Smith College - Geology 222b - Petrology

Petrographic Data File

Hornblende
Property Value Comments

Formula (Ca,Na)2-3(Mg,Fe+2,Fe+3,Al)5Si6(Si,Al)2O22(OH)2

Forms a
Crystal System Monoclinic, inosilicate, 2/m complete solid
solution

May have
simple and
Crystal Habit May be columnar or fibrous; coarse to fine grained.
lamellar twins
on {100}

{110} perfect - intersect at 56 and 124 degrees. Also

Cleavage
partings on {100} and {001}.

Pleochroic in various shades of green and brown. In

PPL a thin section of Hornblende ranges from yellow -
Has moderate
green to dark brown. Green varieties usually have X=
to high positive
Color/Pleochroism light yellow green, Y=green or grey-green and Z=dark
relief in thin
green. Brownish varieties have X=greenish-
section
yelow/brown, Y=yellowish to reddish brown and
Z=grey to dark brown.

Optic Sign Biaxial (-)

2V 52-85°

Y=b
Optic Orientation
Z^c

Refractive
Indicies of
Indices
1.614-1.675 refraction
alpha =
1.618-1.691 increase with
beta =
1.633-1.701 increasing iron
gamma =
0.019-0.026 content.
delta =

Max 2nd to 4th order with highest interference colors in thin

Birefringence section in upper first or lower second order.

Some crystals
are double
terminated, or
Prismatic crystal that can be, but is not necessarily,
Elongation they come to a
elongated. Crystals are often hexagonal.
point at both
ends. Example
photo below.

Extinction Symmetrical to cleavages

Dispersion n/a

Cleavages at 56 and 124 degrees which form a distinctive diamond shape

in cross section. Hornblende is easly confused with biotite. Distiguishing
Distinguishing
factors are the lack of birds eye extinction and the two distinct cleavages.
Features
Simple twinning is relatively common. Crystal habit and cleavage
distinguish hornblende from dark-colored pyroxenes.

Is a common mineral occuring in both igneous and metamorphic rocks. It

characteristically forms near other amphiboles due to the complete solid
Occurrence
solution. End members include: edenite, pargasite, hastingsite and
tschermakite.

Kim Cheney (00), Laura Frye-Levine (03), Derek Prill (AC-08), Sara
Editors
Gonzalez (12), Emilty Padova ('15)

Photomicrograph in thin section of hornblende.

Hornblende from K-84 showing two cleavages intersecting at 60 and

120 degrees.

Hornblende from K-84 in plane light. Width of the grain is

approximatly 500 microns.

Close up of the same grain showing 56 and 124 degree cleavages.

Width of field of view is 400 microns.

Beautiful hornblende grain with simple twinning visible.

Characteristic 56-124 degree angles apparent in a crisp hornblende

crystal.

Green, double terminated hornblende crystals in a metamorphic rock.

Pleochroism varies from light yellow to medium green as the stage is
rotated. Rollover image shows the same image betwen crossed
polars. The lower crystal is extinct.

Another double terminated crystal from the same rock between

crossed polars. The rollover image shows the same crystal with the
gypsum/quartz plate pushed in. This crystal is length fast because the
white areas turn yellow, black areas turn magenta, etc...

Hornblende crystal in andesite (K-84), showing 120° cleavage and,

in cross-polarized light, simple twinning. Note also the opaque
minerals surrounding the crystal. These are magnetite crystals due to
oxidation of the hornblende.

Photomicrograph of a double terminated hornblende crystal in plane

polarized light. The pleuochroism is easily seen here with dark green
along the Z plane, and light yellow/white along the X plane. The 120
degree cleavage fractures can be seen within the grain.

WWW Images U.C.L.A. Petrographic Workshop

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