Optical Mineralogy in a Nutshell

Use of the petrographic microscope in three easy lessons

Part I
Jane Selverstone

Why use the microscope??

Identify minerals (no guessing!) Determine rock type Determine crystallization sequence Document deformation history Observe frozen-in reactions Constrain P-T history Note weathering/alteration Fun, powerful, and cheap!

The petrographic microscope

Also called a polarizing microscope

In order to use the scope, we need to understand a little about the physics of light, and then learn some tools and tricks

What happens as light moves through the scope?

your eye

amplitude, A

light travels as waves

light ray

wavelength,

waves travel from source to eye

light source

What happens as light moves through the scope?

Microscope light is white light, i.e. its made up of lots of different wavelengths; Each wavelength of light corresponds to a different color

Can prove this with a prism, which separates white light into its constituent wavelengths/colors

What happens as light moves through the scope?

propagation direction plane of vibration vibration direction

light vibrates in all planes that contain the light ray

1) Light passes through the lower polarizer

west (left)

Unpolarized light

Plane polarized light

east (right)

PPL=plane polarized light

Only the component of light vibrating in E-W direction can pass through lower polarizer light intensity decreases

2) Insert the upper polarizer

west (left) north (back)

east (right)

south (front)

Black!!

Now what happens? What reaches your eye?

Why would anyone design a microscope that prevents light from reaching your eye???

XN =crossed nicols (crossed polars)

3) Now insert a thin section of a rock

west (left)

Unpolarized light east (right)

Light vibrating E-W Light vibrating in many planes and with many wavelengths

Light and colors reach eye!

How does this work??

Conclusion has to be that minerals somehow reorient the planes in which light is vibrating; some light passes through the upper polarizer

Minerals act as magicians!!

But, note that some minerals are better magicians than others (i.e., some grains stay dark and thus cant be reorienting light)

4) Note the rotating stage

Most mineral grains change color as the stage is rotated (when the upper polarizer is in); 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

Now do question 1

These minerals are isotropic

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 (acting as magicians).
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

All anisotropic minerals can resolve light into two plane polarized components that travel at different velocities and vibrate in planes that are perpendicular to one another
fast ray slow ray mineral grain

Some light is now able to pass through the upper polarizer

plane polarized light

When light gets split: -velocity changes -rays get bent (refracted) -2 new vibration directions -usually see new colors

lower polarizer

A brief review
Isotropic minerals: light does not get rotated or split; propagates with same velocity in all directions Anisotropic minerals:
Uniaxial - light entering in all but one special direction is resolved into 2 plane polarized components that vibrate perpendicular to one another Biaxial - light entering in all but two special directions is resolved into 2 plane polarized components

Along the special directions (optic axes), the mineral thinks it is isotropic - i.e., no splitting occurs Uniaxial and biaxial minerals can be further subdivided into optically positive and optically negative, depending on orientation of fast and slow rays relative to xtl axes

How light behaves depends on crystal structure

(there is a reason you took mineralogy!)

Isotropic

Isometric
All crystallographic axes are equal

Uniaxial
Biaxial

Hexagonal, trigonal, tetragonal

All axes c are equal but c is unique

Orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic

All axes are unequal

Lets use all of this information to help us identify minerals

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 l of light Pleochroism results when different l are absorbed differently by different crystallographic directions rotate stage to observe

hbl

hbl

plag

plag -Plagioclase is colorless -Hornblende is pleochroic in olive greens

Now do question 2

Mineral properties: Index of refraction (R.I. or n)

velocity in air velocity in mineral
Light is refracted (bent) when it passes from one substance to another; refraction is accompanied by a change in velocity

n=

n1 n2

n1 n2

n2>n1

n2<n1

n is a function of crystallographic orientation in anisotropic minerals isotropic minerals: characterized by one RI uniaxial minerals: characterized by two RI biaxial minerals: characterized by three RI n gives rise to 2 easily measured parameters: relief & birefringence

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
- Olivine has high relief - Plag has low relief
plag

olivine

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

What causes relief?

Difference in speed of light (n) in different materials causes refraction of light rays, which can lead to focusing or defocusing of grain edges relative to their surroundings
Hi relief (+) Lo relief Hi relief (-)

nxtl > nepoxy

nxtl = nepoxy

nxtl < nepoxy

Now do question 3

Mineral properties: interference colors/birefringence

Colors one observes when polars are crossed (XN) Color can be quantified numerically:

d = nhigh - nlow

Now do question 4

More on this next week

Use of interference figures

Technique for determining whether an anisotropic mineral is uniaxial or biaxial, and positive or negative
We will start by propagating light along an optic axis and examining some bizarre phenomena that greatly simplify mineral ID
(explanations forthcoming in a future lab)

Question 5, using dunite (olivine) sample. Make sure you are in XN! 1. Find an olivine grain that stays gray as stage is rotated 2. Go to highest power objective 3. (put in substage condensor -already done on Meiji scopes) 4. Insert Bertrand Lens 5. Look down scope

Use of interference figures, continued

You will see a very small, fuzzy, 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/EW as stage is rotated

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

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

(+)

A brief review Isotropic minerals: light does not get rotated or split; propagates with same velocity in all directions Anisotropic minerals:
Uniaxial - light entering in all but one special direction is resolved into 2 plane polarized components that vibrate perpendicular to one another Biaxial - light entering in all but two special directions is resolved into 2 plane polarized components

Along the special directions (optic axes), the mineral thinks it is isotropic - i.e., no splitting occurs Uniaxial and biaxial minerals can be further subdivided into optically positive and optically negative You are now well on your way to being able to identify all of the common minerals (and many of the uncommon ones, too)!!