Smith College - Geology 222b - Petrology

Petrographic Data File

Serpentine
Hydrous Magnesium Silicate

Property Value Comments

Mg3Si2O5(OH)4
3 types: chrysotile,
Formula
Very minor substitution of Al for Si, and of Fe lizardite, and antigorite
and Al for Mg.

Crystal System Monoclinic Beta = 93°

Crysotile: Fibrous, elongated, and parallel to A mesh-like texture

Crystal Habit crystallographic axis a Lizardite and antigorite: can be viewed with
flat, tabular crystals polarized light.

Chrysotile: fibrous
Cleavage Lizardite: basal cleavage
Antigortie: perfect {001}

Color/Pleochroism Green in thin section

Optic Sign Biaxial (-)

2V highly variable, may be sensibly uniaxial

Slow ray vibration direction is typically parallel

to the length of fibers in chrysotile giving it
Optic Orientation parallel extinction.
For antigorite - Optic plane is perp to (010).
X=c, Y=b, Z=a

Refractive
Indices
1.538-1.567
alpha =
~1.566
beta =
1.545-1.574
gamma =

Max
.001-.010 first order colors
Birefringence

Elongation Chrysotile is length-slow

Extinction Parallel to fibres, cleavage or crystal edge.

Dispersion r > v for antigorite

With the exception of cross-fibers of chrystolite in veins, the varietites of

Distinguishing
serpentine cannot be distinguished without X-ray diffraction or other
Features
techniques.

Commonly formed by hydrothermal alteration of olivine and

orthopyroxene in mafic and ultramafic rocks (peridotite, dunite, and
Occurrence
pyroxenite). Serpentine can also be found as an alteration of forsterite in
metamorphosed carbonate rocks.

Associated
talc, calcite, brucite, chlorite, and chromite.
Minerals

Emilie Flemer ('01), Jennifer Unis ('01), Rebecca-Ellen Farrell ('03), Liz
Editors
Hogan ('04), Sofia Johnson ('19)

A thin section of serpentine under cross polorized light. Note the

orthopyroxene and its exsolution lamellae and the high birofrengence
of the olivine minerals. The fibrous serpentine is the vein like mineral
between the orthopyroxene and olivine.

The same thin section of serpentine under unpolorized light. Note the
greenish, yellowish color of the serpentine mineral.

Here the mesh-like texture can be viewed through the cross-polarized

light (x5) Size=2000microns

Serpentine in plane-polarized light (x5) Size= 2000microns

Serpentine in altered peridotite. Much of the field of view is colorless

serpentine with low (1st order) retardationin XPL. The opaque
minerals are magnetite or chromite from the Fe in the original olivine
and orthopyroxene. Click on the thumbnail image to see a larger
version that rolls over to XPL when you mouseover the image.

Union College [under amphiboles]

WWW Images
Oxford University [image 113,114]

Return to Petrography Index