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 studied BIFs are primarily controlled by Fe, Si, CO32− and Ba.
• Dominated sources are high-temperature hydrothermal solutions.
• The whole ocean anoxia is not required when Jingtieshan BIFs formed.
• The Jingtieshan BIFs are a unique type of BIF.

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 essentially of specularite and jasper, with minor carbonate minerals and barite. The SiO2 + Fe2O3 content is markedly high in the oxide facies BIF, followed by FeO, CO2 and Ba, with the other elements usually lower than 1%, suggesting that the original chemical sediments were composed of Fe, Si, CO32− and Ba. The positive correlation between Al2O3, TiO2 and Zr in the BIFs indicates that these chemical sediments incorporate minor detrital components. Oxide facies BIF shows low HFSE, low ∑REE and low Y/Ho. The Post Archean Australian Shale-normalized REE patterns for Jingtieshan BIFs are characterized slight LREE depletion, strong positive Eu anomalies and lack of significant negative Ce anomalies. Siderite in the carbonate- and mixed carbonate–oxide facies BIF shows negative δ13C values varying from −8.4‰ to −3.0‰, and δ18O values show a range of −16.6‰ to −11.7‰. The geochemical signatures and carbon–oxygen isotopes suggest origin from high-temperature hydrothermal fluids with weak seawater signature for the sediments of Jingtieshan BIFs. The absence of negative Ce anomalies and the high Fe3+/∑Fe ratios of the oxide facies BIF do not support ocean anoxia. In contrast to the three main types (Algoma-, Superior- and Rapitan-type) of global BIFs, the Jingtieshan BIFs represent a unique type with features similar to those of sedimentary-exhalative mineralization.