Optical Mineralogy

Minerals in Plane Polarised Light

Interaction of polarised light with minerals:

LAB TS-1:
Double refraction
Relief
Colour and pleochroism
Other properties that can be observed in PPL

LAB TS-2:
Isotropy and anisotropy
Birefringence and interference
Interference colours
Use of tint plate
 Polarisation

plane polarised light

(single vibration direction)

unpolarised light
(all possible vibration directions)

Nesse, 2000; Fig. 1.12

 Polarisation by selective absorption

polarising film

Nesse, 2004; Fig. 1.13

 Polarisation in the petrographic microscope

upper polarising filter (analyser)

what happens
here???
mineral sample (thin section)
LAB TS-1 plane polarised light (PPL)

lower polarising filter (polariser)

unpolarised light

light source
 Polarisation in the petrographic microscope

what happens
upper polarising filter (analyser) here???
LAB TS-2
what happens
here???
mineral sample (thin section)
LAB TS-1 plane polarised light (PPL)

lower polarising filter (polariser)

unpolarised light

light source
 Polarisation in the petrographic microscope

most minerals display double refraction

what happens
here???
mineral sample (thin section)
LAB TS-1 plane polarised light (PPL)

lower polarising filter (polariser)

unpolarised light

light source
 Double Refraction:
incident light (PPL)
split into two rays
vibrating at right angles
to each other

property displayed by anisotropic transparent minerals

 Double Refraction:
incident light (PPL) passing through an anisotropic material
is split into two rays vibrating at right angles: Why?

interaction of light with internal crystal structure

Nesse 2004 Fig. 5.2

 Double Refraction:
incident light (PPL) passing through an anisotropic material
is split into two rays vibrating at right angles: Why?

lower V
closely spaced
atoms (X) higher n

higher V
lower n
widely spaced
atoms (Z)

interaction of light with internal crystal structure

V (and therefore n) varies with crystallographic direction
 Double Refraction:
incident light (PPL) passing through an anisotropic material
is split into two rays with different V, vibrating at right angles
(single direction resolved into 2 different directions)

Fast ray:
the ray with with lower index of refraction and higher velocity
Slow Ray:
the ray with higher index of refraction and lower velocity
 Double Refraction:
incident light (PPL) passing through an anisotropic material
is split into two rays with different V, vibrating at right angles
(single direction resolved into 2 different directions)

nslow – nfast =
birefringence (d)

Fast ray:
the ray with with lower index of refraction and higher velocity
Slow Ray:
the ray with higher index of refraction and lower velocity
 Double Refraction:

ray splitting
produces
two images
effect of polarising filter

calcite: a transparent anisotropic mineral with a large

contrast between V and n in different directions
(high birefringence)
 Relief
relief: qualitative term describing relative refractive index
between adjacent materials

evident as degree to which one mineral stands out

or appears rough relative to its neighbour

described as “high” “medium”, “low”

relative n can be determined by “Becke line” test

 Relief

low n low n
high n high n

light is deflected
into material with
higher n
high n high n

low n low n

mineral in matrix with different n acts as a lens

 Relief
light is deflected into
material with higher n:
high n
bright line near edge
low n
of mineral grain
“Becke line”

as stage is lowered,
Becke line moves
low n
into material with
high n higher n

relative n can be determined by “Becke line” test

 Relief

low relief some minerals with

large n contrast
in different directions
(high birefringence, d)
change relief
as stage is rotated
90o rotation
high relief
(e.g. calcite)
 Colour and pleochrosim

Body colour: colour of mineral independent of orientation

colour does not change as stage is rotated

Pleochroism:
mineral absorbs different l
in different orientations
colour changes as stage is rotated

(e.g., biotite, tourmaline)

 Other properties that can be observed in PPL (LAB TS-1):

Shape
Cleavage
Opacity / Transparency

opaque materials: do not transmit light (even in thin section)

transparent materials: transmit light (given thin enough section)

isotropic
LAB TS-2
anisotropic
 Mineral properties under PPL

• colour (natural colour)

• transparency (clear, cloudy or opaque)

• relief (high or low)

• crystal or fragment shape/ form/ habit

• cleavage

• fracture

• pleochroism (colour change when stage is rotated)

RELIEF
plagioclase

PPL
olivine

Note how the olivine with its high relief stands out from
the surrounding low relief plagioclase
 Some new properties: Cleavage
Most easily observed in PPL (upper polarizer out), but
visible in XN as well

• No cleavages: quartz, olivine

• 1 good cleavage: micas
• 2 good cleavages:
amphiboles, pyroxenes
Some new properties: Cleavage

2 cleavages
intersecting
at ~90°
pyroxene

120°
2 cleavages 60°
intersecting
at 60°/120°:
amphibole
 amphibole

COLOUR
biotite

PPL

The biotite shows its distinct brown shades under PPL

against the clear colourless quartz and feldspar
 biotite

PPL
rotated 90o

PLEOCHROISM
Two views under PPL showing colour change in biotite on
rotating the stage.
 1st set run
parallel to
line

CLEAVAGE
amphibole

PPL
2nd set of
cleavage

Two sets of cleavage are seen in this amphibole crystal; note the
120o angle between the cleavages
FRACTURE olivine

PPL

The olivine here shows uneven fractures which appear

dark grey in the crystal
Habit or form

acicular

anhedral/irregular

bladed

blocky

elongate

euhedral

fibrous

prismatic

rounded

tabular
Habit or form

acicular

anhedral/irregular

bladed

blocky

elongate

euhedral

fibrous

prismatic

rounded

tabular