While most of the easy-to-find iron ore has been pegged out in the Kimberley, scientists say there should be plenty more in the Yilgarn goldfields.

The Kalgoorlie Miner 3 May 2014 p 21

In the dim and distant past the region was largely submerged under shallow seas, where layers of iron oxide and silica formed banded ironstone. Later, tremendously hot washes of water and carbon dioxide rose up from the bowls of the earth, turning it into what we call iron ore.

Most of this is now buried under layers of soil and other sediment, but outcrops here and there have similar chemical signatures that scientists can now detect with hand-held devices or even from satellites.

Science Network [read this story] This Kalgoorlie Miner also republished this story.