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ROCKS under the microscope. The ROCKS you need to know granite diorite gabbro dolerite basalt shelly limestone sandstone arkose greywacke marble schist. biotite.
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The ROCKS you need to know • granite • diorite • gabbro • dolerite • basalt • shelly limestone • sandstone • arkose • greywacke • marble • schist
biotite PPLXPLGraniteNote how light and clear it is under PPL and grey/white/black under XPL; main minerals – feldspars (often microcline), quartz, biotite and muscovite biotite muscovite plagioclase plagioclase muscovite quartz quartz
amphibole amphibole biotite biotite plagioclase plagioclase PPLXPLDioriteDarker under PPL than granite with more coloured minerals; much plagioclase and amphibole/biotite, only small amount of quartz
pyroxene pyroxene PPL XPLGabbroCoarse-grained; darker under PPL and brightly coloured under XPL; main minerals – plagioclase, pyroxene and olivine plagioclase plagioclase olivine olivine olivine
PPL XPLDoleriteMedium-grained;darker under PPL and brightly coloured under XPL; main minerals – plagioclase (often in form of laths), pyroxene (intergrown through other crystals) and olivine plagioclase plagioclase pyroxene pyroxene
fine groundmass of plagioclase & iron minerals PPL XPLBasaltFine-grained;darker under PPL and brightly coloured under XPL; main minerals – plagioclase, pyroxene and olivine; often porphyritic (large well-formed crystals in fine groundmass) pyroxene pyroxene
PPL XPLShelly limestoneDark under PPL and dark pearly shades under XPL; main mineral – calcite; note the fossils. calcite calcite
PPL XPLSandstoneRounded quartz fragments; light under PPL and grey/white/black under XPL; main mineral – quartz quartz quartz
PPL XPLArkoseMore angular quartz and feldspar fragments; light under PPL and grey/white/black under XPL; main minerals – quartz and microcline microcline microcline quartz quartz
muddy matrix muddy matrix PPL XPLGreywackeFragments variable in shape, size and type; light under PPL and grey/white/black under XPL; main mineral – quartz but with rock fragments, feldspar and minor micas; look out for the muddy matrix! quartz quartz rock fragment rock fragment
PPL XPLMarbleCrystalline with perfect cleavages evident;light under PPL and pearly shades under XPL; main mineral – calcite. calcite calcite
PPL XPLSchistMinerals showing foliation; light under PPL and brightly coloured under XPL; mainminerals – muscovite, biotite, garnet, quartz and feldspar muscovite muscovite garnet garnet quartz quartz