxide minerals.
B) Photosynthetic organisms making oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis and the oxygen reacted with the iron dissolved in seawater to form iron oxide minerals.
C) The decomposition of carbon-based life forms in the oceans released oxygen and carbon dioxide. These gases reacted with the iron deposits forming the minerals mentioned.
D) In Earth’s early biosphere, there were not organisms that underwent aerobic cellular respiration and an excess of oxygen built up in the atmosphere. This oxygen reacted with iron deposits to form iron oxide minerals.
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Most of the world’s iron ore, including that found in northern Minnesota, formed during the middle Precambrian period, first appeared on Let’s ques!.