Optical Mineralogy a Review

A review of mineral properties under the

petrographic microscope

Why use the microscope??

Identify minerals
Determine rock type
Determine crystallization
sequence
Document deformation history
Observe frozen-in reactions
Constrain P-T history
Weathering/alteration

west (left)

Unpolarized light

east (right)
Light vibrating in many
planes and with many
wavelengths

Light vibrating E-W
PPL - plane polarized light

thin section

west (left)

Unpolarized light

east (right)

Light and colors

reach eye!

Light vibrating E-W

Light vibrating in many

planes and with many
wavelengths

some optical characteristics

Cleavage number and orientation of cleavage
planes
Twinning type of twinning, orientation
Extinction angle parallel or inclined? Angle?
Habit characteristic form of mineral
euhedral, etc., and specific shape

Cleavage

Most easily observed in PPL (upper polarizer out),
but visible in XPL as well

No/poor cleavages:
quartz, olivine (irregular fracture)
1 perfect cleavage:
micas
2 good cleavages: pyroxenes, amphiboles

Cleavage

random fractures,
POOR cleavage:
olivine

2 cleavages
intersecting
at ~90
(87-88):
pyroxene

2 cleavages
intersecting
at ~90
(87-88):
pyroxene

2 cleavages
intersecting
at ~60/120
(56 & 124):
amphibole

120

60

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Twinning

Presence and style of twinning can be diagnostic

Twins are most obvious in XPL (upper polarizer in)

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Clinopyroxene (augite)

Simple twin on {100}

Plagioclase

Simple (Carlsbad) twin on (010)

Pericline twin on (001)
Polysynthetic albite twins on (010)

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Microcline

Crosshatch (tartan) twinning

Plagioclase

Simple (Carlsbad) twinning
Pericline twins
Polysynthetic albite twinning

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Colour & pleochroism:

rotate the stage in plane polarized light

Note the colour AND whether the colour changes upon rotation

Many coloured mineral grains change color as the stage is
rotated; note the range of colours

These minerals are
pleochroic

A few coloured minerals stay
the same in all orientations

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Mineral properties: color & pleochroism

Color is observed only in PPL

Not an inherent property - changes with light type/intensity
Results from selective absorption of certain of light
Pleochroism results when different are absorbed
differently by different crystallographic directions rotate stage to observe

hbl

hbl

-Plagioclase is colorless
-Hornblende is pleochroic in olive greens

plag

plag

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rotate the stage with crossed polars

Most mineral grains change color as the stage is
rotated; these grains go black 4 times in 360
rotation-exactly every 90o

These minerals are
anisotropic

Glass and a few minerals stay
black in all orientations

These minerals
are isotropic

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Some generalizations and vocabulary

All isometric minerals (e.g., garnet) are

isotropic they cannot reorient light. These minerals
are always black in crossed polars.

All other minerals are anisotropic they are all

capable of reorienting light.

All anisotropic minerals contain one or two

special directions that do not reorient light.

Minerals with one special direction are called uniaxial

Minerals with two special directions are called biaxial

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How light behaves depends on crystal structure

Isotropic
Uniaxial
Biaxial

Isometric

All crystallographic axes are equal

Hexagonal, trigonal, tetragonal

All axes c are equal but c is unique

Orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic

All axes are unequal

This information helps us identify minerals!

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Extinction angle

Extinction behaviour is a function of the relationship
between indicatrix orientation and crystallographic
orientation

parallel extinction

inclined extinction

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Extinction angle parallel extinction

All uniaxial minerals show parallel extinction
Orthorhombic minerals show parallel extinction

(this is because the crystal axes and indicatrix axes coincide)

orthopyroxene

PPL

orthopyroxene

XPL

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Extinction angle - inclined extinction

Monoclinic and triclinic minerals:
indicatrix axes do not coincide with crystallographic axes
These minerals have inclined extinction
(and extinction angle helps to identify them)

extinction
angle

clinopyroxene

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Habit or form

acicular

anhedral/irregular

bladed

blocky

subhedral

elongate

euhedral

equant

fibrous

prismatic

rounded

tabular

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Habit or form

acicular

anhedral/irregular

bladed

blocky

elongate

euhedral

fibrous

prismatic

rounded

tabular

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Mineral properties: relief

Relief is a measure of the relative difference in n
between a mineral grain and its surroundings
Relief is determined visually, in PPL
Relief is used to estimate n

plag

- Olivine has high relief

- Plag has low relief

olivine

olivine: n=1.64-1.88
plag:
n=1.53-1.57
epoxy: n=1.54

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Mineral properties: interference color/birefringence

Calcite - v. high
washed out colours

Olivine high

Clinopyroxene
- moderate-high

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Mineral properties: interference colors/birefringence

Orthopyroxene
- low-moderate, 1st order grey-orange

Quartz
-low,
-1st order greyyellow

Plagioclase v. low

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Mineral properties: interference colors/birefringence

Colors one observes when polars are crossed (XPL)
Color can be quantified numerically:
= nhigh - nlow

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Use of interference figures

In conoscopic light with Bertrand lens in:
You will see a very small, circular field of view with one or more
black isogyres -- rotate stage and watch isogyre(s)

or

uniaxial

If uniaxial, isogyres define
cross; arms remain N-S/E-W as
stage is rotated

biaxial

If biaxial, isogyres define curve that
rotates with stage, or cross that breaks
up as stage is rotated

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determining
optic sign

blue in NE = (+)

Gypsum plate has constant of

530 nm = 1st-order pink

Isogyres = black: =0
Background = gray: =100

Add or subtract 530 nm:

530+100=630 nm = blue = (+)

530-100=430 nm = yellowish = (-)
Addition = slow + slow
Subtraction = slow + fast

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Biaxial interference figures

There are lots of types of biaxial figures we ll concentrate on only two

1. Optic axis figure - pick a grain that stays dark on rotation

Will see one
curved isogyre

determine sign w/ gyps

(+)

(-)

estimate 2V from curvature of isogyre

90

60

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See Nesse p. 103

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Use of interference figures, continued

Now determine the optic sign of the mineral:
1. Rotate stage until isogyre is concave to NE (if biaxial)
2. Insert gypsum accessory plate
3. Note color in NE, immediately adjacent to isogyre - Blue = (+)
Yellow = (-)

uniaxial

biaxial

(+)

(+)

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Mineral abundances

Modal Estimate
Once you have
identified the
minerals, estimate
their relative
abundances
Plotting the mineral
abundances (e.g., on a
ternary diagram) will
help in determining
the rock type

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Crystallization Sequence

Now that we have identified the minerals and determined the

rock type
It is time to figure out how the rock formed!

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Crystallization Sequence

What minerals
came first?

Paragenesis - a
formational order of
equilibrium
assemblages of
mineral phases.

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Deformation Sequence

What minerals came first?
What condition did the
minerals crystallize in?

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Deformation Sequence

What minerals came first?
What condition did the minerals
crystallize in?

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Deformation Sequence

What minerals came first?
What condition did the minerals
crystallize in?

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Deformation Sequence

What minerals came first?
What condition did the minerals
crystallize in?

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Review techniques for identifying unknown minerals

Start in PPL:
Color/pleochroism
Relief
Cleavages
Habit

Then go to XPL:
Birefringence
Twinning
Extinction angle
Uniaxial or biaxial?
2V if biaxial
Positive or negative?

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Go to Nesse (or similar book)

Chemical formula
Symmetry
Uniaxial or biaxial, (+) or (-)
RIs: lengths of indicatrix axes
Birefringence () = N-n
2V if biaxial

Diagrams:
* Crystallographic axes
* Indicatrix axes
* Optic axes
* Cleavages
* Extinction angles

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Another example

Crystallographic axes: a, b, c

Indicatrix axes: X, Y, Z or ,

Optic axes

Cleavages

Extinction angles

Then read text re: color, pleochroism, habit, cleavage, twinning,

distinguishing features, occurrence make sure properties match
your observations. If not, check another mineral

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On to real rocks

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Important Lab Information

Be on time

Order of lab:

Hand in assignment (current definitions,

previous lab exercise)

Current lab intro (5-15 mins)

Complete lab assignment (due at the beginning
of next lab)

Arrive prepared (read lab assignment, bring

textbooks, etc.)

If you are going to miss a lab, let all TA s
and Prof. D L-M know ahead of time
"

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Important Lab Information

Required materials

Winter (2002 or 2009) text: An intro to igneous and

metamorphic petrology

Nesse: Intro to optical mineralogy

Current lab handout (print or on computer): available
on course website

Recommended: Camera SD card (for storing
photomicrographs) these are cheap (<$10.00 on
Amazon)

Quizzes: Will not be every week only 2-3

throughout the semester

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Important Lab Information

First assignment due next week mantle
xenolith definitions

All assignments must be submitted in a
digital format (pdf, doc) to all TA s

Mike Gadd: mggadd3@gmail.com

Zoe Braden: zoe.braden@gmail.com

Justin Drummond: jbrdrummond@hotmail.com

Late assignments will not be accepted

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