Cited by 537Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsGeochemistry and Elemental AnalysisGeological and Geochemical Analysis

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 516 of the 564 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 407 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

Iron formations: A global record of Neoarchaean to Palaeoproterozoic environmental history

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TL;DR

This review synthesizes the global Neoarchaean–Palaeoproterozoic iron formation record and argues that IF deposition was driven by hydrothermal Fe(II) supply combined with microbial Fe(II) oxidation (photoferrotrophy and/or oxygenic photosynthesis) and diagenetic microbial Fe(III) reduction. It uses IF mineralogy, geochemistry, and isotopes to track evolving seawater redox and atmospheric oxygenation from before the GOE through the ca. 1.88 Ga IF resurgence.

Key findings

  • IFs are iron-rich (15–40 wt.% Fe) and siliceous (40–60 wt.% SiO₂) chemical sedimentary rocks, mostly deposited between 2.80 and 1.85 Ga; they have an average Fe oxidation state of Fe²·⁴⁺, and the largest Superior-type IFs contain over 10¹⁴ tons of iron and can extend over 100,000 km².
  • Microbial Fe cycling is central: photoferrotrophy and/or cyanobacterial O₂ likely oxidized Fe(II), while dissimilatory iron reduction (DIR) explains low organic carbon contents (<0.5 wt.%) and Fe(II)-bearing minerals; estimated initial organic carbon is ~4.70 wt.% for oxide-facies IF (1.28 wt.% from C isotopes plus 3.42 wt.% from magnetite Fe(II)) and ~3.24 wt.% for siderite-facies IF.
  • Hydrothermal Fe sources are supported by REE+Y patterns (positive Eu anomalies, Y/Ho up to 90, La anomalies of 1.32–1.80 in pure IF) and Nd isotopes, but continental/benthic iron shuttle contributions are also indicated by δ⁵⁶Fe and εNd(t) mixing.
  • Redox evolution: pre-GOE IFs lack negative Ce anomalies and show light REE depletion, suggesting anoxic water and no discrete redoxcline; late Palaeoproterozoic ca. 1.88 Ga IFs show variable Pr/Yb(SN) and Y/Ho, indicating redox-stratified basins. Photoferrotroph layer modeling requires 17.6 m thickness for diffusive Fe(II) oxidation, and 34 m or >100 m for upwelling at 0.5 and 5 m/day, respectively, at 0.1 mM Fe(II) and an oxidation rate of 1.4 × 10⁻⁵ M/day.

Methods

  • Review and synthesis of the global IF record, updating Bekker et al. (2010, 2014), integrating sedimentology, petrography, geochronology, and geochemical/isotopic datasets (Fe, C, O, Si, Nd, REE+Y, Cr, U, Mo, Cu) from Archaean–Palaeoproterozoic IFs and associated shales/carbonates.
  • Includes new calculations: mass-balance/diagenetic modeling of pore-water DIC and carbonate δ¹³C, and photoferrotroph layer-thickness calculations adding advection to the Kappler et al. (2005) eddy-diffusion model.
  • No new sample collection is described; data are compiled from literature and previously published datasets.

Limitations

  • The paper states that the dominant Fe(II) oxidation mechanism remains uncertain; primary Fe mineralogy is debated (Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide/Fe(III)-Si gel versus greenalite/green-rust); post-depositional REE+Y mobility and metamorphic/supergene alteration can affect signals; and some Brockman δ⁵⁶Fe–εNd(t) interpretations differ among co-authors.
  • The paper states model limitations: photoferrotroph calculations depend on assumed Fe(II) oxidation rates, upwelling rates, and transport; the DIC model ignores carbonate precipitation/dissolution and a dynamic DIC reservoir; and many IFs remain poorly studied or dated (e.g., Weeli Wolli, Boolgeeda, mid-Proterozoic IFs).
  • Evident from the text: the review relies on literature data with uneven geographic and stratigraphic coverage, and several key questions—timing of cyanobacteria/photoferrotrophs, cause of the Proterozoic IF gap, and nutrient limitation—remain unresolved.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.06.012

Cites

516 of 516 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

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Verification

Claims the paper makes

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Show all 216 claims

  • Probably not a substantial claim. 77
  • It may state two separate claims as one. 147
  • The quote only partly states this claim. 1
206 of 206
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Fe and REE+Y will not be fractionated during transport from spreading ridges or other exhalative centres, owing to the high sorption capacity of Fe(III)-oxyhydroxides.

    “It is generally assumed that Fe and REE+Y will not be fractionated during transport from spreading ridges or other exhalative centres, owing to the high sorption capacity of Fe(III)oxyhydroxides”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    REE+Y patterns record the source of iron due to high partition coefficients of REEs onto hydrothermal precipitates.

    “based on the assumption that their patterns record the source of iron due high partition coefficients of the REEs onto hydrothermal precipitates (e.g., Koeppenkastrop and De Carlo, 1992)”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Fe(III) is essentially insoluble at circumneutral pH values.

    “because Fe(III) is essentially insoluble at circumneutral pH values”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The sources of REE+Y closely track the sources of Fe(II).

    “Assuming that the sources of REE+Y closely track the sources of Fe(II)”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Prior to the rise of atmospheric oxygen and the development of a protective ozone layer, Earth's surface was subjected to high levels of ultraviolet radiation.

    “Prior to the rise of atmospheric oxygen and the development of a protective ozone layer, Earth's surface would have been subjected to high levels of ultraviolet radiation.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Ocean waters at this time were anoxic and could have supported high concentrations of dissolved Fe(II).

    “Ocean waters at this time were anoxic and could have supported high concentrations of dissolved Fe(II).”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Carbonate precipitation/dissolution, and accompanying buffering effects linked with a dynamic DIC reservoir, are ignored in the mass-balance model.

    “For simplicity, carbonate precipitation/dissolution, and accompanying buffering effects, linked with a dynamic DIC reservoir, are ignored.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    A constant DIC concentration, C0, is contributed from seawater to the sediment profile and is equal to the DIC concentration of the overlying water column.

    “A basic assumption of the model is that a constant DIC concentration, C0, is contributed from seawater to the sediment profile and is equal to the DIC concentration of the overlying water column.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The Nd-Fe isotope interpretations outlined by Li et al. (2015) are correct.

    “assuming the Nd-Fe isotope interpretations outlined by Li et al. (2015) are correct”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The general solution for the diagenetic expression is obtained assuming steady state.

    “The general solution for this expression was obtained assuming steady state, = 0, and the boundary condition C = , giving the following analytical solution [equation B]:”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The iron in the ca. 1.88 Ga GIF was hydrothermally derived.

    “assuming that the iron was hydrothermally derived”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    After ca. 1.85 Ga, Superior-type IFs were not deposited for approximately 1.1 b.y. until precipitation of Rapitan-type IF.

    “It is generally assumed that after ca. 1.85 Ga, Superior-type IFs were not deposited for approximately 1.1 b.y. until precipitation of Rapitan-type IF”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    The oxygen content of the oceans directly controls seawater U concentrations once oxidative continental weathering was established.

    “Given that the oxygen content of the oceans directly controls seawater U concentrations once oxidative continental weathering was established”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Most organic matter produced in the upper water column will be remineralised before reaching the seafloor.

    “most organic matter produced in the upper water column will be remineralised before reaching the seafloor”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Continental freeboard depends more on mantle temperature, crustal composition, and continental hypsometry than on the growth of continental crust.

    “Continental freeboard depends more on mantle temperature, crustal composition, and continental hypsometry (also temperature-dependent) than on the growth of continental crust.”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Atmospheric and ocean oxygen levels remained low until ca. 1.2 Ga or even ca. 800 Ma.

    “It is generally assumed that atmospheric and ocean oxygen levels remained low until ca. 1.2 Ga (Kah et al., 2004) or even ca. 800 Ma (Thomson et al., 2015; Turner and Bekker, 2016; Planavsky et al., 2014b).”
16 of 16

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Figure 11 gives conflicting thicknesses at 5 m/day upwelling

    Major

    For 0.1 mM (100 μM) Fe(II), a 5 m/day upwelling rate, and the same 1.4 × 10−5 M/day oxidation rate, the main text says the required layer exceeds 100 m. The figure caption instead says it is approximately 35 m.

  • Figure 11 gives conflicting diffusion-only layer thicknesses

    Major

    The main text assigns a 17.6 m layer to an eddy-diffusion rate of 0.1 cm2/s. The Figure 11 caption assigns 17.6 m to 1 cm2/s and 5.6 m to 0.1 cm2/s for the same stated Fe(II) concentration and oxidation rate.

  • Figure 5 uses two different Eu-anomaly normalizations

    Minor

    The text describes Figure 5's Eu anomalies as chondrite-normalized, while the figure caption calls them PAAS-normalized. These are different reference compositions for the same plotted data.

3 of 3

Citations

Cites

Items 201–400 of 516

Flagged first, then by citations

48 of the 564 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. Akhmedov, 1972, Hematite oolites in sedimentary rocks of the Pechenga complex, materials on mineralogy of Kola Peninsula, Nauka, 9, 135
  2. Akhmedov, 1972, 4, 125
  3. Bau, 1995, Yttrium and holmium in South Pacific seawater: vertical distribution and possible fractionation mechanisms, Chem. Erde, 55, 1
  4. Button, 1976, Transvaal and Hamersley basins—review of basin development and mineral deposits, Miner. Sci. Eng., 8, 262
  5. Eriksson, 1994, The Bushy Bend lavas, a new volcanic member of the Pretoria Group, Transvaal Sequence, S. Afr. J. Geol., 97, 1
  6. Hartlaub, 2007, Circa 2.3Ga magmatism of the Arrowsmith Orogeny, Uranium City Region, Western Churchill Craton, Can. J. Earth Sci., 115, 181
  7. Master, 1991, 238, 1
  8. Nealson, 1990, Iron reduction by bacteria: a potential role in the genesis of banded iron formations, Am. J. Sci., 290, 35
  9. Often, 1985, The early Proterozoic Karasjok Greenstone Belt, Norway: a preliminary description of lithology, stratigraphy and mineralization, Norges Geol. Unders. Bull., 403, 75
  10. Prilutzky, 1992, Reconstruction of environmental conditions of early Proterozoic carbonate deposits of the Ukrainian and Baltic Shields based on isotopic studies, Lithol. Miner. Deposits, 5, 76

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Metadata

Authors
Konhauser, K. O., Planavsky, N. J., Hardisty, D. S., Robbins, L. J., Warchola, T. J., Haugaard, R., Lalonde, S. V., Partin, C. A., Oonk, P. B. H., Tsikos, H., Lyons, T. W., Bekker, A., & Johnson, C. M.
Affiliations
  • University of Alberta (CA)
  • NASA Astrobiology Institute (US)
  • Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (US)
  • Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (FR)
  • University of Saskatchewan (CA)
  • Rhodes University (ZA)
  • University of California, Riverside (US)
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
Corresponding author
Konhauser, K.O.
Venue
Earth-Science Reviews
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-09
Volume
172
Pages
140-177
ISSN
0012-8252 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2728922582
Cited by
537
References
564
Citations by year
2026: 62 · 2025: 76 · 2024: 76 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 65 · 2021: 57 · 2020: 47 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 7
FWCI
24.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Earth-Science Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (GEOMAR) (acceptedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Open Access Server of the Woods Hole Scientific Community (Woods Hole Scientific Community) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-165831, RGPIN-00062, RGPIN-316500)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
Keywords
iron-formation, Neoarchaean, Paleoproterozoic, Great Oxidation Event, iron cycling, Fe(II) oxidation, oxygenic photosynthesis, hydrothermal systems, seawater chemistry

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