Some of the oldest known rock formations, formed over 3,700 million years ago (mya), include banded iron layers.[1] The banded layers are a common feature in sediments for much of the Earth's early history.[2][3]
↑Minik T. Rosing et al. 1996. Earliest part of Earth's stratigraphic record: A reappraisal of the >3.7 Ga Isua (Greenland) supracrustal sequence. Geology24 #1, 43-46
↑Knoll, Andrew H. 2004. Life on a young planet: the first three billion years of evolution on Earth. Princeton, N.J. ISBN0-691-12029-3
↑Faces of Earth - Building the Planet. YouTube account of early Earth history. [1] American Geosciences Institute.