Andalusite

This is an andalusite porphyroblast with poikiloblastic texture. Also note how the foliation
(oriented roughly N-S in this view) is wrapped around the left and right corners of this
grain, suggesting synkinematic growth of the andalusite porphyroblast.

Augite (Clinopyroxene)

Note the pigeonite twin lamellae in this grain. Pigeonite is a Ca-poor

clinopyroxene.Besides clinopyroxene's 2nd order colors, another way to distinguish
clinopyroxene from orthopyroxene is by clinopyroxene's inclined extinction.

Biotite K2(Mg,Fe)2(OH)2(AlSi3O10)

Optical Properties:
Biaxial negative; strong pleochroism in brown, reddish brown, and green; extinction is
parallel to one excellent cleavage. Near extinction, a "crinkly", or sparkly appearance is
common (upper left photo). The most distinctive properties of biotite are the combination
of strong pleochroism and parallel extinction. The view upper right, in plane polarized
light, shows a biotite flake lying on its cleavage, with tiny inclusions of zircon; radioactive
decay of uranium in the zircon crystals has destroyed the biotite lattice near the inclusions,
creating dark a dark halo around each zircon. Although hornblende has similar pleochroic
colors and can be confused with biotite, hornblende has inclined extinction, not parallel
extinction.

Occurrence:
Biotite is a common mineral in siliceous intrusive rocks such as granite, quartz monzonite,
granodiorite, and tonalite. It is less common in siliceous volcanic rocks. Biotite appears in
shale, phyllite, and schist derived from

Note the anomalous red interference

color.
Alteration:In the photo , biotite (dark
mineal) is altering to chlorite.

Clinopyroxene

Optical Properties:
The clinopyroxene group includes diopside, augite, jadeite, pigeonite, hedenbergite, and
others. It is generally difficult to distinguish between individuals in this group optically. All
are biaxially positive, with moderate relief and up to second order birefringence colors, and
all have pyroxene 87 degree cleavage and inclined extinction. Many clinopyroxenes have
pale greenish pleochroism.
The photos above show a clinopyroxene grain in crossed (left) and uncrossed polarizers;
exsolution lamellae of orthopyroxene are clearly visible in the left photo.
Occurrence:
Clinopyroxenes are abundant in many intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks, including
diorite, gabbro, the peridotite family, basalt, and andesite. They also occur in
metamorphosed mafic rocks, and jadeite is a constituent of some blueschist facies rocks.

Above: clinopyroxene crystal in basalt: crossed polarizers on left, plane light on right. Field
of view 1.5 mm.
3

Complex twins in lunar mare clinopyroxene in crossed polarizers (left). Two cleavages in
pyroxene in plane polarized light (right).

Hornblende Ca2(Mg,Fe,Al)5(OH)2[(Si,Al)4O11]2

Optical Properties:
Biaxial negative; high 2V (50-85 degrees); strong pleochroism in greens and browns; 2
cleavages at 56 degrees; moderate birefringence (second order colors, often masked by the
mineral's strong color. Hornblende's strong pleochroism and inclined extinction are its most
distinctive characteristics.

Occurrence:
Hornblende is common in many intrusive igneous rocks ranging from granite to gabbro; it
is also present in medium grade metamorphosed mafic rocks. Hornblende occurs in some
volcanic rocks, but it is less abundant in extrusive rocks than in intrusive rocks.
4

Alteration:
Hornblende commonly alters to biotite or chlorite.
The photographs above show hornblende in crossed polars (left) and in plane polarized
light (right photo). The black grains are an opaque mineral (magnetite). The dark reddish
brown mineral in the left photo is biotite.

The photos above (left in plane light, right under crossed polarizers) show dark hornblende
in the upper left corner, and dark biotite in the lower right, with plagioclase in a diorite.

Leucite KAl(SiO3)2

Optical Properties:
Pseudoisometric; colorless; euhedral crystals; very weak birefringence; polysynthetic twins
in several directions.The photos above show leucite under crossed polarizers (left view;
note polysynthetic twins), and plane polarized light (right photo).
5

Occurrence:
Restricted to silica undersaturated lavas and tuffs, almost exclusively as phenocrysts

Microcline KAlSi3O8

Optical Properties:
Biaxial negative; first order gray interference color; "basketweave" twinning (multiple
twins crossing at almost right angles), as shown in the pictures above, is almost always
present; note how twins pinch and swell, unlike most plagioclase twins. In the photo on the
right microcline occurs with biotite and quartz.

Occurrence:
Common in quartz-rich intrusive rocks such as granite, and in some moderate to high
temperature metamorphic rocks; it does not occur in volcanic rocks. It may be intergrown
with plagioclase to form perthite. At higher temperature, orthoclase forms instead of
microcline

Muscovite KAl2(OH)2(AlSi3O10)

Optical Properties:
Biaxial negative, small 2V (30-40 degrees); clear in plane polarized light; high
birefringence, producing up to third order colors; 1 excellent cleavage; parallel extinction.
Muscovite is a distinctive mineral, because of its high birefringence, parallel extinction,
and excellent basal cleavage.
The two photographs above show muscovite in crossed polarizers (left photo) and
uncrossed polarizers (right photo) in granite. In the left picture, muscovite shows yellow to
blue interference colors; it is colorless and clear in uncrossed polarizers. Microcline is in
the lower right and at the right edges of the photographs, and biotite is the pleochroic
(colored)
mineral
most
clearly
visible
in
the
right
photo.
In the left photo below (crossed polarizers), a muscovite grain shows high birefringence
and bent cleavage planes. In the plane polarized light view on the right, clear, subhedral
muscovite cuts diagonally across the picture and appears to penetrate the dark biotite grain.

Occurrence:
Common in pegmatites, low to medium grade metamorphic rocks, and present in some
granites.

Myrmekite

Optical Description:
Myrmekite is a "wormy" intergrowth of quartz in sodic plagioclase. In the photo above,
quartz is the light gray "worms" in a plagioclase grain that is extinct. Other minerals
present are plagioclase (upper right) , biotite (upper left), and quartz (extinct grain in lower
left corner.

Occurrence:
Myrmekite occurs in quartz-rich intrusive rocks

Nepheline (Na,K)(Al,Si)2O4

Optical Properties:
Uniaxial -; colorless; poor cleavage; low relief; first order gray interference colors; parallel
extinction.In the photo above (crossed polarizers), nepheline poikilitically encloses twinned
plagioclase crystals.

Occurrence:
Silica undersaturated igneous rocks, such as nepheline syenite, phonolite, and some
basalts. Does not occur with quartz

Olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4

Optical Properties:
Biaxial + or -; very high 2V. Usually colorless in plane light, but Fe-rich varieties have
green pleochroism; poor cleavage in one direction; parallel extinction; up to third order
interference colors. Commonly has conchoidal fractures and some alteration to serpentine
or talc. Distinguished from orthopyroxene by high birefringence, and from clinopyroxene
by parallel extinction.
The photos above (crossed polarizers on left, plane light view on right) show the usual
appearance of olivine in ultramafic rocks: curved fractures, andhedral grains, high relief,
high birefringence.

Occurrence:
Olivine is abundant in most ultramafic rocks and is a common constituent of many basalts
and gabbros. It is less abundant in diorites and andesites.
The photos below are a dunite on the left (>90% olivine), showing the mineral's high
birefringence; on the right is a mixture of olivine and twinned plagioclase, showing the
difference in interference colors of the two minerals.

Olivine (Continued)
The photos above are under crossed polarizers. On the left, an olivine phenocryst in a lunar
mare basalt, with Fe-Ni metal blebs as inclusions. On the right, olivine crystals in a dunite,
with fracture fillings of opaque chromite.

The photo below is in plane polarized light. Clear olivine phenocrysts in a tholeiitic basalt
are altered around grain edges and along curved fractures to iddingsite; the texture is
porphyritic.

10

Orthoclase KAlSi3O8

Optical Properties:
Biaxial negative; first order gray interference colors; negative relief; simple twins only: no
polysynthetic twins. Commonly has a cloudy appearance, like the light gray grain in the
photo above, because of clay alteration. Distinguished from quartz by biaxial optics, twins,
and negative relief.

Occurrence:
Common in some siliceous intrusive rocks, syenite, trachyte, and high temperature
metamorphic rocks.

Orthopyroxene (Mg,Fe)SiO3

Optical Properties:
Enstatite, hypersthene, and ferrosilite are members of the orthopyroxene solid solution
series. All have low birefringence (first order red maximum), parallel extinction, and
pyroxene 87 degree cleavage. Pale green, pale red, or pale purple pleochroism occurs in
11

some grains. Distinguished from clinopyroxene by low order interference colors and
parallel extinction. The photo above shows one cleavage and thin exsolution lamellae.

Occurrence:
Orthopyroxene occurs with clinopyroxene in many igneous rocks, such as gabbro, diorite,
basalt, andesite, and the peridotite family. It is an indicator mineral for the granulite and
pyroxene hornfels facies of metamorphism.

Fine exsolution lamellae in orthopyroxene. Field of view 1.5 mm, crossed polarizers.

Oxyhornblende (Lamprobolite, Basaltic Hornblende)

Ca,Mg,Fe,Al silicate, an amphibole

Optical Properties:
Biaxial -; 2V 60-80 degrees; yellow to reddish brown pleochroism; amphibole cleavage;
extinction angle close to 0 degrees. Pleochroic colors are distinctive.
The photograph above shows phenocrysts of lamprobolite in andesite.

Occurrence: Volcanic rocks such as andesite and others.

12

Perthite KAlSi3O8 and Plagioclase (Na-Ca Al Silicate)

Optical Properties:
Perthite is actually two minerals: an intergrowth of sodic plagioclase in K-feldspar
(orthoclase or microcline). The intergrowths are commonly stringy (as in the photo above),
but they may be globular, lensoid, or other shapes. First order gray interference colors.
When the optic sign is determined, it may be either + or -, depending on whether the lens is
focused on K-feldspar or intergrown plagioclase.

Occurrence:
Common in siliceous intrusive rockssuch as granite and quartz monzonite; also in syenite,
trachyte, and some metamorphic rocks

Plagioclase NaAlSi3O8 to CaAl2Si2O8

13

Optical Properties:
Biaxial + or -, first order gray to very pale straw yellow interference colors; low relief;
polysynthetic twinning is very common, as in the photos on the left, which helps
distsinguish plagioclase from orthoclase; twins are typically continuous, with parallel sides,
unlike microcline. Plagioclase also may be strongly zoned, as in the photos at the right
above: normal zoning when the center of the grain is more Ca-rich than the edges, and
oscillatory zoning when the composition alternates from Ca- to Na-richer zones.
Plagioclase composition may be determined by several optical techniques. Perhaps the
easiest technique to apply is the Michel-Levy method.

Occurrence:
Plagioclase is the most abundant mineral in Earth's crust, occurring in most igneous and
metamorphic rocks.

Sericite (fine-grained muscovite) flakes altering plagioclase grain in the center of the
picture; zoned plagioclase in the lower left; twinned plagioclase upper right.

14

Quartz:

Optical properties:
Uniaxial positive; first order interference colors (gray to pale yellow); undulant extinction;
clear in plane polarized light; conchoidal fracture; no visible cleavage or twinning. In
intrusive rocks, quartz is typically a late-forming mineral and therefore interstitial to other
minerals.
The photos on this page are under crossed polarizers: on the left above is strained quartz in
a granite; on the right is a quartz phenocryst in rhyolitic glass, showing conchoidal fracture.
The photos below show quartz grains in a sedimentary rock, conglomerate. On the left,
Boehm lamellae in the grains indicate a high stress regime; the grains on the right show
sutured grain boundaries and internal strain, indicating a probable metamorphic origin.

Occurrence:
Many intrusive rocks, such as granite, quartz monzonite, granodiorite, tonalite, etc;
extrusive rocks such as rhyolite, dacite, etc., and many metamorphic and sedimentary
rocks.

15

Sanidine KAlSi3O8

Optical Properties:
Biaxial negative, small 2V, first order gray interference color, simple twins, 2 cleavages.
Both photos above are under crossed polarizers; on the left is a sanidine grain with
Carlsbad twin; on the right, the large grain at the right is sanidine; the phenocrysts at the
left edge of the photo are quartz. The rocks in both cases are rhyolites.

Occurrence:
Restricted to volcanic rocks or very high temperature contact metamorphic rocks
(sanidinite facies) that are rich in potassium.

Sphene (Titanite) CaTiSiO5

16

Optical Properties:
Biaxial +; 2V 23-50 degrees; colorless to very pale yellow to brown or green pleochroism;
extreme
birefringence;
very
high
relief.
The photos above, both in plane polarized light, show the very high relief of nearly
colorless sphene in a feldspar-rich rock. The pleochroic mineral in the picture on the right
is acmite

Zeolites

The zeolite group of minerals are hydrous Ca-Na aluminum silicates. Only four of the
group are listed here; there are many more varieties, and many look similar in thin section.
The zeolites are listed here as secondary minerals in igneous rocks, a common environment
for them, but they are widespread in some marine and fresh water deposits as well.

Analcite NaAl(SiO3)2.H2O
Isometric, therefore extinct under crossed polarizers. Occurs as vesicle
fillings and replacement in some lavas, and deposited in some lake beds.
Shown as vesicle filling upper left (crossed polarizers).

Heulandite H4CaAl2(SiO3)6.3H2O
Biaxial +; first order gray interference colors; 2V 0-48 degrees; parallel
extinction; 1 excellent cleavage. Occurs as a secondary mineral in volcanic
rocks. Shown as vesicle filling in upper right photo.

Thomsonite NaCa2Al5(SiO4)5.6H2O
Biaxial +; colorless in plane polarized light; low birefringence; fibrous to
bladed or columnar aggregates. Occurs as cavity filling in igneous rocks, as
shown under crossed polarizers at upper left.
17

Stilbite H4(Ca,Na2)Al2(SiO3)6.4H2O
Biaxial-; first order gray birefringence; colorless in plane polarized light; 1
good direction of cleavage; wavy extinction. Occurs as cavity fillings in
igneous rocks and as hydrothermal alteration

Andalusite Al2SiO5

Optical Properties:
Biaxial -; very high 2V; usually colorless, may be red under crossed polarizers; first order
gray interference colors; typically euhedral (idioblastic) crystals; 2 cleavages; parallel or
symmetrical extinction. Carbonaceous inclusions may be arranged symmetrically to form a
variety called chiastolite.
The photograph shows a porphyroblast of andalusite, with faint dark cross of carbonaceous
specks, in a fine-grained hornfels.
18

Occurrence:
Common mineral in contact metamorphosed shales; also occurs in regional, high
temperature, low pressure metamorphic rocks and in granite pegmatites

Chlorite Mg,Al silicate family of micaceous minerals

Optical Properties:
Biaxial; depending on the composition and chlorite variety, chlorite may be positive or
negative; 2V 0-30 degrees; colorless to pale green pleochroism; low birefringence (first
order colors, though occasionally anomalous blue); typically occurs as tiny flakes.
The photos above show chlorite filling a vesicle in basalt. Plane polarized light on the left,
crossed polarizers on the right.

Occurrence:
Chlorite is a common alteration of ferromagnesian minerals; it is abundant in many low
grade metamorphic rocks.

Epidote-Clinozoisite Ca2(Al,Fe)3(OH)(SiO4)3

19

Optical Properties:
Biaxial + or -; 2V 56 to 89 degrees; colorless (clinozoisite) to yellowish green (epidote)
pleochroism (upper right photo); birefringence weak in clinozoisite, to strong in epidote;
clinozoisite typically has anomalous blue interference color (upper left photo); extinction is
parallel in elongate grains.

Occurrence:
Commonly occurs in low to medium grade metamorphic rocks, and as hydrothermal or
deuteric alteration in igneous rocks

Garnet Mg,Fe,Mn,Ca,Cr silicates

Optical Properties:
Garnet is isotropic, therefore extinct under crossed polarizers. In thin section, it may be
colorless, pale red to dark brown, greenish, etc. All members of the garnet family have very
high
relief,
and
they
commonly
form
euhedral
crystals.

20

The photograph above left shows garnet under uncrossed polarizers; chlorite is altering the
garnet along its left margin and within a fracture. The photo on the right with crossed
polarizers shows a garnet crystal at extinction, surrounded by muscovite and glaucophane
in glaucophane schist.

Occurrence:
Garnet is characteristic of metamorphic rocks such as schists, but it may also be found less
commonly in igneous rocks.
In the photograph below, under crossed polarizers, an extinct garnet grain in a schist
contains numerous quartz inclusions.

Glaucophane Na2Mg3Al2(OH)2(Si4O11)2

Optical Properties:
Biaxial -; strong pleochroism, blue to violet to colorless to pale brown; amphibole
cleavage.

21

The two photos above are in plane polarized light, illustrating the unique pleochroism of
glaucophane.

Occurrence:
Occurs in low grade metamorphic rocks, associated with white mica, albite, quartz,
chlorite, epidote, and occasionally lawsonite and jadeite.

The picture on the left, in plane polarized light, is a mixture of lightly colored glaucophane,
colorless white mica, and dark, high relief epidote in a low grade schist. On the right is a
crossed polarizers view of a glaucophane schist with a large, isotropic garnet in the center,
surrounded by highly birefringent glaucophane and white mica.

Kyanite Al2SiO5

Optical Properties:
Biaxial -; very high 2V; colorless to pale blue in plane polarized light; tabular crystals; 2
cleavages; high relief; maximum first order red interference colors; inclined extinction that
can almost be parallel.
22

The photos above and below show kyanite in crossed polarized view on the left, and in
plane polarized light on the right. Kyanite is surrounded by biotite and muscovite in the top
photos, and by quartz in the lower photos. The cleavage, relief, and bladed form of kyanite
are clearly visible.

Lawsonite H4CaAl2Si2O10

Optical Properties:
Biaxial +; 2V>80 degrees; colorless; interference colors to second order; polysynthetic
twinning is apparent is some grains; two good cleavages. Both of the photos above are
under crossed polarizers. In the photo on the left, polysynthetic twins are apparent; on the
right, various interference colors of lawsonite are shown.

Occurrence:
Lawsonite is an indicator mineral of blueschist grade metamorphism (high pressure, low
temperature metamorphism). It is associated with white mica, glaucophane, epidote,
chlorite, albite, quartz, and occasionally jadeite and aragonite.

23

Prehnite H2Ca2Al2(SiO4)3

Optical Properties:
Biaxial +; variable 2V; moderate birefringence, up to high second order colors;colorless in
plane polarized light; 1 good cleavage; high relief; parallel extinction; tabular crystals.
The photos above illustrate typical prehnite occurrences, in veins in low grade
metamorphic rocks. On the left, in plane polarized light, is a thin vein with pumpellyite and
clear, elongate crystals of prehnite. On the right, under crossed polarizers, prehnite
birefringence is displayed. Both photographs have a field of view of 1.5 mm.

Occurrence:
Occurs in the matrix and in veins in low temperature metamorphic rocks, and as a vesicle
filling in some lavas.

Pumpellyite Ca4(Mg,Fe,Mn)
(Al,Fe,Ti)5O(OH)3[Si2O7]2[SiO4]2.H2O

24

Optical Properties:
Biaxial -; 2V varies from low to very high; moderate interference colors, which may be
anomalous; colorless to green, brown, or yellow in plane polarized light; generally in
fibrous form. Crossed polarizer (left, above) and plane polarized light views (right, above)
show
the
typical
appearance
of
pumpellyite
in
thin
section.
The photo below (plane polarized light) shows pumpellyite in a thin vein, a typical
occurrence in blueschist metamorphic veins.

Occurrence:
Pumpellyite is a low temperature metamorphic mineral that commonly occurs with
chlorite, albite, prehnite, clinozoisite, etc.

Serpentine H4Mg3Si2O9

Optical Properties:
Serpentine minerals may be either biaxial + or -, with 2V varying from 0 to 90 degrees. All
members of the group have low birefringence (first order yellow maximum) and parallel

25

extinction. The mineral habit is fibrous, and in plane polarized light grains are colorless to
pale green. Grain size is typically too small to determine many optical properties.

Occurrence:
The serpentine group of minerals is formed by metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration
of mafic minerals, such as olivine and pyroxene.
The photos above show serpentine in crossed polarizers (left) and plane polarized light
(right). The rock shown is almost 100% serpentine; the equant crystal forms seen are
serpentine pseudomorphs after olivine.
The picture below left (1.5 mm field of view, crossed polarizers) shows light gray stringers
of serpentine altering clinopyroxene (at extinction). On the right is a clinopyroxene grain
surrounded by gray serpentine (crossed polarizers).

Sillimanite Al2SiO5

Optical Properties:
Biaxial +; small 2V (20-30 degrees); slender, needle-like habit; high relief; up to middle
second order interference colors; parallel extinction.
The photos above show the needle-like form and birefringence of sillimanite (crossed
26

polarizers on left, plane light on right).

The lower pictures (of two different sillimanite schists) show somewhat finer- grained
needles of sillimanite (crossed polarizers on left, plane light on right).

Occurrence:
Occurs principally in medium to high grade regional and contact
metamorphosed shales.

Staurolite 2Al2SiO5.Fe(OH)2

Optical Properties:
Biaxial +; very high 2V; colorless to yellow to yellow-brown pleochroism; high relief;
maximum interference color first order red; parallel or symmetrical extinction; prismatic
crystals. Distinguishing features are color and pleochroism, and the typical presence of

27

numerous

quartz

inclusions.

The photos above (crossed polarizers on left, plane polarized light on right) show typical
inclusion-rich staurolite and characteristic interference color and color in plane light. The
picture below, under crossed polarizers, shows a large staurolite grain in a schist,
surrounded by brightly colored muscovite and some quartz.

Occurrence
Staurolite occurs in regional dynamothermal metamorphosed shales, as porphyroblasts
associated with garnet, biotite, muscovite, and possibly kyanite.

Stilpnomelane H2(Mg,Fe)Al2SiO7

Optical Properties:
Biaxial , but with 2V close to 0 degrees; extinction almost parallel; brown to yellow green
pleochroism is distinctive.
The photographs above show golden stilpnomelane in plane polarized light (left) and under

28

crossed polarizers (right). The photo below (uncrossed polarizers) shows stilpnomelane in a
characteristic sheaf-like arrangement.

Occurrence:
Stilpnomelane occurs in some low grade, burial metamorphic rocks, with quartz, white
mica, garnet, etc.

Dunite

Dunite contains over 90% olivine, typically with allotriomorphic-granular (gabbroic)

texture. Dunites form during differentiation of mafic melts and as segregations in the
mantle.
They
also
occur
as
high
temperature
intrusions.
The photos above show anhedral olivine grains, partially altered around grain margins and
along fractures to platy, highly birefringent talc.

29

Tourmaline Group Na-Fe-Mg-Li Al borosilicates

Optical Properties:
Uniaxial -; parallel extinction; color varies from colorless to pale yellow, pink green, blue,
etc., depending on variety; color zoning is common; moderate birefringence, typically second
order
colors.
The photos above, under crossed polarizers, show tourmaline with quartz inclusions and
surrounded by quartz (left picture), and zoned tourmaline crystals surrounded by muscovite
in the picture on the right.

Occurrence:
Large crystals are found in granite pegmatites. Other occurrences are in high temperature
veins, schists, and gneisses.

Tremolite-Actinolite Ca2(Mg,Fe)5(OH)2(Si4O11)2

30

Optical Properties:
Biaxial -; colorless to pale green in plane polarized light; amphibole cleavage (2 directions
at 56 degrees); interference colors up to middle second order; inclined extinction; prismatic
to
fibrous
form.
The photo above, under crossed polarizers, shows the moderate birefringence and cleavage
of tremolite. The pictures below (crossed polarizers on the left, plane polarized light on the
right) show a tremolite schist, composed almost entirely of tremolite. Interlocking fibers of
tremolite form the jade mineral, nephrite.

Occurrence:
Common in contact metamorphosed carbonate rocks; the Fe-rich member, actinolite,
occurs in metamorphosed mafic rocks.

Calcite CaCO3

Optical Properties:
Uniaxial -; extreme birefringence, high order colors; common polysynthetic twinning;
rhombohedral cleavage; symmetrical extinction; colorless in plane polarized light.
31

The photos above (left is plane polarized light, right under crossed polarizers) show the
high birefringence, twinning, and cleavage typical of calcite.
The photograph below (crossed polarizers) shows calcite replacing plagioclase.

Occurrence:
Principal constituent of limestones and marbles; common alteration of other minerals and
as a cement in sedimentary rocks.

Chalcedony SiO2

Optical Properties:
Chalcedony is very fine-grained quartz. It commonly occurs as radiating aggregates, as
shown in the crossed polarizers view above. First order gray interference color, as in
quartz; other optical properties generally are difficult to measure, because of the small grain
size.

Occurrence:
Chalcedony occurs as a cement in some clastic sedimentary rocks, as replacement of calcite
in come carbonates, and as vesicle fillings in some lavas.

32

Dolostone

Dolostone is a sedimentary rock consisting principally of dolomite. The photograph, under

crossed polarizers, shows the extreme birifringence and twinning characteristics of
dolomite. Dolomite is difficult to distinguish from calcite in thin section, without special
treatment.

Glauconite KMg(Fe,Al)(SiO3)6.3H2O

Optical Properties:
Biaxial -; 2V 16-30 degrees; green to yellow pleochroism; excellent single cleavage;
parallel extinction; often forms in pellets in sediments.

Occurrence:
Glauconite forms under reducing conditions in sediments and is commonly found in
nearshore sandstones.

33

34