How the zebra rock got its stripes: the formation of hematite banding in Western Australian siltstones

Zebra rock and print stone are patterned Western Australian siltstones renowned for their highly unusual hematite banding. The origin of zebra rock in particular has been highly debated over the last century, but as of yet, no consensus has been reached. This thesis examined a large number of zebra rock and print stone samples in order to determine the origin of these mysterious patterns. We discovered that the banding of these rocks arose through a self-organisational process called Liesegang banding, which was likely triggered by the ascent of acidic, hydrothermal fluids from deep beneath the surface.