Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Patil
Dept Of Geology
M.J.College, Jalgaon
Color
◦ True color
◦ Not interference colors
◦ Observed in plane polarized light
◦ Not crossed nicols
Most minerals are colorless
Property of having two or more true colors
◦ Occurs only in anisotropic minerals
◦ Each principal vibration direction has a unique color
◦ Preferentially absorbs selected wavelengths of light
Color depends on which vibration direction
parallels polarized direction
◦ Slow ray has one color
◦ Fast ray another color
◦ Color intermediate if neither direction parallel to
polarized direction
Pleochroic formula
◦ Relationship of color to index of refraction (a, b, g, e,
w) that shows the color
Multiple types of formulas:
1. Color of e, w, a, b, or g rays
2. Greater absorbance e.g. w > e or e > w
3. “strongly” or “weakly” pleochroic
Find grain with d = 0
◦ This is value of w color
Find grain with maximum d
◦ This has both e and w
◦ Already know w, so other color must be e
Direction of
polarized Grains seen in plane
light polarized light (not crossed
nicols)
Fig. 7-31
Four Categories:
◦ Parallel extinction – feature (usually cleavage)
parallel to cross hairs at extinction
◦ Inclined extinction – extinction when feature is at
an angle to cross hairs
◦ Symmetrical extinction – occurs in minerals with
two cleavages: bisect cleavage
◦ No extinction angle – minerals with no elongation
or cleavage
Parallel Inclined
No extinction
Symmetrical angle
Fig. 7.32
Physically deformed minerals
Minerals with variable chemical composition
(chemically zoned)
Undulatory Extinction
Zoned Extinction
Inclined extinction - angle between
◦ long axis of mineral grain
◦ prominent cleavage
◦ Twins
◦ Other crystallographic feature
Extinction angle
b b
NaAlSi3O8 CaAl2Si2O8
Characteristics: High plagioclase = volcanic
•Sharp boundaries between twins
•Twin lamellae have same interference colors
Low plagioclase = plutonic
Fig. 12.15 & 12.17
Albite
Na-feldspar
NaAlSi3O8 Feldspars - Triclinic
Z minerals:
b
•Two cleavages
X b
Z
•Many types of twins
X
An0 to An10 An30 to An50 Extinction angles show
relationship between X-Y-
Z
Z axes (indicatrix axes)
Z
and a-b-c axes
(crystallographic axes)
b b
X
X Anorthite
An50 to An70 An90 to An100 Ca-feldspar
CaAl2Si2O8
Length fast: elongate direction of mineral
parallels fast vibration direction
◦ Also called negative elongation
Length slow: elongate direction of mineral
parallels slow vibration direction
◦ Also called positive elongation
Length fast and length slow depends on cut
of grain
Orient grain with vibration direction and
length about 45º to polarized direction
Use accessory plate to determine addition or
subtraction of retardation
◦ Determines if fast or slow ray
Vibration directions
parallel to accessory
plate
If addition, length
slow (positive
elongation)
If subtraction, length
fast (negative
elongation)
Fig. 7-31
ng = elongate na = elongate nb = elongate