ROCKS

under the microscope

The ROCKS you need to know

granite diorite gabbro dolerite basalt shelly limestone sandstone arkose greywacke marble schist

biotite
biotite plagioclase plagioclase muscovite

muscovite

quartz quartz

PPL

XPL

Granite
Note how light and clear it is under PPL and grey/white/black under XPL; main minerals feldspars (often microcline), quartz, biotite and muscovite

amphibole amphibole

biotite

biotite

plagioclase

plagioclase

PPL

XPL

Diorite
Darker under PPL than granite with more coloured minerals; much plagioclase and amphibole/biotite, only small amount of quartz

pyroxene

pyroxene

plagioclase

plagioclase

olivine olivine olivine

PPL

XPL

Gabbro
Coarse-grained; darker under PPL and brightly coloured under XPL; main minerals
plagioclase, pyroxene and olivine

plagioclase

plagioclase

pyroxene pyroxene

PPL

XPL

Dolerite
Medium-grained; darker under PPL and brightly coloured under XPL; main minerals plagioclase
(often in form of laths), pyroxene (intergrown through other crystals) and olivine

fine groundmass of plagioclase & iron minerals

pyroxene

pyroxene

PPL

XPL

Basalt
Fine-grained; darker under PPL and brightly coloured under XPL; main minerals plagioclase,
pyroxene and olivine; often porphyritic (large well-formed crystals in fine groundmass)

calcite

calcite

PPL

XPL

Shelly limestone
Dark under PPL and dark pearly shades under XPL; main mineral calcite; note the fossils.

quartz quartz

PPL

XPL

Sandstone
Rounded quartz fragments; light under PPL and grey/white/black under XPL; main mineral quartz

microcline

microcline

quartz

quartz

PPL

XPL

Arkose
More angular quartz and feldspar fragments; light under PPL and grey/white/black under XPL; main minerals quartz and microcline

muddy matrix muddy matrix

quartz

quartz

rock fragment

rock fragment

PPL

XPL

Greywacke
Fragments variable in shape, size and type; light under PPL and grey/white/black under XPL; main
mineral quartz but with rock fragments, feldspar and minor micas; look out for the muddy matrix!

calcite

calcite

PPL

XPL

Marble
Crystalline with perfect cleavages evident; light under PPL and pearly shades under XPL; main mineral calcite.

muscovite

muscovite

garnet

garnet

quartz

quartz

PPL

XPL

Schist
Minerals showing foliation; light under PPL and brightly coloured under XPL; main minerals muscovite, biotite, garnet, quartz and feldspar