Petrological and geochemical features of the Jingtieshan banded iron formation (BIF): A unique type of BIF from the Northern Qilian Orogenic Belt, NW China

The Jingtieshan banded iron formation (BIF) is located in the Northern Qilian Orogenic Belt (NQOB) in NW China. The BIFs are hosted in Mesoproterozoic Jingtieshan Group, a dominantly clastic-carbonate sedimentary formation, and was metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies. The Jingtieshan BIFs include oxide-, carbonate- and mixed carbonate–oxide facies, and consist of alternating iron-rich and silica-rich bands. The BIFs are composed...