Arachaean Brecciated Banded Iron

Description: This is yet another form of stromatolite that is at once beautiful and has interesting scientific characteristics. Breccia is a geological term for a sedimentary rock which is composed of numerous angular fragments. It differs from conglomerate in that it has had little transport by wind or water, resulting in sharp-cornered component pieces rather than those that have been rounded by erosion.. Brecciated (angularly broken) signifies that, in fact, the original stromatolitic structures were shattered into irregular shapes, probably in a surf, and were then buried under the stromatolite colonies that subsequently grew above. Stromatolites have persisted to the modern day in such places as Shark Bay, Australia where they continue their billions of years old lifestyle.