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    Atlas of Rock-Forming Minerals PDF

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    ViniciusNeves

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    of 100
    Atlas of Hee acewentiecaulialancuy Tena ebean eres leyal “ W.S.MacKenzie and C. Guilford Contents Preface iv Insroduction Brcfingence chart vi Olivine Monticellile 3 Chonrodite 4 Ziwon 6 Sphene 7 Garnet 8 Vewwvanite (Moerase) 9 Silimanite 10 Multite 12 Andatusice 13, Andalusite & Sillimanite intergrowth 15 Kyanite 16 Topaz 17 Staurolite 18 Chlorivoid 19 Sapphirine 20 Eudialyte 2 Doisite 22 Epidowe 28 Piemontite 24 Allanite(Orthite) Laweonite 26 Pumpellyite 27 Malte 28 Cordierite 30 ourmaline 32 xine 3 Orthapyroxere 35 Avge 36 Tiunaveite 37 Glinopyroxens & Orthopyroxene imererowth 38 Aegirineaugite 39 Jadeite 40 Wollastonite 41 Pectolite 42 Anthophyllite- Gedrite 43, Cummingtonite Grunerite 44 Tremolite Ferroaetinolite 45 Horblende 46 Kaersutite 48 jucophane 49 Arfvedsonite 50 ‘Acnigmatite 51 Astrophyllite 52 Lamprophyllite 53 Muscovite $4 Biotile $5 Stilpnomelane $7 Pyrophyllite 58 Tale 59 Chlorite 60) Serpentine 62 Prohnite 63 Microcline 64 Perthite & Mieroperthite 65 Sanidine 66 Anorthockae 6? Phigigelave 68 Quarty 70. Myrmekite 72 Granophyrictexture 73, Tridymite 74 Cristobatite 75 Nephieline 76 Sanidine & Nepheline 78 Leucite 79 Nosean 80 Canerinite $1 Scupolite 82 Analcite 83 Corundum $4, Rutile 85 Perovskite 86 Spinel 87 Brucite 88 Calcite 89 Dolomite 90 Apatite 92 Fluorite 93 Deerite 94 Howieite 95 Zussmanite — % Yoderite 97 Index 98 Preface The purpose of this book isto illustrate the appearance of many of the coinmon tock-Fortinig minerals in (hie acetion under the microscope It is bot our intention that it should be used as a substitute tor a mineralogy jextbook but rather as a laboratory handbook for use in practival classes together with one of the standard textbooks on ‘mineralogy. "The idea of producing a series of photographs of minerals in thin section came from two sources, The son of one of the authors IR. MacKenzie, then in his second year as a student of geology Suggested thit these would be a useful aid in recognizing minerals under the microscope. On questioning undergraduates in second-year Geology classes in Manchester University. why they preferred cert. teatbooks to others, the answer was invariably that they found those books which contained iNustrations accompanying the text parti- ularly useful, especially when they could recognize under the microscope features which could be seen in the photographs. ‘Some of the lextbooks which, in our opinion, contain the best photomicrographs or drawings of minerals are rather old und are not readily available to the student of today. Rosenbusch’s Mikroskop- ‘sche Petrographie der Mineratien und Gesteine. published in 1905, has Some excellent photomicrographs printed in black and white, while Teall’s Brith Petrography, published in 1888, has beautiful drawings which appear to have heen hand-coloured before reproduction by printing. HG, Smith's "Minerals and the Microscope”. firs! printed in 1914, bas been found useful by generations. of students of elementary mineralogy because of the high quality of the illustrations, It scemed to us that if we could reproduce faithfully, by colour photography, the appearance of minerals under the microscope both in plane-polarized light and under crossed polars, the usefulness of photomicrographs asa teaching aid would be increased enormously. The majority of the photographs were made from thin sections of cocks in the teaching collections of the Geology Department im Manchester University and we are grateful to many of our collex ues in Manchester for providing us with thin sections, We are particularly indebted to Professor. Zussman lor his enthusiasm and encourage iment to us lo undertake this work and {9 Dr.$.0, Agrell of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology of Cambridge University who very kindly found, from the Harker Collection in Cambridge, number of additional thin sections. Dr, Ageell and Professor W. A. Deer very generously agreed 1o look at most of the photographs we hhad made and helped us to decide whether they were suitable or could be improved, The authors alone are responsible tor any deficiencies which are sill present in the photographs. Weare also grateful to Dr. J Wadsworth of the Manchester Department for making a number of ‘useful suggestions for improving the descriptions of the photo icrogeaphs but again we alone are responsible for any errors which ‘appear here. Finally we are much indebted to Miss Patricia Crook who typed the text, not once but innumerable times, until we fo what we considered to be a compromise between too detailed and brief descriptions of the photographs ‘We should like to thank the staffor the publishers, particularly Bobbi Gouge, for their consideralion ard helpfulness in preparation of this work Introduction The minerasrepresented here are arranged in the same order in which they appear in Deer. Howie and Zussman’s Introduction to Rovk Forming Minerals (relevant page numbers given at the end of each fntty in squire brackets), except for a few minerals which are not Usseribed by these authors, viz. deerite, howieite, sussmatnite, yoderite and lamprophyllte. ‘The decision as {© which minerals to include has been based mainly on ewe considerations, firstly. how frequently they ‘ecu ark! secondly whether a photograph ean be a useful aid in ideniication, Inthe headings foreach mineral we have listed he chemical formula {simplified in some cases), crystal system.optic sign, the values of the B sefrsctive index for biaxial minerals and the wand € ray refractive jndives for uniaxial minerals together with the bieelringence, These ‘igures have been quoted from Deer, Howie and Zussman's book ith their permission. The rock type and Incality of the specimens are (quoted, where these are known, and the magnifications sed in taking the photographs are given. Each photograph is accompanied by a buicf description of the field of view illustrated bat, in general. only properties which can be seen in the photographs are disenssed. Thus vee have omitted reference to optic axial ungle, sign of elongation and dispersion. Ia most cuses at least two photographs have been made for ach mineral.one in planc-polarized light amul the other the same-view lnder crossed polars. Ifthe mineral is pleochroic we have reproduced two photographs in plane-polarized light with the polarizer in two thogonal positions. In the case of isotrapie minerals we have tended ‘womil the view taken under erossed polars, With few exceptions the polarizer has been set parallel to the edges ‘ofthe photogeaph but we have not mace much use of this fact stice discussion of extinction angles is omitted except in the case of the plagioelie feldspars. because this would necessitate reproducing a ‘umber of photographs taken under crossed polars. In order to show pleochroism. we have used rotation of the polarizer rather thin Fotation of the stage of the mieroscupe for two reasons. Firstly, this makes i easier o compare the photographs and observe the changein twlour shown by any one crystal and secondly it has been done to encourage the use of this method for detecting weak pleochroism, Although we have adopted the procedure of retaining the thin section in thesame orientation for all three photogeaphs, this has one disadvantage. If there are only a few erysials in the field of view, or the rystalshave a strong preferred orientatian in the rock section used, we have been unable to show the maximum change in absorption colour ‘notation ofthe polarizer through 90° since the exireme absorption colours are shown by a crystal when its vibration directions are parallel to and perpendicular to the polarizer, In these positions the crysial ‘would be at extinction when viewed under crossed polars and ideally ‘we wish to show the characteristic interference colours near to theit ‘maximum intensity. We have not spovified in which of the two orthogonal positions the polarizer is set in the photographs taker plane-polarized light. ‘AS mentioned above we have quoted the numerical value of birefringence for each mineral, but in the description of photograph we have yenerally referred to the order of the interfere colour, To enable the reader lo translate birefringence to a partic’ colour we have included on p, via pholograph ofa quartz wedge » 4 birefringence scale along. its length, This should not be used d Michel-Levy chat since the thickness of the section is not taken i ‘account, it being assumed that the section iy of siandard thickn (003mm, Thus the mineral names are reproduced against the highs order colour which they show in a thin section of standard thick rather than opposite radial lines which show the variation in col with thickness and birefringence of the mineral as in a Michel-Lé chart The faithful reproduction of the interference colours of minerals thin section or in a quartz wedge as seen under crossed poktrs, depel to a large extent on the type of film used and also on the print proves. Some of the Michel-Lévy charts that have been publis depart slightly from the true colours and one fault which is fa common concerns the middle of the second-order colours wher broad band of bright ercen is sometimes shown between blue o yellow. Observation of a quartz wedge under crossed polars reve that the second-order colour between blue and yellow is a rather p green in contrast to the fairly deep green in the third order. Only minerals which are colourless sind have negligible dispersion, is possible to distinguish these ewo greens and even then only al considerable experience. In some of the photographs of minerals moderate birefringence the edge of the crystals can be seen to ‘wedge-shaped and thus the order of the interference colour ean determined fairly readily Soime of the common minerals which are usually considered ditfc to identify (e.g, cordicrite) are represented by more than one Fé seetion if we considered that additional photographs would giv better idea of the variations in appearance which may be expected different rocks or if was impossible. in one field of view, to iluste the different properties which we wished to show. In few cases the photographs taken in plane-polarized light sh pale pink and green colours due to stray polarization produced in ‘photographic equipment: when such colours arepresent we have not this in the description of the photograph. FIRST ORDER 551x107 em 4) SECOND ORDER 1102% 107 em + THIRD ORDER 1652x107 om 0.000 } 0.005 + 0.010 f ois + 0.025 F 0.030 T 0.035 + 0.080 + 0.045 + 0.050 + 0.055 Birefringence chart Apatite Microcline Saniding Sa Anorthoclase Vasuvlanito Zoisito Corundum — Quarts Choriee —Eucatyto Andolusite Axinite Topar Artvodnonite Indeite Mallite Plagioctase Staurolite Wollastonite Kyanita Serpantine Cotatorito Arucito Lawsonite — Monticalita Orthopyroxene Zu Chioritold Glaucophane Pumpellyite _Silimanite Cancrinite ‘Chondrodite Forsterite Lamprophylita Prehnite Tourmal Altanite Pectollte Scapolite Curmmingronite-Grunerite Epldote muscovite ‘Aagleine-Augito Pyrophyllita Tale Feyatito Olivine Mg, SiO, Fe,SiO, Symmetry = Orthorhombie( -)() RIB 1651-169) Birefringence — — 4035-0:052 The olivines forma complete solid solution between the niagncsin nd-memiber, forsterite und the iron end: nebo fayalite These photographs show two ofivine phenocrysts in a finegrnined groundmass of plagiocluse feldspar. pyr ene and iron ore. ‘The upper photograph, taken in plane-polrized light, shows the typical shape of olivine lar ertcks and slight alteration along ihe extcks are charactersic of this mineral: there ane ot deasage along the lenath of one of the crystals Inthe lower photograph, taken under crossed polis, fone ofthe crystals seu very nearly perpendiculat toa opie axisand so shows very low interference colour its at anomalous brown eaused hy dispersion of the optic ates. The other crystal shows a second-order blue on the ‘im whereas the main part ofthe erystal shows a slightly lnwer colour, The higher birefringence onthe tim of the ‘pwtal kan indication of a higher inn content. The reverse eect, viz. lowering of the bireingence colour dhs (othe wedge shape of the erystil boundary, ean be seen on the bottom edge of one uf the ofvine crystals and aki bp a elinopyroxene phenoeryst part of which just sppearsat the bot lon ofthe fed. [1 Specimen from ankaramite, Meama Kea, Hawaii, nagife. talon 43 oly l Olivine Olivine Mg.SiO,-Fe,SiO, ‘Symmetry = Orthorhombie(+)(—) RIB = 1651-1869 Bireiringence = 038-0152 ‘The olivines form a complete solid solution betwe I-member, forsterite, and the iro fayalite. The upper photograph, taken in plane-polarizec shows olivine (hrownish-green colour, occupying 6 oc the field) intergeown with a relic of the olivine against the pale colour in olivine seen in common but it does not show pleocheoism — the iron-rich members of the series show a yellowish colour. The cracks in the crystals are quite charac as isthe slight alteration of the mineral along the € In the lower photograph, laken under crossed the interference colours are mostly second. ord highest colour showing in this view is the yellow small crystal just above the centre of the field colours indicate a magnesium-rich olivine since bi gence colours well into the thicd order are only s olivines with high iron contents. [I Specinien from gabbro picrite, Border Group, Skae intrusion, East Greenland, magnification 23. : Monticel Monticellite CaMgsiO, Symmetry = Orthorhombie (~) RE B= 686 1664 Biriringence = O012-0-020 Inthe upper photograph, taken in the dominant mineral is: monticel calcite, In plane-polarized light the recognized by t high rele? of material can be seen al the slide, In the lower photograph, taken undes crossed polars, the interference colours are seen to be low frst order: the highest colour seen here is the orange-yellow colour, I should be remembered that in rocks without quartz oF feldspar present it is sometimes difficult two judge the torrect thickness. of a section and this section may be slightly hin. (10) cite canbe mellae. The against the mounting il hole near the top edge of Specimen {rom monticetlive spinel-phlogopite rock, Bur- amare, Carlingford, Eire. nurgnification » 32, Chondrodite Chondrodite Mg(OH, F),-2Mg,SiO, Symmetry = Monoctinie (+) RIB 1-602-1-627 Birefringence 0028-0034 Although members of the humite group, of whiel chondredite is one, are Irequently yellowish in colour, i this case the chondrodite is nearly colourless in this section, In the upper photograph, taken in plane polarized light, the high relief is distinctive, as also is th lwek ofa good cleavage. Here itis shown intergrown wit ccaleite (brownish cotour) and two erystals of muscovite Ii the lower photograph, taken under evossed polars the muscovite erystals show a hluish-yellow interferenc colour, while the calcite is grey or dark grey, Multip! twinning is shown i two of the crystals of chondrodil iand this isa characteristic of the monoclinic members 0 the humite group. It may be that this section is slightly thin because th highest interference colour in this fel 1s the first-orde ted shown in the crystal in the top right part of the fick and from the birefringence we should expect to se colours up to second-order red (see photographs 0 ps). Uh Specimen from marble, New Jersev, USA, magni ceution x20. Chondro Chondrodite Mg(OH. F),-2Mg.SiO, 4 Symmetry Monoclinic +) kp 1602 1627 Birefringence 0-028 0034 In this section t concentration of chondrodite, pale sollowish colour under planc-polarized fight (upper Photograph). is shown intergrown witha garnet (brown), The yellowish colour which charaeterizes the members of the humite group is very pale here so that a separate phoioeraph 10 show the pleochroism his not. been luda. Some of the crystals show signs. of poor cleavage } Inthe view under crossed polars (ower photograph), thotwinnine which characterizes (he monoclinic member olthiseries's well illustrated and the interference colours. extend up tomidlle second-order. The garcet i this rock isagrossular and itean be seen to be slighty bicefringent In addition to chondrodite this rock also contains + Ginohurite but, sinee its birefringence is in tbe same | | range as that of chondrodite, they can only be dlistin- |uished by the fact that the clinohumite has a higher refractive mdex. (13) Specimen from marble, Kilehvist, Skve, Senekandl: maxgnifi- cin <2, Zircon Zircon ZxSi0, Syinmetry Tetragonal (+) RE w= 1923-1980 © = 1968-2015 Birefringence = 0042-05065 Zireon commonly oceurs in rather small erystals but j easily noticed because of its very high relief, The uppe photograph, taken in plane-polarized light, shows rathe large zircon crystals associated with sphene in a fine _grained groundmass mainly of feldspar. Sphene also has: very high relief and in this photograph itis very difficult te distinguish from the 7ircon. The ood eleavagesin rico are well displayed in some of the erystals, In the lower photographs, taken under erossed polars ‘most of the zircon crystals show high interference colour except for the crystal to the left of centre which shows tw cleavagesat right angles. This crystalis cul almost at righ angles to the optic axis and hence the low interferenc colours. The sphene crystals can perhaps be more easil identified this photograph because oftheir much highe birefringence and by the presence of twinning (top of fil ‘of view in centre and lo the right of zitoon showing lo birefringence). — (13). Specimen from segregation in. svenite-pegmatite, Ko peninsula, USSR; maxnaficasion x 28. Sphene CaTiSiO,(OH, F) Symmetry Monoclinic (+) RIB = 1870-2034 Birefringence = 100-0192 Sphene isa relatively easy mineral to identify commonly forms diamond-shaped crystals o! relieFhaving a brown or red-brown colou ae well shown in the upper and middle photographs taken in plane-polarized light. ‘These erystals are pleo: chtoie and. simple (winning is common, The mincral intergrown with sphene in this section is alkali feldspar The lower photogea shows s number oF crystals aken under ernssed polars, ar the extinetion position but those which show double refraction have a colour ‘ery similar to the absorption colour seen under plane: polarized light This is due to the extreme birefringence of | sphene such that the interference colours are very high almost white Tight. In erystals without the ‘erisie shape cus fact is useful for idenuiti- cation, 13] Speimen from sphese-rich rock, Kola Peninsula, USSR: magnification x 20 Garnet (Mg, Fe, Mn),AL,Si, Imandine group (Al, Fe, Ti, Cr),SisOus andradite group Symmetry = Cubic REoon = 17141887 A considerable range of compositions is. possible i garnets and hence the range of refractive indices quoted re very commonly euhedral or subhedral in shape intergrown wit 4 metamorphic rock. The garne arly from the other minerals becaus brownish colour. It shows inclusion minerals and this is a very commoi ‘quartz. and stands out quit of its high relief an of the groun feature. The middle photograph shows the sume view unde crossed polars and the garnets are seen to be isotropi Gome gamets are birefringent and may show zoning an. twinning revealed in the low birefringence colours, so lower photograph, p.5). ‘The lower photograph, taken in plane-polarized light shows melanite garnet (T-rich andradite) in an alkali igneous rock. Lis deep brown volour is rather uneven! distributed but it shows zoning at theedges of the crystal the euhedral shape is very characteristic. The othe mineral in this section is altered alkali feldspar, [21]. Upper and middie specimen from yarnet mica sekist Pitlochry, Scotland, magnification » 1. Bottom specie from segregation in nepheline sveniie, Assynt, Scotlan ‘maggificasion x 20. Vesuvianite (Idocrase) Caya(Mg, Fe); AL, SigOs4(OH, F), Symmetty = ‘Tetragonal (-) 0G = 1-70-1746 o = 1703 1752 Birefringence = 0-001 -0-008 Inthe upper photograph, taken in plane-polarized light, angcrystal of idocrase occupies most of the field of view. Its dight yellowish-brown colour can be seen in contrast {afew holesin the scetion, Its very high relief can also be seen against the mounting medium, The lower photograph under crossed pokars shows the shoeiceristiclow anomalous interference coloursand the ‘ayue signs of bands in the interference colours is also a fuily common feature of large crystals and is an indicaion of zoning. Theres no sign of the poor cleavage in hiscrystal. The anomalous interference colour is due fostrong dispersion and is the most useful properly for idemitying this mineral; it commonly occurs with ‘wosular gamet which may also show low birefringence «clues and sometimes the two minerals are difficult to distinguish, ‘The green crystats at the lower edge of the field of view an the small green inclusions in the vesuvianite are alkaline amphibole. (32). ‘Specie from unknown locality. magnification x 25. Vesuvianite (Idocrase Sillimanite Sillimanite ALSiO, Symmetry = Orthoshombie (1) RL B= 1658-1662 Birefringense = 0-020-0:022 In the upper photograph, taken in plane-polarized light. all the crystals which stand out in relief are sillimanite ‘which shows clearly against the cordierite with which itis intergrown:at the top left-hand corner of the photograph in the cordierite (g.v.). In this a strong prefersed orientation tals are cut at right-angles to and show diamond-shaped eross-sections de to the faves of the {110} form: the (010) cleavage is well displayed in some of the crystals, The interference colours shown in the lower photo: graph are generally low since the highest colours are shown in crystals cut along the length of the prismatic Crystals (see p.11), Crystals cut so that the (010) cleavage is sharp and well defined should be in extinetion when parallel to the edges of the photograph. A few erystals-cut parallel to their length show second-order colours. [34] Specimen from garnet-cordierite-sillimanite ynetss, thasy Madagascar; magnification x 40, Al,SiO, Symmetry = Orthorhombie (+) RE B= 1-65K-1-662 Birelingence = 0-020-0-022 “These photographs show lath-like crystals of sillimanite ‘whic sland out in high reliet against the cordierite with ‘bic tis intererown. Within the cordierite are numerous ssnal needle fike crystals which are also of silimanite: bunches of very long narrow crystals of sillimanite are lenned fibrolite but the concentration of needles is ‘susie o justify the use of this term here. In the lower photograph, taken under crossed polaes, thesecond-order purplish-biue interference colour is near tothe maximum colour shown by sillimanite, Sillimanite is ffeut to distinguish from mullite (q.v,) but mullite does nol often occur in crystals as large as those iutrated here and is resiricted to very high temperature ‘contact metamorphic rocks. (34) fram cordierte-sitianite gneiss 11 km sonth of adigascar, magnification x 68. Mullite Mullite AlSiO,3 Symmetry = Orthorhombie|-+) RE B= Lomn1675 Birefringence 0012-0028 Malte usually occurs in very small needle-like crystals ‘The upper photograph, taken in plane-polarized light, shows multe crystals within a large crystal of anorthite (notice the high magnification used for this photograph) These erysials have avery pale pink colour in ths section but the pale pink in the background is probably due to stray polatization. The rock isa buchile and the two ver) dark brown patches in the fed of view are of lass In the lower photograph, taken under crossed polars, the black lines parallel to the vertical edge of the photogeaph are plagioclase twin lamellae in the extinction position and in this photograph these could easily be confused with mullite needles, The interference eoloun shown by these crystals of mullite are not as high a expected and this iseaused by the factthat the erystals ar thinner than the total thickness of the section. ‘The interference colours of mullite in a section 0-03 mm thick should be about the same as those ofsilimanite. [37 Specimen jrom buchite, Rudh’ a’ Chromain sill, Rass of Mull, Scotiand, magnification * 164. | Andalusite ALSIO, Symmetry = Orthorhombie (~) a 8 167-1653 Bireingence 9009 0011 ‘The upper photograph, taken in plane-polarized light, shows one rectangular porphyrabkist of andalusite in a fineained groundmass. ‘The two clewvages approxi mately at right-angles to one another can be seen. In the cage of the erystal there is a rectangular arew inclusions and radiating towards the corners of the: thee are concentrations of inclusions. This variety of andalusite is known as chiastolite because of the

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