GEOL 213 Optical Mineralogy

Student No.: _____2019-00935________

Section: ___BS GEO 2-1__________

Reading Assignment No. 1.

Module 1 Lesson 3 Optical Properties of Minerals under Plane Polarized Light

Give short answers to the following (4-5 sentences only) with HAND-DRAWN illustrations. This is a
graded. Submit this under the FILENAME: student ID No GEOL 213 (Section) _RA No.1. Do not
write your name in the submittal.
1. Explain and illustrate double refraction in quartz relative to optic axis.
- The double refraction in quartz is found to its c-optic axis, in which it allows light to behave as if it
traversed through an isotropic material. The explanation for this isotropic behavior is that light is
parallel to the crystal lattice. The index of refraction of both extraordinary ray and ordinary ray
travelling through the crystal are equal as it enters, allowing both rays to travel at the same velocity
coincident to each other, leaving the crystal as unpolarized light. The double refraction of quartz in
its optic axis, is found to its tips, so if the light struck the crystal perpendicular to the c-axis it would
cause the extraordinary ray and ordinary to have different refraction indices and have different
trajectories with mutually perpendicular magnetic and electric vectors.
2. Refer to the figure below, explain the pleochroism of hornblende in terms of the following:

a b

⊥ to NSislower polariser; and (b) when cleavage bi

Pleochroism in hornblende (a) when cleavage bisectrix
sectrix is ∣∣ to the lower polariser.
 • colour of minimum, moderate and maximum intensity of pleochroism relative to the orientation
of a, b and c axes based on its cleavage, respectively.
• In answering no. 2 use the following link:
• https://viva.pressbooks.pub/petrology/chapter/2-9-atlas-of-minerals-in-thin-section/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9MZKRlyDJM
• hint: the orientation of the bisectrix of the 60º cleavage angle should be the basis of the
changes in the colour of hornblende as the microscope stage is being rotated. Hence, your
drawing should show the three (3) field of view of crystal cross-section (basal section) when the
mineral cut is ⊥ to c-axis of hornblende. Each drawn basal section of hornblende should have
indicated direction of a, b, c crystallographic axes.

- Pleochroism in hornblende is at its minimum when its perpendicular to the NS polarizer, because
light is the crystal lattices are not distributed evenly at this direction. The light would be separated
to into two rays with varying velocities and trajectory due to different refractive indices they
propagate into. Pleochrism in hornblende is at its moderate when the crystal is oriented 45°, the two
rays, namely the extraordinary ray and ordinary ray, are evenly separated allowing moderate
pleochroism to occur. When the hornblende is oriented 90°, the mineral displays maximum
pleochroism, due to light being parallel to its c-optic axis, light at this direction allows its velocity
to be even all throughout, and enhances the image of the mineral.

3. Draw and illustrate the optic axes of biotite. https://viva.pressbooks.pub/petrology/chapter/2-9-atlasof-

minerals-in-thin-section/
Illustrations

1.

2.
3.