The iron we mine

[ahmeeeeeeeeeed]

Hello,

 

has the iron we mine now come from meteorites ??

[Moontanman]

In the sense that the entire Earth is made of what we call meteorites yes, if you mean are we mining actual meteorites that have fallen and left deposits of iron, then yes again in some circumstances but most iron that is mined comes from banded iron formations where iron was deposited when oxygen produced by cyanobacteria caused iron that was dissolved in the early Earth's oceans to fall out of solution as iron oxide deposites...

[PhDwannabe]

...and I suppose one could trace it back further, if one wanted. Iron came from the silicon burning stage of very elderly stars, and other nucleosynthetic processes occurring in supernovae.

[Fuzzwood]

Burning requires oxygen. I am Si burning didn't happen in stars, but fusion.

[insane_alien]

yes, but the fusion process in stars is commonly reffered to as burning even by proffesional astrophysicists.

 

what you are reffering to is combustion. but even that doesn't REQUIRE oxygen.

[PhDwannabe]

Indeed, Fuzzwood, let me Google that for you.

[Athena]

Not all iron is the same. "The principle ores of iron are Hematite, (70% iron) and Magnetite, (72 % iron). Taconite is a low-grade iron ore, containing up to 30% Magnetite and Hematite."

 

It is thought to be one of the earliest metalic elements formed in the universe and it is essential to plant and animal life. This is a good site explaining iron.

 

http://www.mii.org/M.../photoiron.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2010 by Athena