Researchers report a structure known as an iron formation (IF) within the Xiamaling Formation of North China containing approximately 520 gigatons of iron that dates to about 1,400 million years ago, a time period from which IFs are scarce; geochemical analysis suggests that anoxygenic photosynthetic green sulfur bacteria were involved in iron oxidation and that iron reduction was coupled to organic matter oxidation, providing insight into the process of IF deposition.
Article #17-20529: "A Mesoproterozoic iron formation," by Donald E. Canfield et al.
MEDIA CONTACT: Donald E. Canfield, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DENMARK; tel: +45-65-50-27-51; e-mail: <dec@biology.sdu.dk>
###