Semester 3, 2014-2015

Mineral optik
GS3224 - 2 SKS teori
by:
DR. hill. gendoet hartono
Senin-Rabu-Jumat jam 07.30 9.10

Identifying MINERALS in thin section

When a slide is examined under the microscope, it is
important to identify any mineral properties under
plane polarised light (PPL) first (analyser out); then
proceed to crossed polars (XPL) where the two
polaroid sheets are at right angles to each other
(analyser in).

Mineral properties under PPL

colour

(natural colour)

transparency

(clear, cloudy or opaque)

relief

(high or low)

crystal or fragment shape

cleavage
fracture
pleochroism
rotated)

(colour change when stage is

1) Light passes through the lower polarizer

west
(left)

Unpolarized light

Plane polarized light PPL

east
(right)

Jane Selverstone, University of New Mexico, 2003

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!! (extinct)

Now what happens?

What reaches your eye?
Why would anyone design a microscope that
prevents light from reaching your eye???
XPL=crossed nicols
(crossed polars)

Jane Selverstone, University of New Mexico, 2003

amphibole

COLOUR
biotite

PPL

The biotite shows its distinct brown shades under PPL

against the clear colourless quartz and feldspar

RELIEF

plagioclase

PPL

olivine

Note how the olivine with its high relief stands out from
the surrounding low relief plagioclase

Mineral properties in PPL: relief

Relief is a measure of the relative difference in n
between a mineral grain and its surroundings
Relief is determined visually, in PPL
garnet: n = 1.72-1.89
Relief is used to estimate n
quartz: n = 1.54-1.55
epoxy:
n = 1.54

Quartz has low relief

Garnet has high relief

Mineral properties in PPL: 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

- Plagioclase has low relief
plag

olivine

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

Jane Selverstone, University of New Mexico, 2003

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 (+)

nxtl > nepoxy

nxtl = nepoxy

Hi relief (-)

nxtl < nepoxy

Jane Selverstone, University of New Mexico, 2003

1st set run

parallel to
line

CLEAVAGE
amphibole
PPL
2nd set of
cleavage

Two sets of cleavage are seen in this amphibole crystal; note the
120o angle between the cleavages

FRACTURE

olivine

PPL

The olivine here shows uneven fractures which appear

dark grey in the crystal

biotite
PPL

rotated 90o

PLEOCHROISM
Two views under PPL showing colour change in biotite on
rotating the stage.

Mineral properties under XPL

interference colours
(under XPL the colours seen are not the natural colours of the mineral but
those caused by the interference of two refracted beams of light passing
through an anisotropic mineral ; they are called interference colours)

extinction angle
(as the stage is rotated, each anisotropic mineral goes extinct every 90o; in
cases where there is cleavage in the mineral it is possible to measure the
angle of extinction relative to the crosswires)

twinning
(may be seen in coloured minerals under PPL, but most obvious under XPL,
especially with regard to the feldspars)

Now insert a thin section of a rock in XPL

west (left)

north

south

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??

Jane Selverstone, University of New Mexico, 2003

Conclusion has to be that minerals somehow

reorient the planes in which light is vibrating;
some light passes through the upper polarizer

plag

olivine

PPL

Minerals act as
magicians!!

XPL

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

Interference colours

quartz

amphibole

calcite

white/grey/black

much brighter colours

pearly grey shades

in

of

of

quartz, microcline and

plagioclase

ferro-magnesian minerals
including amphibole,
pyroxene, olivine

calcite

Review: With any isotropic substance (spherical indicatrix),

when the analyzer is inserted (= crossed-nicols or
XPL) no light passes extinct, even when the stage is
rotated

Note: the gray field should also be

extinct (glass and epoxy of the thin
section are also isotropic), but is left
lighter for illustration

Liquids, gases, amorphous solids

such as glass, and isotropic
minerals (isometric crystal system)
stay black in all orientations

Rotating the stage

Anisotropic minerals with an elliptical indicatrix section
change color as the stage is rotated; these grains go black
4 times in 360 rotation-exactly every 90o

polarizer
Isotropic: glass or isometric
minerals or look down optic
axis of anisotropic minerals

Consider rotating the crystal as you watch:

B = polarizer vibration direction parallel e
only E-ray
Analyzer in extinct

e
w
polarizer

C = polarizer vibration direction || w

only O-ray
also extinct with analyzer

See You Next Week Ya................