Contents

Part 1 The textures of igneous rocks

(Numbers refer 10 pholOgr:lphs nOl 10 pages)
lntrOtluclion
Crp' l allini l r
Granularit.I'
Ternl S refefflng 10 "hat the ai dt'd and unaided eye can Of Cltnnot see
Terms indlc;lling Tange:. of grain Size
Terms indicating rc!a!lvc sil'" of crystals
Cr ystal Shllpes
Terms indicating of Ih(' development of faces on cryst;t )s
Terms mdicaling three-dimcnsioMI crystal shape
General three-dimensional terms
Sp..--cific three-dimensional terms
Skeletal. dendritic and embaycd crysluls
Parallel-growth crystals
Sieve-textured crystals
Elongate, curved. branchi ng crystals
Pseudomorphs
Mutual relations or crystals (and arnorphous materials)
Eq ui granular (("lUTeS
lnequigranul ar
Seriale IC,lll.lrc
Porphyritic texture
1- 9
10 14
15 17
18- 22
23 2S
26 30
31- 32
33
34-37
311
39- 43
44
45
GJomeroporphyntic tcxture
1'00kllillC texture
OphillC

Oncnted. aligncd and dIrected
Tmchytic to:turc
Trachytoid texture
Par.tlld.growl.h
Comb texture (comb layering)
OrbIcular texture (orbIcular byermg)
Jnlcrgrov.lh textures
Con>ertallcxture
M1crographic texture (or graphic. If VISible with the naked C) e)
Granophync texture
Myrml.'kllil: texture
Illlrllfasciculate texture
Lamellar lind blebhk;:: intergrov.
Sympil'C'lItl" te.-nure
RadIate textures
Spherulitlc texture
\':HlohIlC texture
RadIate lfltergrowlh
O\'ergro\\ th texturC$
Skektal or dcndTll){'
Corona texture
zonmg
B.mdc-d (banding)
Comb layering. orbIcular texture. Ilnd occllar
CaVH) textures
Inturc
Am)gdalOldal texture
Mia rohllc text ure
LLlhophys;t or (slonc-ball) texturc
Part 2 Vari eti es or igneous rocks
(Numbers refer to phOiographs not 10 pages)
Introducllun
rocks
Dunae
Pcridotlte
Kimbcrhlc
Garnet peTldo!ite
Pyroxenllc
Komatinc
i\kymtochnc
Homblendltc
Basic rocks
Basalts
vaL Tholeiitic bas.11t
vaT. AlkalI oltvlIle baSlllt
\'ar. Lunar low-Ti basalt
var. Lunar hlgh-Ti basalt
vaT. PICTitIC basalt
""r Ank aramite


46 47
4851
52 57
58 63
.-166
M"
67 69
31 32
70 71
104
72- 7.l
74 76
76 77
"
" 80 to
"'115
MH8
8.
...
91
92 94
95 102
103 104
105
1116
lOS
109
110
II I
112
11 3
"'
115
11 6
11 7
11 8
119
12()
121
122
123
107
SpltilC
Gabbro
Teschenite
EssexilC
Doler ite
Norite
Anorthosite
intcrn)('dillt e rocks
Andesite
Boninit!.'
Diorite
Tona.lite
Kentul!enitc
Monzonite
Dacite
Granodiorite
Trachyte
Syenite
Shonkinite
Acid rocks
Rhyoli te
Pantellcrite
Granite
Albli granite
Alkaline and miscellanl"Ous rocks
Phonoli te
Lcucite phonolite
Nosean iellcile phonolite
Pscudoleucite phonolite
Blairmorile
Nepheline syenite
Malignite
Soda lile syenite
Nepnelinite
ljalite

Basanite
Tephrite
Olivine melilitite
Lellcitile
Fergusite
Minette
Alnoite
Mafuri tc
Fi!zroyi!e
Wyomingite
Madupi!e
Caroonalile
Chondri te (meteori te)
Achondrite (meteorite)
oj (I lhill seC/ion oj rock
Refi,'rf!nccs
Imll'X
124
125
126
127
I2S
129
130
131
I3Z
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
I"
147
1411
I"
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
161
163
164
165
166
167
16Jj
169
170
Crystallinity
Igneous rocks mnge in crystallinity from entirely cryst als to entirely glass. Adjcctives
usc<! to describe t!lese stales are shown on the followin& scale:
f(XJO", cry:;wls
holocT)'STUllme hypocrY:;Tallinl'L
or h),pohyaline

holohyulllll'
The adjectives g/(lS5),. )'iTreoll.l' and hyaline all indicate that a rock more or less
completely glass.
L flJ'f/OCrplaflml' r(){"ks ran IN! d .. ,raibt'11 mOrl' prI'CIJI"), by Sllllll lg 1M r,"IIlI/',. prO/N)f/WIIJ of
tTl'SIOIs /0 gllJSS,
4
1 Holocrystalline anorthositic gabbro
Elongate crystal s of plagioclase feldspar. some wrapped
round olivine crystals. fonn a framework in this rock. the
interstices of which are filled with smaller plagioclasc.
olivine and augite crystals. The purplish-blue area at the
lOp nght of this photograph is an augite crystal \\ hich
incl udes a number of small plagi oclase and oli vine crystal s.
PerpendiCli/ar Fe/dspflr gabbro f rom M idille Border Group
of Ihe Skaergaard i/llrusiOIl. EasT Greelt/l/ltd .. magnifica/iOIl
xl, XP./.. .
2 Holocrystalline granite
Crystals of biOlile. quartz, 'pcrthitic' pot:lssnmlrich feld
spar (large crystal bottom right ) and zone<! sodium-rich
feldspar makes up this granite. The speckled appearance
in the cores of the plagioclase feldspars is caused by fine
Inclusions of mica ,
Gralliu.' from Ross of Muff. SCQf/mlll : maglfijirmiQI/ x 14.
NPe
3 Hypocrystalline pitchstone with perlitic
cracks
Crystals of and magneti te in this rock
are set in glass (black in XPL) which has spherical frac-
tures known as pt>rhtic cracks : these appear as circles in
thin section.
Dacite /rum Chenmil:, Easl Germany; magnifico/ioll
)( ZOo PPLand XPL.
4 Hypocrystslline basalt
Small olivine phenocrysts (colourless in PPL) and colum-
nar, skeletal titanaugite crystals (pinkish-beige colour in
PPL) are enclosed by murky brown glass. No plagioclase
has crystallized in this rock. The deeper pink colour
around the margin of some of the ti tannugitcs is a narrow
mantle ofTi-rich amphibole.
BII.wll from QUtlrsl/t . West Grt'cn/and: magnifica/ion )( 35.
PPL (Inti XPL.
Crystallinity
5
CrystaliinilY
(continued)
5 Glassv rock
The photograph s.hows abundanl. vcry small crystals
(probubl) quartl or feldspar) cnc1os;,.-d b} glass, Note the
banding caused by (al differences in abundam.:e of crystal-
lites, (b) crystalhtes in the lighter bands having a shght
prcfcrrl-d alignment and (c) differences III colour of the
glass, The small brO\.\n, isolated round Objl"Cts arc known
'spherulth .. os' Splwruill/('/t'_\'/lirt'. p. 54). ($cc liiso 14.J
l'ill"ll,I /{Jfl' (rom Amm. SC{JlfOfld .- flitly,wji clIIioll )( 12, PI'L.
6 Glassy basalt threads - Pele's hair
These filaments of bils:Jh glass fonn when partkles III a
molten lava spray are Cilught by the v.md and drawn OUI
Pek IS a mythical lady. believed by native I-Iawumms 10
reSide wllhm the volcano Ki lauea. (Colllrasl 7.)
Sf/t'/'IJIII'" from frl(l AI,: I"()/C(/IIQ. ElhioplU, IIItlKlllilca/irm
x 8, "I'L.
7 Glassy particles of mare basalt in lunar soil
Pieces of glass. many of them spherkal. are orangebro\\ n
or black in colour. Some of the darker ones are partially
crystalline. These particles were fonned by rapid cooli ng
of droplets of basalt melt: it has been suggested that thl:
droplets formed ei ther in a fire-fountaining lalla erupllon.
or by meteorite impact lnlO a lall,l lake or into a molt en
or solid lalla flow. (Contrast 6,) The scarce. irregularly
shaped fragments are pyroxene (pale bro .... n) and feldspar
(colourless).
Lunar ba.wlt 74110 from Tallrus Li//fOIl Voller colle,,/!,tl
b . ' Apollo 17 Q.f/rOIffIll/.f ; magll!/ic(l/iOlI x 43, PPL.
7a liquid Immiscibility
Gl obules of one glass in another are found in soml: rocks
and these arc altributed to immiscibility of the two
liqUIds. In this rock they can only be seen lit IIcry high
po"cr in thin films of glass between la ths ofplagioclasc.
SIX'dmen/rom hasafll(ll'(l. l AI'(I beds NO/iOlw/ MOllumelJ/
Cali/Ofilia. U.S.A.: IIItl.l:llijiC(I/ioll x 600. P P l ~ .
C!')'stall initr
Glass. orde\'itrified gl ass. is oftcn an important constituent of the pyrod:lstic rocks
known as a.rir:tulf /1ifJ.( :111d ash-flow mffs (or Igll imilfllI'S). Such rocks tYP,c;III}' h;r\'c
frogmcn/a/ /e:nllres, i.e. they comprise mixtures of fragments of rocks. crystals and
glass. pn:domiml11tly less than a mil limetre In size (89). In an ashO(m deposit the
glass fragmcnts may ini tially be plastic enough to be partly or wholly wcld!..'(1 to-
gcther as the weight of overlyi ng materi,,! causes compaction of the constituent
fmgmen ts: such a rod is known as a ,."Mrtlll!ff(8b), If sunk!cn' hl::11 is :l\ailahle.
glossy fragments dcvitrify.
7
Cr,-Slallinil)
8a Glassy unwelded rhyolite tuff
The glassy fragments in this rock. some of which arc
banded and slightly flattened. arc nOI welded to one
another. They and the crys tals of quartz .tnd feldspar lIfC
embedded in fine glassy particles (ash).
Recel1l ig"imbritt>, f rom Whokaullle. NOrlh Island, New
ZeolUfld: mag"ifiemioll x 46. PPL
8b Glassy welded cryst al tuff
The glassy nlalr!;\: in Ihl s rock has an apparent discon-
tinuous lamination caused by ext reme compilction and
v.eldmg of original pumice fragmcnts_ Tho.: regular align-
ment of the fl anencd fragments tS known :1S ellUI.Htll.'
textllre.
Welded 1/41 f rom Tibchi gronile rll/g-,amplex. Nigerill:
magnificO/ioll x 36. PPL
9 Tuff
This fragmental rock consists of crystals of quartz, alkali
fel<bpar and pl agioclase of various sizes and shapes_
PICCt'S of glassy rhyolite (e.g. cent re} and pIeces of
fine-grained tuff, ,Ill enclosed III a fine-grained banded
ash matrix which origi nally may have been gl assy. (Sec
also 13.)
Tuff from L/{/nellll"('dd, Wales; magflijicllIioll x 10. PI'L
anll XPL
1 PcgOlaUL1C I{,'IUI'<: 1.1' (1 l(lril'H!lf phall"'()(n',-/u/lm" on II /u, h th ..
<"'.lW/.\ "I"(' Xlrildll.!flr Ihllll I 11"m. Imil 11/ '(1'"
III.</aIlCI'< lip If) IIIUIIl 111""('.(.
:Tht" rerm u wm('lm/('S I <ed fo, uphuIII"(, 't"K'h "'/II('h
pit,.IIIKrr . /< 6CJ. 63. 1117)
tC.'tllre " (HI,../mw. upp/ied {tI li/in',,".\ , ock. \\ Ilh ill-
,/<:/mtd. "lmOlI rr.\IU"Ul Hal/lIt(', Im'IIS N)lup,u"d
(>/ """ " (lr '''.'.1 ('qmg'mlll/i" UX/:'I'KUIi'X Oll/ullrI: mit! IHtI-
'pur. TI,,, Hun" fclsne ,:, IJ(I('H IIppb<,t/ '" '1,,1. f/H-k . ullhQI,gh Ihn
il IIWrI' ."OmlUmrlr // (wid 1"'111 [<I' unrl mUlr,,,,1 of ,"'-
<"N'r/III/IIIOt/f' ,..0 m-rlOF't'lIC'I',
10 Phanerocrystalline grani t es
The cryslals In the tWO granites. illustrated here in hand
specimen. arc clearly visible 10 the naked eye. Although
the rocks conUlin the same (al kali feldspar.
plagioclase feldspar, quartz and biolite) the proportions
of the minerals are not the same. and this influences Ihc
rock lexlure. ... Thus the Shap grani te conwins two distinci
of potassium feldspar crystals (pink), whereas the
Eagle Red Granite has only one.
GUlllifl' from SImp, EII!!/mlll (OPPQSif") 1II1I1f.oj;{e Red'
grllllill', SI)IIIII Africa (IIC"I pi/g.,): bolll l1lugll !fica/iO/u x I.
A Ihlll S('('IIOII 1'/('11 of Iltt' Slwp grallilf' i.f silo ll / / ill {44
Grnnuhtrit:
Gmnulari ty
This property embraces three different concepls: (I) \\hal Ihe aided and unaIded
eye can or cunnQl.sec: (2) abi;Olute cryst:l! SiLes (p. 12); and (3) relative crystal
(p.14).
Terms referri ng 10 ",'hal Ihe aidl'd and unaidl'il eye COli or cannot Sl'C
Pluulf'mr ,yswllinl' (plulIIuilic textu,e or American petrologists) atl crystals of thl'
prinCIpal minerals cnn be distingUIshed by the naked eye (sec 10).1
Aplulllllic alt crystal s, other than any prl$(lIt (see p, 14). (,1111101 be
distmgUlsheo by Ihe na ked eye.' Two sub-types exist:
(a) Mit:rocr),sta/lim' crystals can be idenlified ill thm $('("Iion with a pctrogmphic
microscope ( I I). Crystals onl y just lll rge enough to show polarization colours
(less than O.Olmm) are called micm/m'$.
(bl Cryplocry,wal/ille
J
- crYSlals 11rc tOO small 10 be identified even wilh the mIcro-
scope (12 and 13). Globular. rod- like and hair-like crystals which are 100 small
10 sho" polarization colours ate known cr)"sfal/lfl'f.


10
Phanerocryslulli l1 c granites (continued)
11 Microcrystalline olivine basalt
This rock consists mai nly of pl agioclase feldspar. aughc
and olivine bUI. wi thoul the aid of Ihe microscope.
individual cryslals would not have b<."'Cn distinguishable.
In parts of the photograph the randomly armnged
rccHlOgu!ar plagioclascs arc enclosed by areas showi ng
unifonn yellowish interference colours. these are a ugite
crystals.
Olivinl! bll$ali [rom North-west Skye. Seo/Ill/III ; !/lagllijil'll-
tion x II , PPL.
12 Cryptocrystalline rock
Comparison of these two photogr<1phs shows Ihal Ihe
brown material in the PPL view is birefringent but that
Ihe individual crystals are of submicroscopic size. The
clear areas in the PPL view arc slightly more coursel y
crystalline. as can be seen in the XPL vicw.
Rhyolile Irmf/ Island of Palliefieria. III/Iy: magnification
)( 72. PilL olld XPL.
Cryptocrystalline rock (continued)
13 Cryptocrystalline matrix in a tuff
texture is common in tufTs (i.e. con-
solidated ash), as In the malrix or this rock. Here the
matrh!:. encloses rr.lgmc:nlS or shale and qu:mz cl)'5lals
(See also Hand 9.)
Tuff from I/nkllowli localll)' ; magllijicalloll x 16. PPL (111(1
XPL.
Grunutaril y
11
Granul aril Y
TtmlS indicating absolute ranges of grain s izt'
- crystal diameters > 5 mm
Ml'llillm-gmineJ - crystal diameters I 5 nlEn
rille.grained - crystal diameters < I mm I
The next six photographs ( 15. 16 and 17) were aU taken at the same magnificatIon
( )( 27) to indIcate how grain size rei:ltes to the number of erysulls seen in it shell
tlc1d of view (4.1 x 3.1 mm), <lnd hence the eXlent or the ICXl'llre visible al lhal magni.
fication . While the ovcrall texlure is r.:cognizable in the fine-grained rock. it is not so
in the coafS(" one and a low-power objective lens would be to examine il
'Idequalely. Pelrogmphic microscopes rardy have a sufficiently low.power obJcctive
l.::n5 for examimng Ihe textures of coarse-grained rocks; a hand lens should be uscd
for these. wilh two sheets of polaroid, if available.
' Some' ptlrQlogLSIS mrlutk (lnm/!" r(lngC' . <O,OJmlJl. whu'II IIII')' rail \Cr) fine grained.
14 Pitchs tone containing crystallites of two
s izes
Radiate cl usters of crystlilliles arc SCI here in glu.ss. The
bulk of the glass contains even smaller crystallites. causing
the grey colour. whereas adjacent 10 Ihe larger crystallites
the smaller ones are absent. This is a higher magnification
view oflhe rock illustrated in 5.
Pi /chSIQIlt' from Arr(lII. Scol/and: mllgmjh:(lIiOlr )( 52. PI'L.
1 5 gabbro
This rock contains phlgioclase, orthopyroxene. augile and
magnetite ; some of the onhopyrollene crystals (low
birefringent mafic mineral) contain narrow J:unclJae of
augi te. Although the rock is fine grained. it is called a
'gabbro' because it is from a large intrusion : the fin!.'
grain size results from quick cooling al the mtrusion
margin. Another lenn thaI could be used for this rock is
microgabbro p. 78).
Gabbro from cllilll'd margin of Ille Skaergaard illlrllsiOll,
Eas/ Green/and: mag"ffica/ioll x 27. PPL (Iml XI'/"
Fine-grai ned gabbro (continued)
16 Medium-grained olivine gabbro
The spaces between the Ulbular crystals of plagioclase in
thi s rock arc occupied by augi te and ilmenite. Al lhe top
right of the picture the plagioclase abuts onto an olivine
crystal. The augite crystals contain lamelhlc of orthopy-
roxene.
Gabbro f rom Lower ZOIlr b of the Ska(!rgaard illlfllSUJII ,
fISt Gref'llftl/ld .. /I/(lgllijic(IIiOIl x 27, PPL (111(/ XPL.
Granularit y

.
-'
\
, ,

" /
.j
TernlS indicating sill' of crystal s
f:.(f/lIgrtlnlllllr all crystals arc of appro:-.:unately the same Sll.c.
lllrl/mgrtmu/ar - crystals difTt:r substantial I) in size. A common variety. /Wrphyruir
texture, m ... ol..-cs rc1ati\'cly large crystals (phenocrYSlsl) embl.-dded in liner-gmincd
groundmass. (N. 8. The Silme mineral may be present as both phenocrysts and
groundmass.) In naming II rod. with porphyritic te.uure the minemls present as
phenocrysts should be listed and followed by the suffix phyrie. c.g. hornblende
pigeomlc-phyric andesite' . Ho\\e\'cr. if th\: groundmass is glassy. the term 'Vltro-
is used, e.g. an 'olmnc vllrophyre' has oli \'ine phenocr)sts sct in glass: the
texture 111 thiS 1:1ISC IS referred as I'"ropilyril' (3. 142). Scrimt' a con-
tinuous r;Ulgc in sizes of crystal s of the principal mineral s; if the crystals show II
broken series of SII.CS. the mC4U1gnlnuhlf texture is said to be Multll. ClUtion is
neeeSSltr) in the identification of seriate and hiatal textures. since the dimenSions of
II erystal,n ;1 thin section depend on the- :Ittltudc of the intcrsection of the in
three dmlcnsions.
I TnI' prrfi:r; mICro- nw.)' be added,o phenocrYSll> IOhich hal'!' lila"'''''''' 0.1)$ ullIl
/Umm ( t&. 'afmnt! minophf'nMT)'SU'),
17 Coarse-grained olivine gabbro
At this magnification only pans of three large olivin<.' s
and one plagioclase! are viSible. such that lextural relations
are not determmable in this single V1ew.
Gabbro frQm RJIllIn. SCOllond; magnifictl/iO// x 27, PPL
alld XPL
18 Equigranular peridotite -
Uniformly-siLoo olivine crystals, some of them in clots,
form the bulk of this rock, with plagioclase filling the
interstices, Thc black malerial is microcrystalli ne haemtl -
tite formed by Ollidntion ofoljvlnes nnd the green material
is a clay mineraL
Peridotite from thf! Skaf!rgaard intrusioll. EMt Greenlal/d;
magllijictllion)( 27. PPL (/lid XPL.
Atldltiol/II/ "'('1I'S of eqlligramllar rocks tlf" shoWI! J/J IJ.
1/3. II 7. /25, 130 (first pll{lw). HI, 140 (thirtl piloto). 168.
19 Porphyritic andesite
In this rock the phenocrysts (some of them in clots) of
plngioclase. hornblende (khaki colour m Pill), augite
(pale green in PPL) and magnetite. are surrounded by
fine-grained groundmass of plagioclase, magnetite and
glass.
Alllies/I(> from Siebel/febirge. Germal/Y. lIIagl1ijietlllon )( 11.
PPLundXfL.
Granularity

Porphyritic andesite (continued)
20 Leucite- phyric micro-ijolite
Two. large. shapeless crystals of leudte (llery dark and
showing mUltiple twinning in XPL photograph) are here
surrounded by an cquigranular groundmass consisting of
crystals of elongate augite (bright interference colours).
equant nepheline (grey in XPL) and interstitial biolite.
leuci le and magnetite. The amorphous materia! in Ihc
PPL view is a clay mineT(l1.
Micro-ijolite f rom the Bmsberg ill/fIISi(lll. East Green/and;
IIIUglli!ico/ioIlX II . PPL OIlD XPL.
}'hln)' Olher I':({/mples oj'porpli.l'ritic rocks call be $('O'n by
leafing through Ihl.' book.
21 Plagioclase-augite-magnetlte vitrophyre
Phenocrysts of the three minerals plagioclasc. auglle and
magneti te. some of them in clots. are set in glass which
contains crystallites of plagioclase.
&1S1I1I from Arrall. Seollond; magnificO/iOIl)( 20. PPL.
Set! 131 jor (If/Ulha f'xumpl(' of 1'llmp/1l1i'.
22 Seriate-textured olivine basalt
The crystals of olivjne. augite and plagioclase in thiS
basalt all show a wide mngc of grain si/.e from as small as
0,0 I mm up to 4mm. Note the a b u n d a n ~ of groundmass
inclusions in some of the crystals. giving them a spongc-
like appearance.
Olil';lw basalt j rom Arthur's St!O/, dlllburgh. Scotland;
IIIFnijicutio/l x II, PPL (lnd X PL.
S"" 4" mul 117 for olher e.mmpl"SIl! IIIIS /1'Xlllf("
Granularit )'
Crystal shapes
Two kmds (lf tenn arc used to describe crystal shape: (I) those rel:uing to the quality
of the development of faces on crystals and (2) those specIfYing the thn .. -c-dimensional
shapes of indIVIdual crystal:, (po 19).
Terms indk alini; the quality of the den lopment of faces 011 crystals
Regrettably. three setS of words are in usc 10 describe the same ideas, the mo)[
commonly used sct being Iha\ in the first column of the followi ng table.
Prdt rred lomns Synon)' mous l erms 5)-000) mous terms Meaning
Euhcdral Idiomt.rphl c Automorphic Cryslal completely
boundl:<! by us
characteristic faces.
Subhl:<!l11l Hypldiomorphlc Hypautomorphlc Crystal bounded by only
of charactcristic
facl'S.
Anlledl1ll Allotrtomorphic Xenomorphic ('rySta! lacks any of lIS
characteristic facc:s.
23 Euhe dral olivine in olivine bas alt
The photograph shows the charnClerist1c six-sided eu-
hedral sh:lJ>e of olivine in sections through the prism and
dome faces. Note the slight enclosure of matrix material
by one of the prism faces.
Olil'ine basall from Ulwkendt j1and. West Grrrlliand:
magnificatioll x 40. XPL.
24 Subhedra l olivine in pi critic basalt
Some of the faces on this equidimensional olivine cr}'Slal
are Oat. planar ones. whereas othC-fS are curved and
embaycd.
Pirritic lx,s"ll/rom Ubckrnd; /:.'j/llIrd. Grreu/mui :
magnification x 72, XPL.
25 Anhedral olivine phenocryst in basalt
The enllre perimeter of the largc olivinc crystal. :It extinc-
tion in this picture, has an irregular outline and no planar
faces are present. (The narrol!.' brown rim on the crystal
is 'iddingsitc' fonned by hydmtion and oxidation of Ihe
olivine,)
l)(Isall fram Mauritius, Indial1 OC(!(III ; magl JijiclI -
II(m x 12, XPL.
Fig, A Examples (if equidiml'lI.fiol1(l/
The words grtlin and gr(llJl//t lire often used for equi-
dimensional crystals, and drop and hll'b for particularly
small examples.
Terms indicating thre1!'-dimensional crystal sha pe.
In hand specimens of coarse-grained rocks it is often possible to SL"C the three
dimensional shape ora crystal on a broken sUrf'lce. For finer-grained rocks. however.
the crystals have to be examined in thin sections a.nd the two-dimensional shapes of
several crystals or different orientations used 10 deduce the shapes
of the crystals in general.
Generu/ l hree-dimf' nsi onu/ terms
The shape may either be an I!qllidillll'Il.I'ioIlUI (syn. equlIllt) or an illl!l{lddimellsiollul
one. as illustrated in figs. A and B where the names applied to Ihe various shllpes arc
shown.
equant polyhedral
equant anhedral spherical
Cry!>1: al shapt.'s
tabular
fSVn. platy)
!ameUar
Spl'Cijic tlrrct-llinretfsi otful (t'rms
Skeli'wl, (/(ondriti, and mrooYf.'(1 cry-,tal.f
bladed columnar
(syn.
prlsmatlCl
acicular
(syn needle like.
hbre,llbrous,
hem-like)
Skrlcwl crysf(lfs are tho;;e which have hollows and yaps. possibly regularly develop-
ed. and usually with particular crystallographic oricntution$. In Ihin section thcse
spaces appear as cmb.1ymcnts
l
:md holes in Ihc crYSlal. filled with groundmass
crystals or glass. Del1drit ic cry-,tab' consist of a regular array of fibres sharing :1
common oplical oriental ion (i.e. all part or a single cryst al) und having a bnmching
pancrn resembling Ihal ofa tree or Ihe veins in a \eafor a feather. In practice. many
crystals can be described as either skeletal or dendritic bec:lUse Ihcy have ch"factens-
lics of both.
I A rommnn misconrf'plrOll amo"g p('fro/ugl.flJ is Ihut the II'ma.r '/'I.rooymrlfl (mr/ ',' mbuy('d'
impl)' reJ'QrpliOIl of" ("yslIIl b.1' rt'at:lirJ(! .. /lit liql/ld. IIIhllt this may 1fI'" oj .<onr.' crysral.f
( r.g. 29) . olhl'rs (r.g. 16 Ulrd 17) Il(l\'t rmborml'lIu .. hlch p,r.hobl)' jarmtd dJ/rmg gf OKl/I
N,B. A lthough these are euhedral they could oc
subhcdral or anhecir'.tl.
-Bludl'illl'ldsJlUI urHII/.' /I, I'ommlm "Sllgl' an In'qlwl/lh d".!_
us '/OIh-,hapl"d' Of /I.) '/UIM 01 Jrld<po'-. III ulluJron It> rlrt>
sims f /(11/u) in 0 Vel/nil'''' M,rd
26 Skeletal olivines in picritic basalt
All the large crystals in this rock arc ohincs and c;lch
shows a different shape in sectron : somc are complex
skeletal crystals (e.g. elongate yellow crystal on the left).
olhers arc relallvcly simple skeletons (e.g. equant orange
crystal. middle righl) Bnd yel others have only small
l"Tllbayments.
hosall from Ubekemlt Ej/(md. Grccl/hllld:
magnifica/ioll x 40. XPL.
27 Skeletal olivine
While superficially resembl ing the cuhedral outline of the
olivine in 23, the crystal oa:upyi ng the bulk of this picture
has a complex interior fonn and incomplete prism and
dome faccs.
Picrilic INlS(l/1 from Ubekel1dl j1alld. Wes/ Grcel,/aml :
mngllijicalioll x 15. PPi...
28 Dendritic olivines
All the delicate, dendritic crystals in this photograph arc
olivi nes which formed during exceedingly rapid solidifica-
tion of the basalt melt. part of which became the yel low
11Iss.
Specimen of Qlivine hasafl meltcd alld Ihen coo/eel 01
/4(XF/h, ill the laboratory: magnification x 40. " PL.
29 Embayment in augite phenocryst
The large augi te crystal in this photograph contains a
deep embayment filled with the basaltic groundmass. The
irregular outline of this embayment distinguishes it from
thc cmbaymenLS in the skeletal crystals in 27. Note also
the distinct marginal zoning and the delic.1te 'patchy zon-
ing' within the crystal.
Olilin!' basalt from Arth/lrs Seat. Edinb/lrgh. Stolltllld:
magflijiclIIioli x 13, XPL.
Crystal shapes
C r y S I ~ 1 shapes
Pamfld-grawlh crysU/1s
The lenn is applied to an aggregate of elongate crystals of the same mineral whose
crystallographic axes are mutun)]y pnrallel. or almost so. Although in thin S<.'Ction
the indh';dual parts of the aggregate rnJ.Y be isolated from one another. In the third
dimension they are prob:lbly connCCted. A parallcl-grQy,th crystal is therefore II
singlc. incomplclc crystal fonned by a particular style of skeletal growth.
30 Embaved quartz
The deeply em bayed quartz crystal in this oli\ine b:tsalt
contains brown glass and sm:tll. (.oolumn:lr. skelel:tl
pyroxenes. II IS 1I1so surrounded by a film of the glass and
an aggrC!ate of equant granular augite cry:.tals y,hich
separntc it from the basaltic ground mass.
Olin"e/xlsufl/rOIll lAssen Park . USA , magnification x 42.
PPL.
31 Olivine parallel growth
The elongate olh';nl'S ne:ar the middle of the photograph
and showing blue interference colour all have the same
crystallographic orientation, and hence repreKnt a single.
parallel-growth crystal. Thc crystal with yello\\'ish-green
interference colour shows how the p3raUcJ-growth crysta I
mighl appear. if sectioned at right angles.
Pierilit- bas(lll/rOIll Ubekcml! Ejfuml. WeSI Green/llml :
magnifica/ion x 13. XPL.
32 Para ll e l growth in a very coarse-grained
rock
llere the p;!rallel gro\\th is ofa very large olivine crystlil.
The actual width of the field or vic .... is I.7cm and thi s
sho .... -s only a J.mall part of the par-I llc! growth . .whose
lotal width is 5 0 ~ ~ m and height is 150cm. The whole
comprises several hundred parallel uni ts like the ones
shown here. Plagioclase and augite occupy the 'channels.'
between the parallcl growths. In the XPL picture the
polars have been rotated so that lhe oli vine is not tn
extinction. The slight differences in birefringence of the
olivine ,1\ the top and holtom of the picture are caused by
the section being thinner there. This rock has the special
textural name harrisil#' .
Fddspa/hic peridolilt' from RJIIUII . Scoll'l/Id: mllgllijicllIlUlI
x 7, PPL IIml ,rpL.
Crystal shapes
Si#, I'e-lexlUred cry.flo/s
These cont ai n abundant. small, interconnected. box-shaped g1ass inclusions. giving
the crvstals a SOOlll!ev. or OOTOtlS ll" ......... ,.,.n .. "
Crystal shapes
Efongwl!, CllfI'ed, bralldl/IIg Cf),swfs
These are rarely genuinely ben!, ralher the curvature is caused by development of
branches along the length of the crystal. each branch having a slig.htly dilfercnt
crystallographic orientation to its neighbours (e.g. 34 36),
33 Sieve-textured feldspar
The core of thiS ltcnocryst consists of gL.lSS and alkHh
feldspar in a fine-mesh-like arrangement: the narro ..... nm
IS an of plagioclase,
Ofil'ilU.' bmwl! from Pork , USA; lI/(lgnijicllliOll )( 62,
Pi'L.
34 Curved branching augite
The highly coloured crystals in this photograph arc com-
plex. branching crystHls or augite III subparallel align.
ment, They (onn part or a pyroxene-rich band III a
differenliated dyke. (See also 71.)
Oulerj!t' (rom Nur!h Sk)'/', Scm/ami : mllgllijicllliU1l)( JI
XPL.
35 Branching augite in lamprophyre dyke
The aCicular. aligned phenocrysts in this photograph are
all of augIte. forming composite. radiBling, curved and
branchmg groups. Individual needles can be seen to con-
si,t of several straight pordons offset slightly from one
another, and having vcry slightly different orientations:
this gives cach 'needle' its curved appearance. The margin
of the dyke lay to the len. (See also 70.)
Fourl'lrlfe from Fiska(,f1(!ss('I area, South'M'/,SI Grct.>l1irmd;
mOf{lIifictlliOIl )( 20, X PI. .
36 Curved and branching plagioclase crystals
in dolerite
The Inrge composite phlgioclase crystals rn this rock ar.::
elongate parallel to the c crystallographic axis and flat-
tened parJlIe1 to (010). From the directIon in which the)
branch, and from that in which the crystal at the bottom
widens. It can be deduced thatlhecrystals grew from right
to left. The matrix consists of finc-grdincd plagioclase.
oJivme. pyroxene. amphibole, dcvitrificd glass and cia)
mintmls.
FddsplIlhi(' dolt'r;I/!. U/x.'i-:/'ndr Ejland. W(!JI Greenlaml:
nwgnifiralloll >< 16. PPL ond ,\' fl L.
Crystal shll pn
Crysltll shaptS
PS('lI(lomorplu
II may be found Ihal cryslais In a thm section. aJlhough having the charucteristic
shape of tI particular minerul. prove 10 ~ of another minerul. or an aggregate of
crystals of .mother mineral. The name PSf'lIf.wlllorph is used for such a crystal. If the
pscudomorph has the same composition as the original crystal (e.g. 'quartz' in
_ , _ ~ ~ _ ~ : .... _: . AI :. ;. 1.."" ... , .. .. " ... m .. ",.,, /,
37 Compos ite bra nching augite crys tal
These photographs ill uslrule a particularly intngumg
shape of branchmg aUgite crystal : It consIsts or groups or
slighlly diverging needles. subparallel to the length of tho:
cryst al. which apparently have grown from curved branch-
ing needles oriented approximalc1y tit ri ght angl es to the
cry>tai length. Despite the unifonn int erference colour
of mtl n y of the needles. a sv. ccpmg sl )ie of eXII nCllOn occurs
'" hen the microscope .)Iage is rotated under crossed polaN.
indicating that the needles are not all of the same crystallo-
graphic orienl;)lion.
P('mIOl/lic koma!ii!/' from MUl/fO T(lwns/,ip. Omario.
Canaria .. magnifica/ioll x 51. I'I'L ami XPL.
38 Carbonate pseudomorphs after olivine
The phenocryMs in altered basalt sho\\ typical sec
lions of skelclal olivine. with mclusions of groundmass in
the cmbayments. However the photogmph W10 ..... S the
phenocrysts to be OCCUPied by linely crystallized carbo.:m
ale. mdicutLng that replaeemenl of olivme has occurred.
<IIwl'd bmalt trom GIS/INrll/ .
mugn;(irano/l )( 27. XPL..
Allo/Ill', ,.Wlmp(e of pS/:,IIl/omorphs IS shOlnl III J.l9.
sha
Mutual relations of crystals (and amorphous materi als)
The various pallems of crystal arrangement which can exis\ are convcmcnll
introduced under tll..: ro!!O\>,ing headings : cqulgranular inequig.rnnuli
textures : oriented intergrO\\lh radmte textures :
textures: banded lexlures: and cavity tcxlurl.'S. Particullir mn} belong t
more than onc of Ihe!.C categories nnd some also helong to the of crySl1I
linit) . and cr)sta l sha pe. Thus cerlmn of the textures mtroduced In th
h,ne already been mentioned ami reference is made to of thet
in prevIOus st"Ctlons.
Equigranulli r lextures
Depending on the gener:!1 shape of thc erystllk three tcxtures cun be dlstmgUlshe.
in Yo hich crystals of the principal minerals 10 a rock arc of roughly uniform gf'.!i l
size:
name
euhedral granular
subbedral granular
(anhedral)' gnmular
synOllYms
panid,omorphic granular
hypidiomorphic gr'Jnular
al101TJomorphic grurlular
(gram\lc and gramlold
Iclttures apply 10 siliccou)
rcx:ks only)
definition
bulk of the crystals are
cuhcdrnl and of uniform size
bulk of the cl)'Stab an:
subhedral and of uniform size
bulk of the cryslIlls arc
anhedral and of uniform 51/.<'
Boundaries between these ciltegories are not sharply defined and conSC<]uent!)
the tenm aTC applied very subJectivciy. FurthemlOrc a rock may nOI fit neally into a
single category. thus onc in v.hich - of lhe crystuls arc cuhedral and - 50 \
anhedral might best be described as having a mixed euhedral and anhedml granu1:u
texture.
In addition to the examples of these in 39-43. others may be found in
18. 111. II3. 117. 12S. IJO. Il4. 140 and 168.
' nilS udjffliW! /s eomn!tlfll" omll/rdjrom 1/1/5 ItXWflJl miff"'.
l\ lutunl r('lalions of crysta ls: e1lui granular texlures
39 Euhedral granular hornblendite
Rocks possessing truly euhooral granular textures are
\'ery rare. The one In this figure is a good example of a
more common situation in which only some of the cryst.lls
of the principal mineral. hornblende. are euhcdral and
some strictly are subhooral. In contrast to 40. there arc Ii
higher proportion of cT)'stals with faces and the term
'euhedral granular' is therefore suggested as most ap-
propriate. It should be appreciated. ho\\ever, th:1I another
petrologist might prefer 'subhedrul granular',
lIornblemlite Jrom A rdslll'ul Hill, Scol/lIftd: IIJagnijiclllioll
x 7, XI' L.
40 Subhedral granular gabbro
The Stout prismati(' plagioclase feldspar crystnls Ilhieh
dommate thiS rock are mostly subhcdral. The anhedral
interstit illl crystals are of orthop}roxene, augite and
magnetite.
Gabbro / ro/ll Mid,l/e Zone of Ihe Sktwrguurd IIIlnmun.
fJSl Gret'nfotl(l, mugmjiclilioll x 10, XPL.
41 (Anhedral) granular troctolite
Only a few of the pl agioclases in Ihis equigrJ.nular rock
possess a face and none of the olivlnes do, The crystals
arc therefore predommantly anhedral und the 'moSillc'
texlure is granular.
Troctolitl' from Garb/t B I t ~ 1 I 1 n intrusion, Sk),I' , S{'QI/wul ,
lIIuKnijicUlion x /7, XI'L.
42 Granular granite
the scart"C bi otite crystals. the qu'lrt7., micro-
cILne and albite crystals which make up the bulk of th ...
rock arc anhedral and have slightl y interdigi tat ing bound-
(i.e. fOI/St'rW/ {('Xlllf(' see p. 45).
Grallill' from Mlulagascar .. magllijic{f/iQII x JJ. XPL.
43 Granular lherzolite
The crystals of olivine (colourless in PI'L), and
(pale brown ill PPL) whieh make up 95
Q
v
of this rock.
lack IIny crystal faces.
/)h'r:v/ile .I((!1I0/i11/ Jm'" III(> MOI$oklf kimhulile pipe,
LI'.wlho: /Jl(/gnijiC"lIIiOIl X 16. PI'L find XPL.
)\lu/u31 rela/ioos of crrst;lls : cquigranulllr Icxlures
;\ IUlual relalions or cryslal'l: iocquigranuhlr textures
Incquigranul ar t extures
This category includes seven kinds of texture : (a) seriate: (b) porphyritic; (e)
glomeroporphyritie: (d) poiki!itic: (e) ophitic : (n subophitic: and (g) intcrstitial
(intcrscrtal lind intergranu!ar). It is not uncommon for a single thin section 10 display
more than onc of tht.'Se textures.
Seriate tt:cturt
Cr)'Slais of the principal minerals sho\\ a continuous mogc of sizes. (Sec also p. 14.)
44 Seriate-textured basalt
This basalt. consisting of just plagioclase. augltc and II
small proportion or magnetite, shows II mnge in sires of
plagioclase and augi te crystals from < O.OI- O.Smm.
Basall/rmll Isloml of Muurilills" maglli/imlioll x 43. PPI.
and XPL.
Set' 11 IIIIIIIJ7 for O/llt'r sertale-texlurctl rocks.
4S Augite-olivine-Ieucite-phyric melilitite
Augite (greyish-green and grt..-cn in PI'L) h prC'SCnt 111
three gcncmtions in this s,ample large euhetiml pheno.
crysts. subhedr.ll microphcnOl:ryslS and minute ground-
mass The leucite occurs lb colourless. equant
cuhcdral microphcnocrysts. most eas,ly identified b)
theIr \'cry low bm!fringence III the XPL pIcture. and 111('
olivine as faintgrey. euhcdml. columnar mlcropheno
err-its, Note the compiicau.:d zoning p.,Ulcm III one or the
augite phenocrysts. lhe prominent marginal loning and
the line or small IIlcJusions or grollndmass cl)'Swis in
another. Melilile confined 10 the fine-grained granular
groulldmuss and C"nnOI easily be $Ccn in these photo
grJphs_
Itelil/me/rom MU/IIIW, CeleMs, magniftcutio".", /I , PPL
allll Xf'L
MOllY mor> examples of porphyritic /ex/Url' mfly be fOil/it/
by /t'ofing /hrouglJ the hook.
POl'pllyritk IUIUn'
Rclumely largl.' crystals (phenocrysts) lire surrounded by liner.grained eryswb or
the grollndm,l ss. (Scc .!l so p. 14.)
Glomuoporph)'ri(ic U ,r:(Ure
A \'l1nety of porphyritic texture in which the phenocrysts ore bunched, or clusteroo,
in Ilggregatcs or clots called g/omerocrysls, (A minority of petrologists maintain that
the tenn applies only to monomi neralic clots and for polymincmlic clots they use
the tenn ('lImllloph)',ic (extllre,) G/olllf'ropizyric is usually used synonymously .... ith
glolUl.'mporphyntlc, though the fonner term st rictly should be reserved forclusters of
equant crystals (Jolwnnsc!l. 1931), (SYl llll!llSIS texilire also describes crystal clots but
includes the genetic Implic.llion that the crystals 'swam together' and is therefore
best ;I\'Old(.'(I ,)
46 Glomeroporphyritic tholeiitic basalt
The photograph .ho\.\'S erystul clots of different
composed of plagioclase, augi te and olivine crystals,
enclosed by fine-gr.lllled IIIlcrgmnular' and intcrscrl al
textured groundmass,
iJtlSll1t from WIk!W\f1l /oc(lIII),: 1I/(lJ!lli{iauio/l x I I . X P L.
47 Glomeroporphyritic hawaiite
Discrete phenocrysts of and oit\ine, ond
clots consisting of a fc\\ crystals of the smile minerals, arc
SCt III a linegnlillcd groundml\ss, in places shO\\-mg )1;ght
alignment of plagioclaS(' needlcs, Some plagioclascs in
individ uul clots are aligned - !.his arrangement is common
in plagioclase gloffi\:rocrysts,
H(lll'aiit .. from pfateau ftJl'OS of No"h Skye. St'QtIUlW,
magwficatioll x II, XPL.
AdditiQnal V;t'H-S 0/ gfomeroporpliyrllic (('XII/'" 1IU1,' bf'
Jet"! /II 112, 127, 15-1 t/lld 158,
48 Poikilitic e nclosure of olivine crys tals by
augite
In Ihls phologmph appro1(mlUtc1y 100 crystals of oiivine
of f.ml} uniform size arc cnc1oSl.'<I by :l single augite
(ut extinction).
I" 'fir/mill' Jrom QuafslII. W('SI Crt'lm/ullcI,
xll. NPL
49 Plagioclase chadacr,sts enclosed by
augite
Pari of a single auglle crystal t:olour), c,ceedmg
].()mm In SIZC. is shown herc enclosing plagioclas.:
,ome of V.IHCh rorm clots. The or-mgc crystal at upper
nght IS olIVine and the '1lmoSI at extinction is
another augIte crystal.
Gubbro JfOIll Norih Skl'e. SCOIland, II/agnifica/ion x 7.
rpL.
Poikili,ic
Relatively large crystals or one mmeral enclose numerous smaller crystuls of one.
or more. other minerals which mndomly oriented and gencmlly. but not noces-
S.'lril). ullIformly distributed. The host cryst.'lils known as un tIIkocryst (or (>/lc/osmg
((),5/(1/) and the enclosed crystals as c/tO(/lIcryslS. Although char/flcrysl.r are generally
equant. or nearly so. they need not be uniform in si ze : sometimes they display pro-
gressIve change in size from the interior 10 the margi n of an oikocrysi. indlcalmg
differences in e:l: lent of t:htldacryst growth :ttlhe lime of enclosure. II is not customary
10 upply poikilitic fe.\"fUre to the arrangement in which scarce minute crystals of
accessory mmer-lls an: embedded in ::t crystal. nor to that in which the enclosing
mmeral is appro;"imately the same si .. .e as that incl uded.
Mut ual r{'ia,jons or ct)qals: inequigranuJar I{'xtures
Ophitic lutu".
Tim is a \'<lrianl or rwiJ" IIIlI r I(' ,tUm' in .... h,ch thc randoml) arr<lngcd [lrc
clongalc and arc .... holly, or partly, by the olkOGrySl The comrnone.st
occurrcnce is of bladed crystal-. or plagioclase surrounded by subequanl augite
cry:;tals in dolerite (sometimes referred to as Jo/eraic 1('xllIrt'): howc\oer the texture
is nOI confined 10 dolerites. nor to and augIte as the partlclpatmg
mincl"dls.
Some petrologists dlstmguish the arr:mgcment in .... hich the elongate chadacrysts
are completely enclosed (poikilopillfir l('xlI/rel from Ihal In .... hlch are
enclosed and therefore pcnetnlle the Olkocrysls li'xtllre). PoiJ"i/ophill('
/I'x/urt' could (llso be used when oikocrYSls dongatc chadacrysis of one
mineral and equant chadacry:;ls of anOlher
Fine- and medium-groined rocks made up of many small oikocrys[s have a
...... " .... ,.." ... ril'''Crihed as on/rrmO/l/ed_
50 Olivine gabbro containing poikilitic
domains
Lnrge plagioclases. or parllal!) enclosmg. round
oli\incs al their margins pro\ldc tl framework to [hI)
rock. Inc interslices of .... h,ch are occuplt:d by IJrge llUgite:;
abo round olivmes ,l1ld or
p!agloclase.
gahbro lmm ,\Iuldlt Border GrOllp ,,/1/1(' Sk{/('r-
fI,(mrd mlfllsiml. Easl Green/wId, IIIUgllijiC(I{/O/i " 12_ XPL
51 Olivinea enclosed by plagioclase oikocryst
Subhedral. equant ollVine crystal;; here arc cnclosed in a
Single I.uge plagIoclase crystal.
Fdll.fpllr p('f;linli{{' /mlll RJIIIII/, SCiII/mu/; lIla};mjlcalll)ll
xli , XPL.
Allditimlill 1' '-('11'$ of poikdilic 1('Xt/ire IIItt)' be fOlllld ill
1/1. /14 (11/(1 167_
52 Ophitic-textured alkali olivine dolerite
Two large anhedral cry)tuls of augite enclose numerous,
randomly arr.mged lathshapl-d plagioclases, Note lhat
mILn), of thc plagioclases are :Issociatt-d in groups. The
larger nugue crystul h;ls II v;lriable colour due to a chemica I
I.omng (St'C p, (1)
Ollllllt' t/fI/t' rw'.Irom SII/(/II/ hie)' .\'/1/1, Sf(){/jmd, IIlf1gmflm.
/iollxJI,XPL.
53 Subophitic telCture in olivine dolerite
The photographs shoy. plagIoclas.: lath, embedded In
severnl aUgite cr)stals: whereas some of the plagiocla:.cs
are "hall) embedded. othen; pcnetr.tte beyond the augite
crystals, The other malic mlncral prescnt is oli\ine "hieh
is pamally altered to a green clay.like minel1li and is
distingui shed from the augite by its colour in the PPL
\'11:""',
O/mne doleTl//! from IIl/knOll1/ Brl/ish source , magnifica-
/iQII x 17, PPL ami XI'L
\1utulil rehltions or crystal): U' ,\ tures
i\ 1ulual relations of crystals: inl'quigrllnular textures
54 Subophitic alkali olivine dolerite
In \"ic\\ plagioclase laths are eml:,.:dded In olivine
r.llher than One olivine eryslal is lit t'Xlinction
In the XPL pholog.rnph and another sho .... 'S orange mler-
ferenee: colour. The Olher mafic minerdl in the pictut't-s I)
augIte showmg a purple interference colour.
Of '" hI(' dofl'rlll' from Shwm Isles sill. St"(lflami: 11/(/1:11(//("(1.
1;/)// )( 26. PPL allli XPL.
See Ill . 116. 118 and 164 jor adllilioll(ll t'x(lmpit's QJ
,l/bophilir It'Xlllr/! ; i21 is pllrticli larly imerl'sring ht'eIliISt'
hl'rf' tht' slihophilic(l/ly enclosed br pk'gioda.H'.
IIml in 1M p),ro.'(ene is sllhophilit'ally by ka/siJif('.
55 Poikilophitic texture in olivine gabbro
For the texture shown here the lenn poikilophilic
preferable 10 ophitic because (a) the large augite encloses
some equant olivines in 'lddition 10 plagioclascs. lind
(bl man) of the plagioclases lire not mllrkedly elongate
Olil' ine gabhro jrom J..()H'er ZOne fI Of the Skflcrgflart/
imruslon. East Greenland: magmjira/IQII x 10. XPL.
56 Ophimottled texture in olivine basalt
Appro"'lmalely fifty augLte crystals are shown here en-
closing bladed plagioclases and giving the rock a mottled
or speckled appearance_
OblInl' basal/ /rolll I$f(' of MI/ff. Sct)ff/l/u/: /11(IKI1!ficilliOlI
x (4. XPL
57 Feldspar- olivine- phyric ophimottled
basalt
Phenocrysts of plagIoclase and olivine. some in dots. are
set in fine-grained ophlmottled grollndmass.
Olil'inl' haS(/1t from Skye. SeQ/fuml. /lUlgllijictlli(lllx fJ.
XPL.
i\'lutual rclations of crystals: inequigran:.dar texlUr('S
JIlIi'rMiriu(
T\\o vaneties arc rt'Cognizcd on the basis of the matcnal occupying the angular
spaces between fcldsp:lr hlths :
I . I merSUlIIlll'Xflirl! glass or hypocryslalline material II holly. or partly. occupies
the: wc<lge-sh:l ped interstices bct\\ccn pl agioclase laths. The glass may be fl\."Sh or
hale been altered to palagonlte. chlorite. analcite or cJny mlOernls. or it may have
UCI'ilrificd. If 3 patch of glass is sulliciently large and continuous to enclose II
number of some \.\ol1ld the as hwf
ophifl(:' (Sec hraitlpilillr te:<ture. p. 41 .)
2. fil/ergratfl/ilif II!,r l(lr(! - the bctwetn pl agiocl ase lalhs arc OCCUPied b) one.
or more. grains of pyrOllene (olivllle and opaque mineralsl. Unlike ophaic
I.:-xture. adj[Lt'cnt IOterstices ;Lrc nOI in oplical cOntinult) and hcnl't 3rt' di.)l.Tcte
The feldspa r.; may be 10 or subp:lrallel drrJng<"
men! (sec also pifo{(Jxilir andld/r textures. p 41, .
As shown by of the photographs illustrating these textures. a smgle thin
section may cont ain both typt.-s of inlersti\lal m SCIXITat e. but contiguous.
texlUrnl dom;tins.
Mutual rel ations of crystals: ill cquigranul ar texture>
58 Intersertal (hyalophitic) texture in
tholeiitic basalt
Certain paris of this photograph show lath-shaped
plagioclascs enclosed in pools of dl.'vitrilicd, deep. brown
glass. Other plagioclases arc surrounded by augite in a
subophitic manner.
Oceal/ic tiloldile [rO/ll Leg 34 of the Dl.'l.'p Se(1 Drilling
Project ,' magnific(ltjoll)( 65. PPL.
59 Inters ertal texture in alkali dolerite
The inlcrsertaltcxturc in this dolerite consists of p!i"lgio
clast' crystals embedded in analcite ((;olourless in PPL
and isotropic in XPL). Dthtr plagioclascs are partially
enclosed by pyroxene in a subophilic manner. A crystul
of olivine can be ~ c n atlhe righl.hand edge orlhe vicw in
PPL.
Alkali duler;/(' [rolll flulliord IJridgl.' sill. Ayrshire. SCQI-
{{lil t!: magnification x 13. PPL (lml XPL.
Sf'e also 126 OI/d J 27.
&0 Intergranular dolerite
Anhctlral cqullnt or augll c and plgconllc occupy
the spaces bct\\CCIl cryst;lls in this sample.
Odlrnll? {rom Ileur IIII' {()'H'r margll1 oj NI'II
kney. CSA . lIIugmjlCQI I(/n )( 60, PPL and XPL
'1 Intergranular olivine gabbro
In thiS example of inu:rgranular tcxture the rock is wursc-
und thc plagloclascs have a subparallel arr.mge-
mCn! Note that the interstitial ;"iugi\e-. arc unhedral
Ug:ltnSI the euhc.:drnl
Olllin" gabbro i rom Lower 20111' h oj Ihl' Skaergaard
in/rwlO/!. &m Green/aI/d. /lUI,f{/lijicaJion)( 15. XPL
Mutual relations or crYsl9ls; inl'quigr.lAular lexture<;
\ Iutual r('la lions or crystals : int'q uigrJnular l('xrurt'S
62 Tholeiitic basalt with two types of
interstitial texture
In this photograph patches bctwttn some of the plagio
c1ascs arc occupied by brown glass (panl)' devitrificd)
lmd betwecn others by clots of small augi te crystal!. with-
out IIny glass present, i.c, domai ns of both interscrtal and
intcrgranu!ar texturc arc present.
ThQll'illic bllsall from Ulwkendt Ejfumi. Wi'J't Grel'lIlalld:
IIItJgnijicalioll x 27, PPL /III(} XI>L.
63 Intersertal, intergranular and s ubophitic
textures i n dolerite
All three of thcse textures co-exist 10 this rock.
I)Qtl'fIIl' from Whin sill, Norllwmberlmul. Ellg/lmd .. magni-
ficO/iOi I x 26. PPL (1111/ XPL
Ori rmted. aligned :md directed tcxlurK
Several clas!;eS of this Il'xlural type exist: (a) lrachytic ICXl'ure: (b) trachYlol,
texture; (c) parallel-growth texture: (d) eomb texlure; :Ind (e) orbicular texture.
Trachyt;(' texture
A subparallel arrangement of mierocrys\allin.: lath-shaped feldspars in the grounc
mass ofa holocrystatiine or hypocryslallinc rock.
N.B. the term is nOl restricled in use to rocks of trachyte composition (c.,g. se
groundmass of 47).
Some petrologists subdivide lrachytic texture with mierolite-sizcd feldspars int,
pifotaxilic 1(>;>;/1"<' and hyolvpifili, ICxmre. depending on wh.:ther the materil
between the felds pars is crystalline or glassy. I Strictly. however, the i
tl'xturcs may be more or less aligned. ( For a pilOiaxitic texture in which th
microlites arc essentially randomly arranged the teml!dly /eX/Uri' c.\ists.)
TrQchyroid teXture
A subparallel arrangement of tabular. bladed or prismatic crystals which are visib
to the naked eye (Holmes. 11)21). While Ihe term is usually applied to ef)'stals c
fcldsp..'1r. Johannsen (l931) SIMes Ihal il may equally weI! be used for oriente
cryst:lls of any other mineral.
The lemlsJiow ,Indjfll:don reXllm? arc sometimes used as synonyms for trachyti
and Irachytoid textures, ho\\'e\'cr they should be aV01ded on account of their geneti
implications.
Mutual reilltions of crystals: orienll'd. aligned and direcll'd textures
64 Trachytic texture in a trachyte
TIlis rock illustrates tntChYlic texture with no glass be-
t'-"cen Lhe small . aligned alkali feldspars (i.e. pilotaxitic
variety). Note that, rather lhan there being a single uni-
versal alignment direction. there arc sever-al domains in
the photograph, each having its own preferred direction
of feldspar alignment.
Trachy//:' frQm Ill/k/lOlt"/1 C;I!c/wsIOl"akian /o"Olily: maglll-
jic(IIiQII x 16, Xf'L.
65 Trachytic texture in trachyte
The somewhat stumpy groundmass alkalj feldspars. III thi s
rock display a subparallel alignment which is pmticularly
noticeable where they follow the outline of the pheno-
crySts.
TrachYI(' from IlIIkllf1l'lI Germa/l locl/lil)'; mag'lijil"mi()'J
x 15 , XPL.
66 Hyalopilitic texture in rhyolitic
pitchs tone
Tht' feldspar microlites in this r(X:k a preferred
elongation direction from lower left to upper right: near
the feldspar phcnocr)"sls and opaque crystals the orienta-
tion of the microlites follows the outline of these crystals.
Note the tendency for the microlites to be armnged 10
bands.
from Ischia. Bay oj Nllpl .. nw[:niJil"lllWn x 10.
PPL.
'7 Trachytoid diorite
n ilS rock contams aligned columnar
pl:lgioclases. The appeamnce to the
resuh\ t'rom small inclusions of Iron ore and mica.
D"",/I'/,om Com',/,. Seolland. m(/gm/icullon >( 16. PPL
68 Trachytoid gabbro
This !rachytoid consists of phHY piagioclascs.
here secn edge on. slacked upon one another. Note that
whcn thiS rock lS sectioned parallel 10 thc plnne of the
nattening. the crystal ajil!:nmcnl would nOI be cvident
GuM,o from [.oWl" ZOlll' h of ,lte Skoerg(w,d mlnl.lilJII .
&ISI Grren/rmd; ,/wgn!ficfllwII >( I Z. XPL
69 Olivines in trachytoid arrangement in
olivine dolerite
In this \ole". large columnar phenocrysts of OhVlOC. some
of skc1ctnl type. are aligned. and embedded in mlcr-
1!fanular-lcxtured plagIoclase and auglte.
DIM" .. dol(',;II;' from Isle IJ( Sk,I'i'. SCQllmlll . "wgnijicmioll
>( 21. XPL.
43
Mutual re-Iations of crys tals: oriented. alignCil and direcICil Ie-xlurc-s
Parallel-groIN" tl! xtUJ'e
A single elongate skeletal crystal which in thin section appears 10 consist of a dot of
cryslltls h:lving the same elongation direeti on and the same optical orientation.
(For see 31 and 32.) In rocks wilh Irachytoid texture il lS nOI uncommon
for n.-ighbouring parallel-groll th cryslllls to be' aligned (se<! 31).
Comb texture (comh layering)
Elongate. possibly curved. bmnching nystnls sharing the same direction of elonga-
tion. The crystals typically foml a band. layer. or fringe with the elong:llion di re<: lion
ofthl' crystal s inclined at 60-9{) to the plane of the layering. (Synonyms urI.' Willow-
[..lIke layering lmd Crl'sl'wmdme layering. though the lutter is a genetic teon and.
hence. should be avoido:d.)
70 Pyroxene comb layer in a thin
lamprophyre (fourchite) dyke
Long branching augite arc aligned at right angles
10 thc boundary between the comb-Iays:rcd rock (below)
Md pyroxene. phyrie rock (above). The V of the bntJlehing
widens in the di rection of growth. which is away from the
dyke wall. (Sec also 35.)
LI.IIll prophyre dyke from Fiskoem'SSI!I (1r/: lI. SO!llh-wl!.H
GreenllJnd: lIulgfli/iClIliOIJ )( 8. XPL.
71 Comb layers in dolerite dyke
Two types of comb-textured layer arc present in IheiiC
photographs : the first and third bands from the right
consist of elongate branching olivi ne (now largely
serpentinized) and plagioclase crystals: Ihe SL"Cond and
founh arc pyroxenite domi nated by complex.
elongate. br:tnching uUl"rite c:rystitls with scarce plagioclase
crys\,tlS in between. The margin of the dyke lies to the left .
(See also 34.)
Dolerite from Nortlr-wen Skye. Scotland: magl1ification
)(8,
Comb l;tycrs in clokflte dyke [contmued I
;\ lutUll1 rl!lations of crystals : oriented. ali gned and dirl!etl!d Il!Xlures
Orbi cular leXlllre (orhil"lIfur IUyt' fin,: )
StX' ['! 69 l'or ddi!111 10 !l ,Ind Illu'tr;llI'Hl In CtUlIl <.''\:l1tHl \\ )lh thc !,!TclU['! ilf
bemg considcred here, nOle that In some orblcules the concentric shell. have elongate
crystals olif!IIt'd r;ldLllIy ;IOOut Ihe centre or l h..: orblcuk
lntcrwo\\ th te"lures
In 111 m ",,-'('ILI)Il th( JUlK'tLon hcl\\ccn L'\l1 appear lI'.1 'tr;Llllht Imc. il
curvc. or U cI)Lnple]; cur\c, m thc thm.! .;:to...: lhe mler(hgll ,uc or
interlOl.'k, l}(hSibly $0 Illllmmely Ihat appe<Jr' ICo he emhcdck"l.lm one ;Inother.
ThC"'C IIlterpcnelr.Ulvc ;Ire all of 1II/i'r!{f(l'I/iI li'nUf{'I,
the crystab concerned are anhedml but one or both may Ix skeletaL dendrnll' or
mdl:tlc. Sc\en vanew:s are here ' la) consertal leJ(lure , (h) micro,
gntphlc tCJ(ture . (cll:lr:tnophync texture: {dl myrmekll ic texture, Ie) mlrafa-CKu1ute
tell\ LIre _ {f) lamell ar and Inter!'ro\\ Ihs , Clod j g) tCll ture
Cfl nse' ruf u:,mre
bet\\een twO 1ll1d henL .... '([,!PC:IP. 10
be notched or serrall'd III ,erllon 1909, Niggll. 19:;4),
' Til" appf'urum:., Of I'" ml('f(ilgll(Jllng D(mndllrt n.,/II',"w I .. (1 "'NIIII,>, "I </IIU 11, ,/,'p.,,,,> un fill!
"Wf"l of mll'f{JI' nelrollOti (lnd Ihl' dln'rlll'" m "'''1('11 Ib" hOlIllJlln f,r 5.'{'(w,,,,d ,,,,,,.. II1ft'r-
srf'/I"'U: "'<II <1\11" Ill{' f'n',f/Il/s 11Wt'lmg ;'111 (ompl ... r t'urw' _ o/h,,(\ flWI "hOll ,.f\ I/ul II "IU:f",\j',/
1/1 B. /)/h..,.slIIuy J'lIoh I" .. /'IlIIn'rs .. ami )'tl I}llwf,f mill dill" t'IIrh "nda.,Itl!l III<' ",liN
74 Graphic granite
Photogr.lph of a polished hand specimen of gmphlc-
te.uurcd granite In which thc dark m:ilcnal is smoky
quartz and the light material is alkali
Graphic gf(lllile from III/know" foculity. IIwgniji((IIio/l x 3.
75 Micrographic texture in aplite
Two of the crystals in this \iew show an mlmlalC micro-
gr'dph)c IntcrgroWlh of quartz and alkah feldspar. In one
(middle right of XPL photograph), the alhl; feldspar
IS al CXllnction. and In Ihe othcr (mIddle left) the quar\!
al extinction. (The PPL phologfilph is deJil>t!ratel)
lkrocussed to show the Becke Hne in thc higher-relief
mineral (quartz) when the object;\e lens b 'r:tiscd'_)
\f1C7'o-grtlnill* [rom WorCts/t'r. Hussaclmsells. (;SA.
IIIl1gm/icu/lfm x 60. PPL ami XPL.
Mutual relations or crystals : int e'l;TOl'lth Ie.Xlurl'S
t
74 Graphic granite
Photogruph of a polished hand 'pecUllt'll of gruphic-
textured granite in whieh the dark material is
quartz and the: light material is alkali feldspar
Graphic grollll(' lrom u"km)w/I locall,)', magniflcalioll x 3.
75 Micrographic texture in aplite
T\\o of the crystals In thIS \ICW sho\\ an micro-
gr.lphic Inlcrgrowth of qUllr!/. and alkali feldspar. In one
(middle nghl of XPL pholograph). the alkali feldspar
IS al extinction. and in the othcr (mIddle Icftjlhc quarl?
b at extinction. (Thc PPL photograph is dclibcnuel)
to show the Becke line in the hlgher.rellef
mmeral (quartz) \\hen the Objective lens is 'r:aiscd' I
Mlcro-grtll1i11! jm", iVor('('SII'r. \la.ulldwsN/S. US.4
mlll:,m/iclIllon x 60. PPL and X PL
Mutual Tchili ons of crysl9.ls : intergrowth textures

t

Mulual rel ations or c'1'SlaiS: intergrol'ilh textures
76 Micrographic and granophyric textures in
microgranite
The photographs show several uni ts or inlcrgrown quart z
and alkali feldspar; most arc of micrographic type but
some have a radiate arrangemcnt (granophyric texture)
altheir margins. In the Sconish Hcbridcun igneous prov-
ince, rocks like this onc were formcrly known as grllllo-
phyres in allusion 10 their distinctive textures.
from E(L\'II'rII Red 1Iif/$ (If SkYI'. SWIIIIIIII:
magnijic(l/ioll x 20. PPL alld XPL.
77 Granophyric texture
In this rock, radiate intergrowths of quartz and alkali
feldspa r arc about ("uhcdra1. equant plagioclase
crystal s.
Microgronirl:' from Skaergaard imru.\'iOIl , (lSI Green/lIml :
lIIagnijicmioll x 37. PPL (mt/ XPL
Granophyric texture (continued)
78 Myrmekitic t exture in granite
M lith orthe lower pari of this photograph is occupicd by
an intergrowlh of qmtrlz ,tnt! plagioclnsc: this forms
embaymcnls in the microcline crystal which occupies
most of tht upper run of the field of \iew.
Grallill' from qrUlrry . Aberdeell. Srolland:
magflijirmio/l X lQ. KPI..
relations or cr}'stals: intergrowlh textures
1\lyrmeki,ic texture
Patches of plagioclase intcrgrown with vcrmicular quartz. The intcrgro\\ Ih is orten
wan-like in shape and is commonlYlo be round at Ihe margin or a plagioclase crystal.
Ilhefe il penetrates an alkali feldspar crystal. The texture could be reg,lf(lcd as a
vancly of symplcctilc texture (see p. 53).
Mutual relat ions or crystals : intergrowlh textures
fntra!rncicuiIJte tl.'xture
fl ollo\>', columnar plagioclase crystab filled wIth pyroxene,
Lamellar and hld-fikl'
onc mmcral. and all of the same OpIIC;'] OrlenLJ-
Lion_ arc enclosed in a single 'host' crystal of another mineral. Well-known
lamellae or blebs of sodlumrich feldsp<tr in a host of potll!>Sium-rich feldspar
(pl'rllll//(' /exlI/rej: the converse (UlJllperthi/lc /l'xlI/rl'): and lamtllae or blebs of one
p)- roxene in 11 hOSI of another (e,g, augltc m orthopyro"ene or Hrl' Iwsa,lInd plgcon-
Ite III augtte or \'iu I'l'fSaJ, Other eXllmples indude: ilmenite Ill00eliBe 111 (uhospmel-
magnelllc) solid-solution cryslals: metallic iron rods, find blebs 111 lunar plagloclases,
plagioclase lamellae In pyroxene: amphibole lamellae in pyroxene: and chrome-
lamellae In olivine, Careful examination may re\'eallamell:le of more than
one orientation and scale and sometImes e\en fine lamelli!e withm coarse lamellae.
I.e. multiple generations of lamellae.
Lamellar and bleb-like intergro .... ths are often atlributed 10 c,so\ullon of the
lamellae and blebs from the host crystlll (I.e. solidstate rcactionJ lind the genctic
term 1!.'(SOilllioll /t'.\'/IIr1' is oftt:n therefore applied to them. However. laboratory
experiments in which antiperthite formed from a melt liS a result of co-cryst allizati on
of two feldspa rs. and others to whIch ilmemte lamellae formed III pyroxcne during
of the t\\O phases from the melt. highlighlthc danger or unCfltlc,l1
u-.e of the tenn t:'xs(J/lllioll It'Xlllrr.
79 Intrafasciculate texture in dolerite
ThIS medIUm-grained rock has an mltrgro .... th tcxture in
which the gaps in the columnar plagioclase cryst:lls afC
(X:CUPIOO by :lugill:.
Dolem/:' Jrom GClrhh Bheinn intrusiOll, Islr or Sk,I'f', StOI
IQ/ld: magnific(l/ion)( 72. XPL.
80 Microperthitic textures
Three examples of pcrthites arc represented here,
The first photograph shows fairly broad sinuous lumeJla.:
of albite traversing the tartan Iwmnmg of a mkrocline
crystal.
SPl'cilllffl/rom pegmlllill', Topsham, Mallie, USA: maglli-
firalioll x 16, XPL.
The second photograph sho .... s narro .... albite lamellae
fomli ng tl braided pattern in an orthoclase host (upper
centre),
SfWCIIllt!II from grmri/I', Rmagmr, Sfollrllld: maRlllfiratroll
x 34, XPL.
The thIrd photograph shows t ..... o large areas of {he field
of "ie .... y,ilh different orientations of crystals consisting
of an mumate imergrowth of:l potassium-rich feldspar
and a wdium-rich feldspar. In t-ach C'.dse the darker grc)
colour represents the poUtssium-rtch feldspar, The pro-
ponions of the IWO materials afC approximately equal ~ o
that neither is clearly the host - m this case the feldspar
mtergro .... th IS knoy,n as:l mesopt'rliri/t'.
Spf!('iml'lr of lIepirelllli! S)'f!nI/f! from umgrslI/ll! fjord,
,'urII'm'; mClglli/irflliO// x 32, X PL.
MUiUlI] relations of crystal s: intergrowth textures
Mutual relations of crystal s: inlugrOlolth textures
,
81 Antiperthitic texture in tonalitic gneiss
Thc poorly aligned. bleb-like inclusions in the plugio-
duSt.'S in this rock are potassium-rich fc ldsp;lr of inter-
mediate structural state (i.e. Qfthoc]nse). It is likely that
the texture forme<! in this rock during prolonged high-
gradc region<ll metamorphism rather than during crystal-
lization of rnagm(l .
Tmw/ilic gl/ri.t) from S(:(lrme, Northwest SCOI/tlm/; mlrg
IlijicatlOl1 x 20, XPL.
82 Lamellar intergrowths of two pyroxenes
in gabbro
The hOSI crystal to the lamellae is an orthopyroxene- (clost'
to extinction) ; it contains 1',1.'0 kinds of !:uncllae - rcla-
th'e!y broad and continuous ones ofaugitc, and narrower
discontinuous ones of augite. inclined to the broad
GlIbbrQ from Bus/II'cft! imrusicm, Smull A/rim: lI!(JgIJijica-
lion x 9, XPL.
83 Bleb-like intergrowth of augite in
orthopyroxene in olivine gabbro
In Ihis sample blebs of augite are embedded in lin ortho-
pyroxene host. forming an 'emulsion-li ke' texture. Though
the blebs are irregul ar in shape they have a common
elongation dircclion and the sonne optical orientation.
OUI'ilJC' gabbro from Wn'('f 2m1' b of the Sklwrg(l{lr(/
ilttrusi(ll1. Etw Gr('f.'It/mJti; m(Jgl1ijictlliC)IJ x 17. XPL.
84 Symplectite of iron ore and
orthopyroxene
Iron ore (probably ilmenite) and Il small crystal of ortho-
pyroxeneare intimately intergrown in a vermicular rashion
in the spaces between plagioclase, augi te and ilmenite
r.:Tyslals.
a/iI'im.' gabbro from l..ol>'('r Zone b of Ihe Sk(/j'rg(wrd
IISI GrecIIll/l/{l ; magnificatlQIl )( 72, /'PL.
85 Fayalite-quartz sympl ectite
Between the Opaque mineral (ilmcnite) lind the si licate
minerals in Ihis rock, there exists a complex bound:iT)
consisting of a narrow rim or fayaHte immediately adjacent
to the opaque mineral. which in places abms onto a
sympkctite intergrowth of rayalite and quartz. The
fnyulitc in the intcrgrowth and that which rims the ilmenite
have the s,:unc optical orientation.
Ft'rmgohhro [mill Upper ZOlle h oJ Sk(U'rgoard ill/rUslOlI.
Ea,\'! Green/wll/ .- I/Iagllijkmiol/)(, 12. PI'L /II!(I XPL.
Symplulire fe.fture
An intimate intergro\\lh
(womllikc) habit.
1\"IUlual relations or cr)'slals : inlergrQI'!1h tex tures
of two mineruls in Ilhich one mineral has a vermicular
/'IIulual r('laliollS of cryslals: testures
Radiale leslures
Radiate textures art' In "hich dongate crystals divers<' from a common
nucleus. They are moSt frequently found In fine-grained rocks. bUI not el) :
for example. 34. 35. 36. 70 and 71 \>ho\\ large branching pyroxene. pt:lgloclase and
ollvlOe cryStals to fan-shapl.:d radiate arr.mgemenls. A remarkabl) number of
terms eXists 10 dt-"cfl!x: the lOcludmg : fan. plume. spnly.
sh<':<lf-hke. radllltc. radiul. ilXIOlitic. and \o<lriollilC. All e.lcept
the three ,"hlen an: dehncd here). arc meanmg.
Sphrrulitic texture
SphcruJlh:" aTe 'phcrold;11 hlldlc, m it .In: COmpd:-l."'d
01 .Ill 'Iggregate ollibrow. 01 one or moll.' rudt,lung Imm..l nur.:ktb.
II Ilh glass or m bct"ccn. The :1r.:Kular r.: ryslals m:l) be either smgle.
fibres or each rna) have branches along us length. any branches 01:1)' or m:l)' not
the samc optICal orientations as their parents. The mOSI common occurrem .. "C
of te:<tull.' is a radiate ag!!regate of acicular alkuh with
be\\\C'en them. Ihough quaru or other mmerals may be presenl. rcsuitmg In:tn inlcr
gro\\th texture. Should the sphcruhle have a hotlo" ,:entre II IS kno\\n:lS II hU/J(JM
.fpll('rulllt!. lind if It comprises a serIes of conccllIric. pan ially hollow shells. the term
is used.
A:<lohtcs dlffcr from splleruht cs In Ih"'t radiating fibres c:<lcnd rrom eI ther end of a
!incur nucleus (i.t. from a small ar.:icular crystal) rather than a point. They could be
reg(lrded liS a \'ariet) of ovcrgrowlh texture (p. 58). as indeed could those $pheru-
lites" hich grow about \'islble crystab ralher than on suhmlcroscopic nuclei (e.g. SH).
J-'aY'.lltle-qu:tnz s),mplcctite (contlnucd)
86 Pl agioclase spherulite in dol erite
This spherulite comprises approximately elol1g:lI e
CT}stals of plagioclase. each having a different optical
orientation. It is an 'open' spherulite. III the sense th.1t
there is much space between mdlvidual plagioclase crys-
tals; the spaces life occupied by coarse augite. columnar
plagiodascs 1101 n:latcd to the sphcruli te. and smaller
spherulitcs.
f){}/rrill' from Gar"" Bhl'UIII In/rl/sion. Skn.'. Scm/(iI/d.
magl'ifteal/o,,)( J], PPL (Iml XI't.
See 116 /or 1/ .mmlClr I!.wlfllpll!.
87 Spherulite in rhyolite
The sphcrulite at the centre of this photogmph of
a dense mass of very fine intergrown net:dk"S of both
quartz and alk:llt feldspar mdililing from II cammon
nucleus. Above li nd below, the spherulile abuts onto
others, .... hereas to left and right there is gluss.
R/lJ'lI/i li.' f rom I/Ili/lk , HI/ngary: lI/aglli/iL(I/IOII )( 27. XPL.
Mutual f(' lations of crYSluLs: rad iate tc)o.tur('S
Mutual rehl lions of radial e
-
. '
ti>
VariolitiC' ttxturt
..



J.
A fan-like arrangemcnt of divergelll. often hranchmg, tibres; the fibres arc
plagioclase and thc spat't' bet\\e1!n is occupied by or of pyrox!!nc.
olivine or iron or;:. This I!!Xlllre diffcr) from spherulitic in that no dl scretc sphcnclli
bodies arc Identifiable, in fact, each fan as secn in Ihm is a )1icc through :1
bundle of acicular erul:lls.
88 Compound s phe rulites in rhyolite
Doth si ngle and compound. or clumped. spherulites arc
surrounded by glass in this photograph. The spherulites
enclose micro phenocrysts of plagioclase and blollte. The
colour variation in the spherulites is caused by variations
in density of fibres .
RIlY(llitl! IrQIII Glas/wt/t'. Hlll/g(It)': mllgl/f/icmiv/I >( J 2 .
PPL and XPL.
89 Variolitic olil/ine dolerite
The olivine phenocryMs in this sample are set In a ground.
mo'>S consist mil. of many fans of diverging plagiocl3se
needles lIugite crystals in the interstices. Note ho\\
all the fans diverge from lower nght to upper left. indicat
109 solidification in this direction. Note also
Ihe branching of some of the plagioclase fibres.
O/mllt! do/crill' trom Sk.H.'. Srolltmd. magl/ilil'(l//oll )( 27.
PPLllIIdXPL.
90 Radiate intergrowth of plagioclase and
augite in dolerite
This unusual radiate texture occupying the centre of the
.. iew consists of t\\'o, mutually perpendicular, columnar.
plagiocl ase crystals, the elongate gaps 10 which have ;l
mdililc distribution ; these gaps arc occupil'<l by a sillgll'
augi te crystal. r.lther than by many This kind of
r:ldiate texture dlfTefli from a sphcrultu:; it IS more aki n to
skeletal growth (p. 20),
Dolerite from IIIgKt intrusioll, West Grf1'l1/allt/; magllifica.
IIQnX 27, ffL (flu/ XfL.
Mutual relutions of cryst als : radill !t' !('xlnrC:!.
Mutual rdations of er)'sfals: radiate textures
QI'erJ: Towth textures
This teml applies 10 teXlures in \\hich a single crystal has been olergrown either by
material of the same composition. or by material of the same mineral species but
different solid-solution composition. or by lin unrelated mineral. There are three
types: (a) skeletal and dendritic overgrowths; (b) corona texture: and (c) crystal
zoning.
Sktdetillor dendritic OI'('rgrooNh:,'
Porphyritic rocks with a glassy or very fine-grailled may show delieatc
fibrcs or extending from the cornerS or edges of the phenocrysts. The over-
growth and the phenocryst need nOI be the same mineral.
',.
J'
"
.-
,
.'
, .. 1
(\'


" ' ..


I,
. ,
'

,
".11
,
"

'\
,,'
R:ldiate intergrow th of plagioclase and augite in dolerite
(continued)
91 Overgrowth textures in rhyolitic
pitchstone
The faces of the phenocrysts of alkali feldspar and mag-
netite in this glassy rock have acted as locations for nu-
cleation of dendritic overgrowths of (7) alkali feldspar.
Dendrit ic crystallitcs arc also prescnt in the glassy
groundmass.
Pitcns/olle from Arra/l. Sco/falld. magnification x 31. PPL.
92 Corona texture
In the cen(re of the phOWgrdphs a (winncU nnd zoned
augile crystal is mantled by green hornblemle of non-
lmi form \\ uJlh.
Quorl: diorite jrom ,11'111 oj Gal/oltay. SrolflllUI : magmflCl/-
11011 x 43. PPL IIIItI XPL.
Curona tex ture
A cryswl of onc minewl is surrounded by u r1111. or 'mantle', of one or rnorecryslals of
ano ther mineral. c.g. olivine by orthop;.-Toxene. or biotite surrounding
hornblende. Such relationships are often presumed 10 result from incomplete
reaction or lhe inner mineral with mclt or fluid to produce the oUler one ;mcl lor (his
reason the equivalent genetic ICrnlS {('(Iniull rim <lnd r('IIClioll CUfOlll/ arc fn .. -qucntly
us.:--d. The spl'cialterm RllPllkil'I 1('."(/lIrt' is used to dcscribe an overgrowth by sodil'
pl:tgioclase on large. usuall y round. crystals. and kelyphili('
/n/Ilf1' is used for a microcrystalline overgrowth of tibrous. pyroxene or hornblende
on olivine or garnet.
59
i\ 1ulual rl'l:ll ions of crystals: ovcrgroll-Ih textures

93 Corona texture
IJet ween ohvme :md pktgiodast c')stals 11\ this rock
is (I O.02-O.06mm wide corona ,"hich consists of either
Qne or IwO zones : ( I) radially Oriented. fibrous. brown
hornblende: or (2) colourless pyroxene (sec middle of
photograph) surrounded by radially oriented, fibrous.
brown hornblende. Analysis of the pyroxene suggestS that
.t is a submicroscopic inlergrowth or and ortho-
pyroxene.
Olil'lIIi' gahhru from Tht'SJalomkl. \ '0"" Grl'Nt'. nragl1l'
ilemloll >( 100. (lml XPt.
94 Rapikivi texture
The texture is or large. round potassIc reid spars. some or
which are munllcd b) sadie others ha\e
no rims. I n the first photograph. '" hieh is or a
polished h:md specimen. the plagioclase rims have II
grccmsh colour contrasting with the pink potassic rcld-
Sp.lr. The second ph()tOgrnph is or (I thin S<.'Ction or the
same rock.
Granire from (HII'rII Fill/ullri; IIl1lgnijirtllifJ,,){:2 (jir.fl
(lhfJfo): x J. XPL (s('(:lJlld (llIuw) .
Rap:lkivl texture (conu!luedJ
95 Zonal arrangement of melt inclusions in
plagioclase
Several stages in the gro"'th of this plagioclase crystal can
be picked QUI by lhe bands of minule melt indusions, (Sec
also 45.)
dolerite from Isle oj Skyl' , SCOII(lIId:
x 9. Pi'L,
Crystal :IUlinR
One or more concenlric bands in a single crystal arc picki om by lines of inclusions
(95) or by gradual or abrupt changes m solid-solution composillon of the crystal.
As regards the laller type of zoning. a large. number of pallcms IIrc possible. the
commoner ones beIng iIlusmned graphically and named belo",', plagioclase as
an enmple.
rel'Ust! ::(J/lwg
terms specIfy the gencml tfcnd of solld-solullon composilion from core 10 rim.
'Nonnal' mdicatcs high-temperature componcm-lo'Wlcmpcmlurc component
(l'.g. Anrich pJagllx:JaS<.'-Ab-rich plagmclasc. sec Fig. C) [me! 'fevcrse'
the opposIte.
CO/llll1llOu,s 1 I'cr,\l(f l/is('omil1l/Qus
J
::l)lIlIIg
These terms ind icate respectively a gradual or an abrupt change in composi tion,
Figure C shows examples of comiwlQJIJ IIOTIIW/ :oIJ;ng and Fig, 0 lin of
(/i,fCOntmIlOUS f/fJmwl :onirrg. Continuous :lnd dl!>Conlinuous zoning may alternate
lI- ig, E).
J temu art' nO! fM 50"'" /U continuous reaC'l1on and disconl1nuous reaCuon oj " ,"Slall
"lIlt 111;-1,.
"
i\ luluul r('IOlion.<; of crysluls: on'rgrowlh Il' XllI n'S
FIg. C Tl1rl'o' ( ,.\alllp/('s oj C()IIII11I1/J10 lIormal : (mI/lX
" 'prtlst'lI/l'Il 0/1 a s/.:t' lfll ~ m p h
FIg. D DiSCQlllimlfllU lIorlllal : rmlllJf
Fig, E C/Jillbilll'd {omil/llOus (//ill rlis('(JI/IIIII/OII.1 /101"111(11
: olliflX
A',L-____________________________ - -
Core Rim
Distance from cenlle of crystal
A', L _____________ _
Core
A', L-____________________________ ___
Core Rim
96 Zoned plagioclase
The central plagioclase phenocryst in this photograph
discontinuously zoned. having homogeneous COTe
m:mtlcd by a more sorlic rim: the nm has continuous
nonnal loning resulting In variation of Ihe
position on rotation of the micros..:::opc )I:lb>e. The crystal
IS thus panly discontinuously and partly
toned.
Dolmll' from 'sll' of Skye. Srolltmd: mogllifir(lluJII x 4),
,\' PL.
Fig r MlIllip/e. erel! :OIlIng
Mutual relati ons of (.'1)-5Ials: O\Cfgrowlh lexlUres
M,lllipl .. :OIlIlIg
This term IS used for crystals h:l\ mg TCPC:Il00 dlsconllnuous mnes If the
sho .... a r ... petition of "Idth. Ih ... p,lI\cm is Known as asciI/ilion :0111111( .
The overall composilional lrcnd of the mUltiple "zonmg ms> be nQrmal or rt' I"('f$(' or
('I.",' (m .... hieh there is 110 gcncr,iltrcnd from core to rim). Individualzoncs mil) be of
umfonn or vlIriable compoSition. such Iha[ Ih!.' loning pattern on :1 compo)ition.
distance graph is square "'live. step like. saw-tooth. rUf\OO s;lwtOlllh, or som ...
rombination of thc..;c (see Figs. H J). lI o\\e\'er. the:.t.' (Ire dctaib which only I'en
e;ITcrul and Jcnl!thy orlleal examlnallon or electron.prolx mirroanJlysls \\ould
rc\e;11.
The rc:tder should apprcculle that the skctehC!t 10 figs. C J are all idcahl .. :d :lT1d
that in real crystals the oscilhttions \\111 be less unifonn: furthermore multiple or
oscillatory zo ning rna) only occupy part of:1 cf))tal. the remainder pt'"rhapi:< being
homogcm."Ous or continuousl} zoned.
An.,L-______________________________
COle Rim
63
i\'l ulual r('lal iOllS of cl)"stals: OHrJ:rO .. "lh leXl urcs
An lllO
-
~
-
~
Ao.
Core
Ao

Core
~
Rim
Aim
A ~ ~ __________________ ~ _
Core Rim
Fig. G Oscillowr.v" ( ."en :Qmllg
Fig. If Olcilfutof),. lIorm(l/ ;QlliIlR: I/ep-likf'
Fig" I OsciflmorJ'. lIormoi : ()//illg: sml"' IO(Ilh
Fig. J Oscilfot{Jrr. normal :onlllg ' cUrlwl
97 Zoned plagioclases
This phOlograph lllusiraies several sirles ofzomng In the
1\\0 plagioclases comprising Ihc glomcrocrysi. Combina-
Ilons of dlsconllnuous. oscillatory and convolute zoning
arc presem. togelher with loning picked oul by a b..'lnd of
mel! inclusions ne'lr Ihe margins of both crystals,
P(Jrphyrillc wul esift' jrom Hokum' l'o/mllo, japall: IIIlIg-
lIijirfllioll x 14. 'yPL.
Ao,L-____________________________ ___
Corc
Com'ohm' : O/llllg
This IS a \,anety of multiple lOning m \\hlch :.ome of the lones are erratIC and hale
nOll-uniform thi('kncss (sec 97).
"
l\'l ut ultl rela tions of eryshtb : ol"ergroMth textures
S"Clor fur IUlllrg/W;"f J :fJll/lIg
As 'lCen In Ihm section. tIllS ideally lakes the form of four tri;i!1!!u!;tr scgmenb
(sector.)) \\ IIh a common ajX"x (Fig. K(b)). :.tors :m: chemically idcntlc:d.
v.hereas adjacent ones differ In compo<;lllon (Ihough only slIghtly) and
hence in optical propenlcs. Eaeh :Sector may be homogeneous or sho\\ contmuous or
d'llContmuous or oscillatory. nonnal or rC\o,'rse or e\en 'lonmg. In thl\-'C dimensions
the 5(."'(; 10111 aTe pyramid shaped (Fig. K(a)). and. depending on the orientation of the
crystal \\;Ih rcsp..'Cllo the plane of a thin !>Celion. a variety ofp:Hterns may be SI."'Cn
In Ihm secllon (Fig. K(b) (f)) If the sector boundaries 3rt' curv ... -d. the pallcrn can
resemble [h:1I or an hourglass (Fig. K(g)). $e(tor zoning is 11 common f('atuTe of
p)roxen.-s In alkall-nch and uhrnb:lSlc rocks. 11 has also been secn HI phtgio.
ciascs III u rew quickl) coolc<l basalts.
,

9
..
98 Zoned olivines
Zoning is nOI confin .. -d 10 feldspar crystals. H ... re. each of
the three olivine phenocrysts in the duster has a homo-
geneous core surrounded by a continuously nonnal-zoned
mantle, as indicated by the variation In interference
colours.
Al1k(lr(lltliTejrom Mmj/J(I Keu. Hml'(1ii ; m(l1!.l1Ijicoliol1 x 43.
XPL.
Fit; . K SeMl/llllie repreSl'IIf(JliOlU oj :/II/ll1g
99 Sector-zoned augite
The picture shows a simple seclor-zoned augite pheno-
cryst contai ning elongall:! meh inclusions: the crystab
partially enclosed by two of the sectors are olivines.
Essexile f rom Crall/OrlljoJIII. Scotitllld; IIUI/:llljim/ioll '" 40.
,rPL.
, 00 Sector- zoned pyroxenes
Two sector-zoned litanauglle cl)::otals arc iIIu;.traled In
thes(! photographs; that on the left is complicated b}
forming at one end a graphic intcrgrowth wi th nepheline
and lcuclle: the other crystal has an Intriguing figure-S-
shaped core. with II discontinuous. sector-zoned mantIc.
Mdllllo('ru/ic nepheJim:' IIIICfOSrem/I'/mm V(Jge/sMrg. IVf!.!'!
G.'rlllfmy: flUlgllificmioll x 7. PPL fllld XPL.
67
Mutual rci :lti OIiS of crystals: uH'rgrowth textures
Banded texture!; (banding)
T",xtures of thi s type involve two. or more. narrow (up to a few centimetres). sub
parallel bands in a rock which distinguishable by differences in texture, and/or
(,;olour. a:ld/ or min..:ra] term laymllg is 11150 used
whtle It mcludes banded texture. It IS also used for larger scale strnmrcallon. An
example of banded texture due to textural differences is illustr,ned in 5. and 103
and IIH show rcsulling from extreme differences in mineral proportions.
68
101 Oscillatory- and sector zoned, inclusion-
bearing pyroxene
The augite phenocryst occupying most of this photogr<lph
is sector-zoned and each s<x:tor displays oscillatory zoning.
Inclusions of nepheline, augite and magnetite are ar-
ranged in trains parallel to the oscillatory zones.
Tephrill' /roll! MOille Vulturi . M!llft . Italy ; m(lgllifiCllliQn
x 27. XPL.
102 Oscillatory and sector zoned pyroxene
Unlike the in 99 and 100. this scctor-wned
pyroxene has some sectors bounded bv marc than one
facc. c.g. the sector on lhc right is terminated by two
faces. and that on the left by three faces. The cn-
plagioclase laths. an olivine (blue colour) and a
pyroxene crystal (orange colour).
Ess/,xile/m/ll Cmlljordjohn. Scot/and; mtlgllijil'fllir'm x 15.
XPL.
103 Olivine and chrome-spinel banding (or
layering)
The photograph shows tWIl bands, one nch in olivme,
"Ith &;Cllree disseminated chrome,spinel crystlllS, and the
other nch in equant chrome-spinel crystals with scarce
interstitial olivine.
BllIl(led dunitt- chromi,"e from Skye, SCQ/fond, magnifico-
lion x II , PPL.
104 Anorthosite-chromitite banding (or
layering)
ThiS hand-specimen photograph shows alternating bands
of anorthosite (white) and chromiti te (black), The
yelloVo ishbrown crystals in the anorthosite are enstatite
and the black particles are smgle crystals and glomera.
crysts of chromi te.
Bamh'lI IIllOrthruitt cirromilile j rom Crilical Zone of the
8I1shw'/d intrusion, South A/rica . mllg"ijirlllitlll x 2.
. -_. __ .. _._ ... - -- " ~ - ' - - . -_ .. _-- ........ -
Comb IUYI'ring, orbiculur leXlure, ocellur (!'.'ftur#! und
I! utu.l'itir teXfUN.!
Comh {flJ" 'ring (5(.-": p. 44. 10 tmd 11) :Hld orbicular Int!l re (1 05) lirc p:t rt iculnrly
exotic ki nds of ba nding. I n the latter. 'orbs' consiSI of concentne shells of rhythmi-
cally altern:lling mi neral constItution. Within t he shells the texture 11m> either Ix-
granul:lf or elonga te crystals may be radially arranged. 'Orbs' 013) reach a few
(cns of centimetres in diameter. A rurther variety of banded texture, t'III/IXI/lC.
occurs In some wffs and ignimbrites and consi sts of a regular alignment of flat-
tened glassy fragments (8b),
"
Mut ual reili tions or crystal s: b:l ndcd lexlures
105 Orbicular mom:odi or it e
The photograph shov.'s the texture in a hand specimen.
The arrangement orlhe concentric darker bands aboUllhe
lighter coloured. homogeneous nuclei is well displayed.
The photogr.\ph shows the core and a few inner
or one orbieule in Ihln seclion. The bands can be
secn IQ differ from one another in their contents of biotite
and alkali feldspar. and in their grail! site.
MOII:;:ori/orilt, from tilt.' Islrmd IIf Sltur; Rll oko-
!trhli. S.E. fln/al/d; IIw1(lIijiclllillll x I Uir,f/ pIiQ/o) x 3.
(/ll(/ X PI. (J-l'(WIi/ p!/()/o).
106 Vesicular feldspar- phyric basalt
Large subspherical gas cavities are randomly distributcd
In this volcanic rock. Note the tIl 0 vesicles;1\ the lOp left
which have coalesced.
Basalt from MOUIII fllji. )tlplm: nltlgllijicQ/iollx 7. PPL
Wid XPL.
IC"llLrt"S
These :Ire a collection of textures which feature either holes III the rock or likely
former holes II hich IIrc now p;lUI} or completel} filled with crystals.
VeS;C/Ilar teXllIrr
Round. ovoid. or clong;llc Irregular holcs (vcslcles) rormed b} cxp.msk,n of gas. in
a magma .
AmY.Kdul uiJullt'XlI/fIt
Formcr vesiclcs arc here occupied. or p:miall) occupied. by lute-$tl1ge nmgmlltic
and or post-magmatic mlller:lb. such as carbonatc. 7.eolites. quartz.. chalcedony.
analcite. chlorite. and or. [;ITdy. glass or fine groundm:lSS. The filled holes are
known li S or amygdu[es.
OcrJlllr feXlI/re
Certrlln spherical or ellipsoidallcueocr.lIic p:llehes enclosed In a more mafic host
arc known as ocelli (singular ocellus). Unlike ;ull),gdalc.s. the miner:lls Iilling un
ocellus can nOflllHl1y all IX! round in the host rock; the}' may include any of: nephe-
line. analcllc. zcohtcs. calci te. 1cucite. potassiulll feldspar. sodium feld)par. quartl.
chlorite. biotite. hornblende and pyroxene. or elen glass. and the m11lerals arc
commonly distributed in it 7.0nall1rrJngement ( 109"). Often. plllly und acicular
III the host bordermg an ocellus lin: tangentially ILrr;ll\gcd (as in l09b) but
somcllmcs into the Ocelh arc nomlHlly less than 5 mm 10 diameter
but rna) reaeh 1 em. TheIr origlO has been ascrilxd on the one hand to separation
of droplets of immi"Cib!c liquid from m:lgma. and on the other hand 10 seepagc of
residual liquid or nUld into vesicles.
j\1iarofjt;c tuturt
These arc irreguhlrly shapt.'d e,(lilies (druses) in plutonIC and Into
II hich euhcdral crystals of the rock prOJCCt.
Litlwphysa (or stone-ball)
This 1$ the !Con gwcn IC) u sphere cOnSiSl11l1,!, of cOI1l'cntrtc sh(.'115 II ilh hollol\ lmer-
space).
"
Mutual relut ions of crystals : clil-ilY lextures
"
107 Ves icul a r trachyte
Irregularly shaped, elongate vesicles afe streaked out
through this trachyte; the columnar reldspars show 1I
weak alignmenl in the same di rection,
Trachyte from the AIII'ergll/', frIllICI': lIlagllification x J 2,
PPL.
'08 Amygdaloidal basalt
The onginal vesicles in this volcanic rock are now filled
with an aggregatc of small calcite crystals: calci te is also
prcst:nl as after ol ivine in the groundrnass.
Pyroxene and glass in the rock arc :tltcrcd to cla}' minerals_
Bosult from Matlock, Derbyshire. Ellg/alld: magn!ficulion
x II , PPL l/lld XPL.
J 24 ollother llmygda/Qid(ll rock ,
109 Ocellar texture
Thl: upper photograph shows three ocelli in an olivine
dolerite sill. Each ocellus is outlined by a more or less
complele \encer of lin), magnetilcerystals. At the b..'lscof
the 1\.0 largest Ql'dli the groundmass outsIde the ocelli
c;C:lends across Ihc Illugnetitc \enccr. except that olivine: is
absent inside thc <x:elli . The remainder of each ocellus
clear .l.eolilc, turbId. very fine-graincd leoli lc
;lnd scartt nlllgl1c\lle. The lenhand ocellus Illso l:ol1laillS
elungate: on the lefl side.
.. or'lII (JI/I'me iloft-rill' sill. Igil/(Jrs-
'lIi1. l. '/"If!Knllll Ej/lIIu/. Il'e.I"t Greellltmd: x J 1.
I'PL.
The :;..'Cond picture ' ..... 0 ocelli. occupied by calcite.
:tlkall feldspar. chlorite and finegrained pat ches or clay
(possibly altered glass). Lllhs of biotite an.- arranged tan-
gcntiall) about each ocellus.
l/ ulelle fwm /:."lIg/mul. /I/ujtllijicatioll x 16.
PPL
\ lutu31 relations of trystals : cao' ilY leXlul
73
Introducti on
In this Part are defined and illustrated many of the more common igneous rock type).
For types plane.polarized light and erossed.polarized light views are shown.
In:t fe\\ cases more than one example of the rock type is illustrntcd and in somc \I e
ha\e used more than onc magnification \0 show:t particular f;:.ature of II rock. !Il
IIddition. reference is mllde to Part I on textures \\ here other examples of a sJX."Cific
rock type an.' illustrated. Thus, although gabbro may be represented b) only two
photographs in Part 2. we have noted where other photographs of gabbros appear
in Part I.
No two igneous rocks are identical in e\'ery respect but many are s ufficientl y alike
that they eM be illustrated by II few I)pical sIX"'Cimens. Thu), an olivme gabbro
from one localit)' m:ly be vcry to a 11Irge number of olivine gabbro) from
different parts of the world. We have therefore selected thin S<."'Clions \I hich lire fuirl)"
typical of lhe rock type being
Fig. L 1\ (mwnc/(I/Ilre of Ih/! COI/1I1!()IIf" t}fIU'()II.f rock.r
(m Ilr/,Ir stlinl (111(/
The of which rocks to include has not been easy and undoubtedl} \\e hll\ e
omitted somebody's fa\ouri te. In Johan nsen's PNrography of the
/glll'OIIS Rm-ks more than 540 differcnt names for igneous rocks are listed in the
index, nO\ counting those names which have a prefix indicating the presence of a
particular mincmi or thus we have counted diurill' as one name rather than
the eightccn varieties of dIorite li sted by Johannsen. Holmes listcd about 340 differcm
Igncous rocks in hi s Nomellr/a/llre of Pl'lrolQg." but protxlbly less than 15Q of these arc
now in l'ommon u'>t , We have selected about siXlyoftht.'SI.' names as rocks .... hich thc
student lIIay expect 10 sec in an undergraduat e course in geology. Certain rock types
C;InnOI be distinguished by 1I cursory cxanllnation of a Ihin section. much Icss from
Olle or two photographs. Thus. for example, because IIwge(lrilf'I and IWlI"aiill's cannot
rcadily bcdislinguished from (llhlli Qasaltswi lhout a dctermination of tile plagioclase
composition. photographs of these rocks in thin slX"tion have not been indlldoo.
offine grained rocks lIre shown in smalllcllcrs ,lI\d
those of rocks in capllul letters (modified
from Cox, Bell and Punk hurst , 1979) For each rock illustrated we have given what we consider to be the definition of
16
10
8
6
,
2
/-,
, '
/ "
1/ ................
.... ,
/ , .... ,
/ ' phonolites .,.. ....
/ "') r.t PHLlr.tESVr.tlns ;/ "
/ '" , /',
/ / / ....
/ *<::- .,"" / ' / "
I :s;:1I.i!-'" /' / '
// <;:-II.Q!:"",.;J // e"" / trachytes ..... ,
/ ,to -i!-4; / >- __ -<. SVENITIS /'
/ if" / ..... eQ*./', /',
/ :s;:o., / ..... 1<-# ././ benmoreites " / ,
/ / Q!;:-", / ./ MONZOOlOllrtES SYENITES / I "
4. .f! / Q ",,,,'f' ""./ 0< $VENQDIOfIlTES .... ..... .... '..... / '\
1/ "..... /A" 'i rhvolites \
/ ,/., .... / t;'> <bqj.. g; / / ' I
/ I J!- Imugeantes R.b'f'(;j ./ Ifachyandesl les' I
/ t' I ... I'S I / orlati\es I, I
/ "Xi!" ., I if" / / MONzor.tnES / \ \ I
/ l.$i tt ( .J,./
/ &' I b .... "" -, \ ""
( <;:-11.'::; I ",t:.' II hawaiites I ............. 1 dacites \ -"./
I I$' I I \'
"' Il /L _ _____ -..+ __ ...,_ I GIlANOOlOIlITES ,.>""
, 1.,.0;., / 'l1 " I I I /
, -OJ!- -l'(;< .' III ./
... I!!I 1"-
'I i' I :;;., basalts I III I andesites I ././
'("' it '0" GAB.8ROS 0\ l "tl W I OIORtfS I"" ....
, I ./ I ; i I ..) ....
v . ........ o, ..,0 .....
'
''.' ""'6.'1 '':; 0 1 .....
-.. .... ....., . -. .
, """' ,' v I III I ....
" <,: '0 '" ....
, .... 6aSalts l.l:l I _ ..........
_____ __ __ L _ _ ...L-
77
the name and this is followed by a brief description of what is visible in the- field of
view of the photomicrographs. In addition to defining the rock illustrated, we have
also dcfUlcd. though not necessarily ill ustrated. the names of other.; which arc
subtypes and whose names are still in usc (e.g. gralloph),re as a variety of mkro-
gr(lIIilt!). Agreement among petrologists on the characteristics of individual rock
types is improving but will always be open to some differences of opinion. The
names used and defined here are as near to consensus opi nion as we can sense it.
using. the text of Holmes (920). Johannsen (1931). Halch &/ (II. (1972). and Nockolds
/' 1 oJ. (1978). the paper of Wilkinson (1968). and our own experience. In most of
the definitions we have refrained from stating ranges for Ihe amounts of the essentia l
minerals. since agreement amongst petrologists on this is generally poor. On the
olher hand, the photogmphs give the reader an of whether 1I particular
mineral is abundant or scarce in the rock.
The photograph dcscri ptions arc deliberately short because t.hey arc only of thosc
featllres which can be St!en in the photomicrographs. The complete pctrogmphic
of 3 rock requires a careful examination of the whole slide at different
magnifications and the student is likely to see much mor(- than can be illustrated in
one view al onc m'lgnific<ltion.
We have not set out a system for the classification of igneous rocks becauS(" this is
beyond the scope of this book. The sequence in which the rocks are arranged is
broadly ultrabasic and basic rocks first. followed by intcrmr<l1ntc and then acid
rocks. leaving the alkali- rich rocks to the cnd. Among the alkali-rich rocks arc
incl udl-d a number of rare rod types. simpl y because they arc ran: and beca use the
photographs are visually allraetive. 1n any treatment of petrography those rocks
traditionally groulX>d together under the name lamprophyres pose a problem be-
cause of their di verse characters. Although we have defined some of them. we have
ill ust r(LIed on I y three //Iilll!1 /('. allllJile and .Iourchilt.
Wh ile we have avoided a formal classification scheme of rocks. it is nonetheless
helpful 10 have in Ihe mind's eye a series of pigeon holes in which to locate rotk
names with respect to one another: otherwise the brain tends to succumb to the
\\'eight of names and refuses to attept morc than a few or them. Figure L (p. 77),
modified from Cox. Bell and Pankhurst (1979). isu chemical diagram on which many
rock composi ti ons may be plotted. The outennost line encloses most known volcani e
rocks and the bounded arC<\ has been subdividoo and the mimCS of fine-grained and
varieties of rocks indicated. Thc positions of the dividing
and the na!n!.S in cadI area lire open to debate hut. in gtncraL most petrologists
would actept this classification. While a great many of the rock types illustrated
hcre arc shown on Fig. L, a small proportion arc not - e. g. the names on the ligun.::
apply 10 the chemical eoridili on in which Na is less than K. Other nam(:S;trc used for
rocks with the much less common conditi on of K grealer than Na (e.g, 11!1If/l ill.
in stead of I/t'phefillill').
In the photograph descriptions 1l\lmbcr of terms :m: used which ure worthy of
definiti on here :
Esse/ltial milti'mls: those which arc nccesSilry to the naming of the rock. They
need not be major constituents. e.g. a ainall i l l! contains only a small pcrcent3ge of
essential 'lI1alcite.
Accessory minerals: those which arc prescnt in sueh small ,lmounts in ,i rock that they
arc di sregarded in its definition. e.g. a small percentage of qua rtz in a gabbro.
However. it may be uscful in the name to note the pre-scnce oLl pllrticuiar accessory
mineml in a rock and this can be done by adding the mineral name as a prefix. e.g.
quart: gllbbro.
A/ f'/(mIJCrIIl lc. l/IesoCT(l/ic lind leUC(}CrlIIIC (synonymous with met/il/Ill-. and
1if.: 'U-co{fJllfttf) : terms \C'I indiclLtc t.he colour of a rock il!ld hence the rclati\'e
proportions of dark-to light-coloured minccil ls. The bolmdarics arc at 66 6 ." and 33 (, 6
dark minerals M(ific and felsit' ma y be applied to r<x:ks whieh arc com-
posed pn'tlommaJltly of m;lfic mineral s (olivine. pyroxenes. amphiboles, biotite,
opaq ue oroffebic miner:! Is (q ua r17. feldspa r;md f cJ dspa t hoid). respect ively.
They are thus less precise than the colour index terms. The term liI/raml/jie is used for
rocks with Irivi,11 ,lnlOunts of. or no. felsic mineral s. The rarely-used colour index
term hypl'rme/onic (90- 1 00 0 dark minerals) is more or leils equivalent to ultramafic.
Ullrabasic, basic. illlerllledi(ll(! (/tU/ acid: chemical terms to designutc rocks with
less than 45 45--52, . 52- 66 % and more than 66 0 by weighl ofSiO: respectively.
Since a large SiO! contenl is reftectt.'tI in a Jarge amount oflighl-coloured mineral s,
these terms correspond approximately to the colour index ones,
Micro liS a prefix : most igneous rocks have fine- . medi um-. and coarse-grained
varieties. The fine- lind coarse-grained vari et ies always have different names (e.g.
basalt and gabbro). Medium-grllinoo varieties may also have a disti nel name (e,g.
dolerite), or more often these days. the name for the coarse-grained rock is used and
prefixed by mi,'flJ (e.g. microgranite, microsyeni{e or even microgabbro).
78
11.
Dunite
This is the name used for an ultramafic rock which consists
almost entirely of olivi ne. onen accompanied by accessory
chrome spinel.
The granular. textured sample we ha\'c illustr.Hed oon-
sists of only \1\10 minerals. olivine and a chromi um-rich
.pinel. The spinel appears opaque in the PPL view but.
with II more intense light than can be used for photo-
graphy. II can be secn to have a deep brown colour. A
banded structure is visible In the large crystal showing a
blue interference colour \0 the right and slightly up from
the centre of the photograph. and in 1'01.'0 of the crystals
showing brown interference colour.;: to the right of the
crystal showing blue. Above the blue crystal u crystal
shows irregular extinction. These features indicate Ihat
the olh'ines an: strained.
Ormilt'.!rom \1/111111 DIIII . .... I:'II Z.'olllnd: mll!;l1ijIC'UtiOI1>< 16.
PPL (Jnd XPL. Another (limile is illllstrllll'd ill 103.
79
Ullrabasic rocks
80
111
Peridotite
This tenn is used for coarse-grained olivine-rich in
which olivine is thl." dominant mineral but is 11.".% than
of the rock. Textbooks usu:dly state that the acces-
sory minerals arc llil fcrromagnesians ,md that oli\'inc-
rich rocks containing plagioclase and pyroxene should be
called picrilcs (01' Irl)cf()lile. if olivine and plugiodasc only).
\41 , 51), I--I owever. pierile is nOl much used no\\ , and
modem usage allows for plagioclase to be present in
peridoti te. as eun bo: indicated br the teml$ plagjoc/I/St or
perit/o/llt' as In 51. Peridoti tes eonlal11mg both
orthopyroxenl." and clinopyroxene (113) <lTe often Called
Jllf'r:(lIiIi.'J. I f dinoPYToxcne is present and onhopyroxenc
in a minor amoum or absent. wehr/rtt' is used. and hllr:-
bllrgilr for the conveTse.
We ha\'e chosen to illustrate this rock by two different
samples.
The upper and middle photogmph" show a poikilitic
textured peridotite in which. in the lower left of the
field. a number of round cryStals of oli vine are embedded
in two clinupyroxene crystals. and elsewhere the olivines
aTe enclosed by plagioclase crystals. In thl' centre of the
fidd. one elongated olivmc crystal is surroundtoJ by
plagioclase fddsp:lr. The sm:ltl opaque arc
chromite. The differences in colour and relief octwccn the
plagioclase and the pyroxene are alro in the PPL
vicw: stray polari7.3tion produces the pale grC1!nish and
pink colours in this view.
The lower photograph shows an XPL view ofa perido-
tite in which nlJmerous olivine crystals aTe poikililJcally
enclosed in a plagioclase feldspar. Only a
proportion of pyroxene is present in tIllS rock.
First and st'((J//d plwtogmphL' Pail/()Iilt' jrmll RJWIII ,
S,-o/((II1<I : IIIU[!,lIijl((IIIOII )C 11. I'PL amI ,\ PL.
11lird p/Jof(Jgraph: PI'rir/lJlill'{rNllf/w S/ulIIll $1'01
lal/d: magill/leal ion x 15. XI'L
0,/11" paidolires Ilrl' illllJlr{l/('d in 18 (lml 48.
112
Kimberlite
Kimberlite is a porphyritic pOla1>sium . WlllCT-. :md carbon
dioxide-rich peridotite which foons dykes. sills lind I)ipcs.
It consists of phenocrysts of olivlI1C. ph1ogopitc. ilmenite
and pyropc garnet in a groundmass which commonly
contains olivine. phlogopllC. serpentine. calcite. t:hloruc.
magnetite, apatite and perovskile.
All of the phenocrysts in the photographs arc olivine.
as are many of the smaller crystals: some of the smilll
cryst,lls are pyroxene. The olivine crystals have found
oul hm."S und <Ire surrounded by rims of microcrystalline
serpentine. In the gToundmass are patches of calcite and
,I high density of small crystals which appear black in lhe
pholOgJ"'Jphs : these afC oxide miner:Lls. including pcrovs-
ki te (CaTiO) which is a common constituent of kimbcr-
lites. The large olivine :1\ the 101' left contains ncoblUSI:S.
i,e. new, smaller erysllils which are believed \0 h:we
grown from highly strained parIS of the big crystal.
KimbnUfe from Kimberley, Sowh Africa: magnificaflOl/
lC 7, PPL (/11(/ XPL.
81
82
11;;:
Garnet peridotite
A plutonic rock consisting of mor!: than 40
0
" olivine
with two kinds of pyrox<:nes and a small amount of
garnct.
The granular-textured specimen has only one
gOlfnC\ fairly clcnrly shown in thc field of \'ie\.\'; il is al the
left of the lower edge. About the centre ofthl' lower edge
is a crystal of strained phlOgopitic mica. The rcs\ of the
field is occupied by olivine (grey). onhopyroxcnc (pinkish
brown). and chrome diopside(paJe i'.rc.."t:n e.g. middle of lop
edge), the olivincs and chromcdiopside showi ng mOdem!c
inl(:fferenc!; colours. onhopyroxcnc showing low grey
colours in the XPL view.
The vei ns which penet!"'.!lc most of the cryslals are of
serpentine bUI around thc garnet crys tals arc thin veins
which aTC occupied by a pale brown mica : in Ihc XPL
view Ihe inlerferem.;c colours of the micas arc moderate
$Ceond order.
Gflrl!C'l peridOlile/rom Kim/xrll')'. Sowl! A/ri('(l : IIIOgl1ijiW'
/hm x 7. " PL mul XPL.
"'
Pyroxenite
An ultnnnalic rock consistmg mlun])' of pyroxenc(s):
possible accessory mmerals Include olivine. spineL gamel.
hornblende. blollle. feldspar. and m.:phe1inc. A rock con-
sisting ofbolh orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene is known
as a Ifacger;nc-:lugJte or nepheline is present
thc term alkali p),rO;t:l'mll' is u.'>Cd.
The sample illustrated here IS. strictly speaking, a
websterite and shows round orthopyroxene crystals.
recognized by their low first-order colours and a lamellar
structure. poikiliticallY L"fIcloscd by a large zoned din!r-
crystal showing bluc and rcd interference col -
ours. A few areas of low relief seen in the vicw in PPL arc
i).1sic plagioclase. At lhc bollom left is II hole in Ihe slide.
A slight difference In colours of the orthopyroxene crystals
can be secn in the PI' L vicw and tbis is chiefly due to stray
polaril.ation in the photographic equipment.
Webslulle fmll! Ihe Sa/bra/(', camplex. M OT/lalla, USA :
IIIIIKlllji("(l/ilJll)( 7. PI'L ami XPL.
8J
Uhrabasic rocks
84
11.
Komat i ite
This has been dclined as an uitrnmaf.c \'oicanic rock with
more than 18 0 ~ MgO. While the rock lacks plagioclase, it
is rich in magnesian olivine and clinopyroxene crystals SCI
in devilrified l n ~ s . though theo]jv;neisusuullyall but com-
pletely serpentinized. The tenn 'spinifex textures' has
been used to describe parnllcl and radiale arrnngements
of elongate olivines and pyroxenes common in komatiites.
Thcse tcxtures imply rapid crystallization from an ullm-
mafic liquid.
The photomIcrographs weTC made from a large thin
section (l Scm by 6cm) in which pseudomorphs after
olivine crystals are up to lOon in lengths. In the PPl
\'icw the long colourlt:ss shapes were originally olivines
but are now completely replaced by serpcntllle. In thin
sectIon the olivine crystals appear 10 be acicular in habit
bUI in faCI IU'C cross sections of thinly tabular crySlals
stacked p:lrallelto one another. The brown m:tterial (PPL
view) was m311l1y chnopyroxene and glass. though the
clinopyroxene has been replaced by chlorite and tremolile
or laic, and the glass replaced by chlorite.
}.omutiilP from HUllm TOlI'lIsbip. Ol/Illrio: IIwgnifi("(l//01I
)(3. PPL(lIld .\l'L
".
Meymechite
This is the name gIven by the Russiaus to a rock dis-
covcroo in Siberia which is a porphyritic ul tramafic
rock consisting mainly of olivine phenocrysts in
II b'l'oundmass of clinopyroxene. mica and chlorite.
The illustrated sample comes from the type locality und
shows p:Lrts O[ IWO large phenocrysts of partially serpentin-
il.oo olivine in a grouTldmassconsisting mainly of brownish
pyroxene and some iron ore. The fOJC-brown mineral. of
Ilhieh there llrc only small rragments. is mica : SOffie
chlorite is present. The groundmass is highly serpentinized.
Mf!ymechi/I' frol/l /hl.' MI?J'mecila ,h'er, NOr/hem Sim:rill.'
IIIlIgllijirolJo/l x 10, PPL ami XPL.
as
86
117
Hornblendite
An ultramafic igneous rock consisting mainly of horn-
blende. Thcnameamphiboliteis reserved fora metamorphic
rock consisting essen I ialiyofa n amphibole and plagiochlsc_
The first and second photographs afC of a homblcllditc
in which almost the whole of the field of view is occupied
by amphibole crystals. Many of the crystals are zoned, 1I
few arc twinned and a few arc cuI in the correct orientation
\0 show the two cleavages intersecting al J 20 _ Notice lhe
lack of preferred oricnt.1tion of Ihe crystals and their
interlocking relations.
/ll)mblendi/!' jr;;m OQllegul. Ifl'''lIId. magnificatioll x fl ,
I ' P / ~ Imd KPL.
AI/otizer IlQmb/endile is ilflls/rawN in .19.
Basalts
In the mOSt generalized definition these are fine-grained mafic rocks with ess.::ntial
augite. labradorit e-sodie bytownite and opaque minerals (titanomllgnetite
ilmenite). They may be subdivided. ir so wished, into tholeiitic ba.mlts (tholtiilt's or
subolkaline basalts) and alkali olMne basalts (fig. L) on the basis or the presence or
absence of accessory olivine. quartz and 10wCa pyroxenes (pigeonite or ortho-
pyroxene). Phenocrysts or mierophenocrysts of aU the essential and accessory
minerals (except quartz) may be presenl.
Tholeiitic basalts (118. 46. 58. 62) contain both augite and lo ..... -Ca pyroxene (pigeon.
ite. hypersthene or both). Oli vine is either absent or present only in small amounts
(less than 5 % by volume) as phenocrysts onl y, never in the Sroundmass. The ground
mass commonly contains varyi ng amounts or interstit ial bro ..... n glass. or devitnlicd
glass (intersertal texture); in more slo ..... ly cooled rocks the place of the glass is taken
by granophyric intergrowths or quartz and alkali feldspar. The remainder of the
groundmass usually has an intergmnular or subophi tic texture.
Alkali o/Nine basalts (119 and II ) contain no lo ..... Ca pyroxene but plentirul olivine,
both as phenocrysts (ir present) and in the ground mass. The augite is often some-
what purplish.grey in colour due to high Ti content. Less than IO}o of the feldspar
is of alkali type. The groundmllss texture is usually intergrnnular or subophilic and
glass is very rare, though accessory interstitial nepheline or analcite may be present.
Iralkali reldspar is present. illS in the interstices and as rims on plagioclase.
The terms o/il'inl' tlroleiite and olil'inl' bas(llt (22, 23. 44, 56, 51) have been used for
rocks which ha\'e certai n chal"dcleristics or both tholeiit es and alkali olivine b"salts.
They lack 10 ..... Ca pyroxene. olivine is CSSt! nt ial. exceeds 5% and may be present as
both phenocrysts and in the ground mass. The augite is nOI Ti-rich and it is not as
Ca neh as thaI in 1I1kah olivine basalts. Interstitial glass may be present : nepheline
and analcite nrc absent.
Chemical d"13 greatly assist in making these distinctions: normath'e hypersthene
is the hallmark or a tholeiite (true tholeiite and olivine tholeii te) and absence of
nonnative hypersthene characterizes alkali olivine basalt; nonnative olivine and
hypersthene characterize olivine tholeiite. Without such data the pctrogmpher must
rely on the mineralogical ehamcteristiC$ mentioned above. which or course may
not be distinguishable if the rock is very fine grained.
Part icularly olivinerich varieties of both al kal i olivi ne basalt and ohvine Iholeiite
exist (up to 50% olivine) and these may be referred to liS alkalic ptcritl's and tlro/l'iit k
pirritl's (or tholeiitic piuitt' basalts) or generJ ll y pirritic bastlll.r (122. 26, 27, 31).
Pyroxenerich basalt is called ankaramite (98. 123).
The term trllcll}'lxlSlllt
l
is sometimes used ror rocks slightly richer in alkalis and
silica than alkali olivine basalt and hence having a more socii..: plagioclase and more
alkali feldspar (10-40% or total reldspar) than alkali olivine basalt. Strictly. thc
term should be used for those rocks which on an alkallsilica plot (fig. L) lie between
alkali olivine basalt and trachyte, namely hawoiite (andesine. anorthoclase, olivine,
,lUgite and biotitc. Sl'C 47). lI1uge(lritt (same but oligoclase ror andesine) and bell-
lIIoreile (same but anorlhocla$C for oligoclase) and hence show reat ures gnulational
bctll.een trachyte and basalt. Syenogabbru is the equivalent coarsegrained name.
A very uncommon group of basalts are both alkali rich and have K greater than
Na. in contnlst to common bas.."Ilts. These cont .. in essenti .. 1 Kreldspar in the
groundmuss in additi on to augite. plagioclase (l abrudorite) and opaques. Olivine
and biotite are common accessories. The tcrms absarokite and shosltonite arc: used
ror these, the rormer being more mafic than thc latter.
Lunar basalts. two or which li re illustrated here (120, 121). arc cl:lssified differently
but being poor in sodium and potassium arc more akin to terrcstrialtholeiit cs than
to alkali olivine basalts.
'Om.H'UU,i (m 1111' IIInmit,g lifllris I l'r", is poqr I I 'HIS orfgmufly lI.fl'djor ",'hItlIS IIUII' I I ' r m ~ J o
bujunill' ( 157) andjOlll1' (ll'Ir%giJts/rm'" usnl ilfarha.wlll' III ... lrnh Iho: II rOlIlNIt Url'f'dllhul
u/Nu.
87
Basic rocks
88
11.
Basalt
var. Tholeiitic basalt
The firs! and second photographs are ofll!holeine which
is somewhat coarser in grain Si7.e than is usual. Clino-
pyroxenes subophlt ically cndos(' laths of The
brown regions arc of much finer grain sile lind
of p];\gioclase. clinopyroxene. opaque miner;.!1
and deYitrified glass, A few skeletal oxide crystals tlre
visible.
The third photograph shows an XPL view oran olivlOe
tholeiite. The few rounded cryslals showing bright inter-
ference colours arc ffilCrophcnocrysts or olivine III II
groundmass of clinopyroxene. plagioclase and interstitial
gl ass,
First and second photographs : Tholdi(t' from Del'p Sea
Dri lling {'rojl'C( f,olll ug 34 , Nllc;" {,Iml' S.E. Pacific
mawufiCfllio/l x II, 1'1'1. ami XI'L.
nlird pil%grtlpil : Oli vill(' tholeiite from Columbia Rh'er,
USA ; IIl(lgnijlcllI ill /l X. 20, XPL.
11.
Basalt
var. Alkal i olivine basalt
The photographs show a rock conslst mg of brownish
augite crystals subophilically enclosing dear laths of
f.:1dspar. One microphenocrysl of plHgiociase feldspar is
clearly visible 31 the lOp edge of the field of vicw. Two
rnicfophcnocrYSI$ of olivine afC easily identified by their
bnght interference colours - one blue crystal adjacent 10
the fcldsp;lf microphcnocrySI al Ine lOp edge orl he photo-
graph and one pink crystal to thc right of Ihe ttntre of the
fidd. Smaller crystals of olivine can be identified by C0111-
paring me \1'10 pholographs - in thc PPL view thc olivine
crystals haw much puler colour than the clinopyroxcncs.
which in this rock arc quite strongly coloured.
A/hili o/iI'ine baSlIl1 from lffJWl/h : IIIflgnijic(J(iflll x /5, PPL
(lml Xl'/....
8.
B:I5ic rocks
90
120
Basalt
Lunar low- Ti basalt
The photographs show phenocrysts of olivine and pyrox-
ene set in a matrix of plagioclase and. pyroxene. The
pyroxcnes can be distinguished from the o!ivincs by the
fact that they have II reddish-brown colour. t.he intensity
of which increases towards the rims of the crystals: the
olivines arc nearly colourless in PPL and within them
are ine.lus;ons of glass and also opaque mineral!;. mainly
chromitc lind :m Fe-Ni alloy. There is rather a small
proportion of plagioclase in the view shown here: it
fonns elongated crystals intcrgrown in variolitic lashion
with pyroxene. The opaque mi neral in the groundmass is
mainly ilmenite.
LoII'-lilmlilllll porphyritic basult QbwilletJ by tile Apoflo 11
misxi()II/mm the Rip},a('lIs Mountains. sOlllh o/Copernicus
( NASA sllIIlple IJIllllber 12002: 399) ; maglli{iC(1/iOIl x 18.
PPL flild XPL.
121
Basalt
Lunar high-Ti basalt
The thin section of this rock shows reddish-brown pyrox-
ene. plagioclase and ilmenite. The completely unaltered
stllte of the pyroxene and plagioclase is probably the first
characteristic which stri\.:tl) the observer. Zoning ill the
pyrollcnc is distinct in some crystals. Noticc the unusual
texture in which plagioclase laths subophilic;jlly enclose
pyroxene, contrary 10 nonna! suhophitic tC:l:lure. Acces-
sory crislObalite is also prescnt. It can best be seen in the
lOp right-hand eorner of the vicw 10 PPL. where ils 10\\
refractive index means lha! it stands out in relief againSi
the calcic plagioclase - its low interference colours are
secn in the Iiew under crossed polafs.
COllfse-grailled IlIgh-lilalrilllll hll.m/l ob/ailled by the Apollo
17mi.iSio/llrom Ihe Vtllley, Ttmflls MOIIII-
lohl', (NASA sample IIIlmlX'f 100/7. 216): ItwgnijicoliOir
x 25, I'PL (md J.' PL.
"
Basic rocks
92
'22
Basalt
va r. Picri ti c basa lt
n l l ~ sample has abundant phenocrysts and glomero-
cryslS or subhedml !lnd euhcdral ollvlnc In a groundmass
or olivine, pyroxcne and small proport ions or plagioclase
and iron orc.
Pierilit" baSillt from Ube-kem/t b/olld. W. GrN!lIll1ml ,
magllil/em/on >(8. PPL (lml'yPL.
See also 16, 27 GIIlI j I
123
Basalt
var. Ankaramite
The specimen iUustrated here has zoned phenocrysts and
mlcropnenocrysts \.\ hieh are mainly of pyroxene. although
a few olivine crystals can be s{'''Cn. The oli\'ine crystals
occur mostly as microphcnocrys\s and they are slightly
paler in colour in the PPL photograph than thc pyroxenes.
We C'.tn identify 1\\-0 of these olivines In thc field of view
one shows a blue interference colour and is juSt to the
right of centre at the top edge of thc photograph, and
another is at the of the bonom edge of the pholo-
gruph lind a pule yellow interICrencc colour. The
groundmass contains minute laths of plagioclase. tOO
small to be \'isiblc at Ihis magnification. embedded in
"ryplocryslallinc material.
AIIJwrWlI/fl! /rolll /l'fJhilra. Madagascar : magni/iC'(lli')Ii
x /5, PPL "nt! XPL
93
Basi!' rocks
94
124
Spilite
A basic rock, commonly amygdalolda!. in .... hich the
original mincruls have been affected by some tylX' of
altemtion. so thaI the feldspars arc of albi te composition
and the pyroxenes have been rcphlcOO by other minerals.
Although it has been suggesled many times thaI this name
should be droppt.'d on the grounds thaI spilites are meta-
morphosed basalts it is still in usc.
The sample illustrated shows an amygdaloid:tl rock in
which the amygdales are filled with calcite ..... hne in both
the X PL and PPL views and chlontc. green in the PPL
vic\\ and showing anomalous blues and purples 10 the
XPL vicw, In the groundmass of the rock are lalhs of
feldspar of albite composition Sci in dark patches .... hich
are mainly of finely crystallized (',hlonIC, calci te and
haem .. !i\c,
from Chipley qlla,,)', DeI'O", EIIg'imri; IIl(1gllijirll-
/1011)( 41, f1/1(J XPL.
12.
Gabbr o
A coarse-grained. dark- \0 mcdium--colouroo rock con-
sisting essentially of a ugi"lc and a plagioclase of labradorite.
or morc calcic. composition. j,e. Ihc equivalent of ba!::llt
and dolerite. Other minerals which may be present arc
orthopyroxene. pigeonilc, olivine or quartz. Gabbros of
tholeiitic affinity commonly show lamdbr in the
pyroxenes.
Gabbros containing feldspathoids (including analcite)
andlackinglow-Capyroxenc have Ihe .group name alkali
gabbros or A nwnber of names are used for
these alkali gabbros: if Ihe gabbro contains abundant
analcite and linle nepheline (eschenil e (126) is used: if
nepheline amounts [0 more than I hera/iIe is used, or if
ohvine j$ present 1I is Icmloo an olil' /fle thera/ite; jf nephel
inc 10
0
ft
and between IO}o and of the feldsl)ar
is of alkali type. the name /:j.I'C'>:II(' ( 127) is used.
The rock illustrated is a granular olh'inc g."lbbro. A
group of three olivine crystals arc loc,all.:<i at the centre of
the field towards the top and another crystal is allhe right
t-dgl" of the tield. The rCSt of the field is occupied by augite
and u basic - the section is slightly too thick
since some of Ihe plagioclase crystals show a very pale
yellow inlcrfcrencccolour. The augite shows slight lOlling
in some crystals and a lamellar texture is also visible: this is
probably due 10 exsoJulion. Absence of ort hopyroxene and
presence of olivi ne make this rock the coarse grained
equivalent of olivine tholeiite.
Oliljlll.' gahbro from New ClIfedonia; magllifica/ioll x f f.
PI'Lmul XPL.
Other g(lbbros or;> i!ll/str(llcd ill 15, 16. 17. 40. 49.50.61,
68, 93.
95
rOCKS
..
126
Teschenite
This is the name used for an alkali gabbro or dolcnt
which essentially of a plagioclase feldspar 0
labradorite or more calcic composition. II clinopyroxen
.... hieh is commonly a purphsh-brown colour. and amllcite
If olivine is present. ofjl'ine leSCh(!lIill' is used. The tern
crimmile is sometimes used to denote II mcdlUm-gruine<
olivi ne-bearing rock of lhis Iype which contams
trivial. but essential analcite.
The sample "'c have i!!ustr:ttOO cont ains olivine
purplish clinopyroxene. plagioclase and analcite. Ohvincs
ranging in size from O.2-2 mm. arc scattered throughoUi
the rock and may be recognized by their gre) colour 111
PPL. The sUbophitie clinopyroxene shows Ihe colour
typical of titaniferous pyroxenes and z(mmg can be
clearly secn m the large crystal near the top of the ficld
jusl to the left of centre.
In the XPL view, lhe analY-Ler has been rotated through
a few degrees so thai the analcite can be distinguished
from the opaque ores present in the rock mstcad of
being completely black the analcite has a slightly brownish
colour (e.g. left of centre): the triangular crystal or iron
oxide near the top centre of the field is partially surrounded
by analcite. This rock also cOnlains some nepheline bUI it
cannot be easily secn III lhis photograph. NOle Ihe un-
usual radiale arrangement of plagioclases at lower
centre.
TI!$ch(,lIitl! frolll Dippul sift. ArNm. SCQt /and. magnijimlio"
x 5. PPL ami XPL.
127
Essexite
This mlmc is used for a mooium- or c03l'S('-grained rock
consisti ng essentially of labnldoritc or a more (".licle
feldspar. clinopyroxene and olivine with small and vari-
able minor amounts of alkali feldspar, and a fcldspalhoid
which is nepheline wilh or without analcite (sec 125).
The upper photograph shows an XPL viC'w of a rock
consisting of large lOlled clinopyroxene phenocrysts.
small olivine crystals. laths of plagioclase. iron ore and
analcite. An enlarged vicw of the central area of this
photograph is produced as thc middle and lower photo-
graphs. tn the PPL vicw. the brown colour of the clino-
pyroxene crystals serves [0 distinguish them from the
olivincs - there is one olivine crystal fairlY close to the right
edge of the photograph and one: just to the right of thc
renlre orthe field. panly surrounded by biotite and panly
by Iron ore. M \leh orthe largeclc;lrare;\ in thcCenlre orlhe
Pil L vicw IS analcite but within thi s area there ;Lrc alkali
feldspar and nepheline crystal s whose relief is such that
they do 110\ stand out agllinsllhcana!citt asclcariy liS docs
Ihe calcic plagioclase. The sm:lll hexagonal and needlc-
shaped crystals of high relief are ofllpatile which is widely
distribUlcd in this rock. One useful observation is that
alkali Icldspar commonly rims phlgiociasccryslals. as can
be seen in the long phlgiodase crystal lying sub-par-,dlel to
lhe right edge of the enlarged XPL m d PI)L photographs:
at the lower extremity oflhis crystal there is II rim of alkali
fcldsp;IT.
Essexile from Crmljordjohn . Scolltmd: /I/(/gllijicmion)( 7
( lipper) . X p ~ . x 16 ( middle ( /lid lower) , PI'L (lIIl/ XI'L.
97
12.
Dolerite
This is the name used for medi um-grui ned b:lsic rocks
consisting essentially of labradorite. augite lind ore
minerals. i.e. equh'31enl of basalt and gabbro. In North
America the term dillbase IS used III preference to dolerite
10 denote the arne rock. Li ke b.asall s and gabbros. there
arc tholeiitic and alkulic lIariel it'S which can be identified
from the presence or absence of low-Ca pyroxenes.
nepheline. analcite, quartz and the absence or presence
and amount of olivine. Coarse-grained names are orten
prefixed by micro- to name alkalic varieties (c.il. micro-
teschenitc).
The photographs show I'PL and X Pl views of a sub-
ophilic tholeiitic dolerite this isconlirmt:d bylhe presence
of both orthopyroxene and cli nopyroxene. A smull ilnlOunt
of olivi ne prescnt in this rock and it been p..1r11y
rcpbce<l by serpentine this C'.Ul be secn in the rPL
vie .... 1'0 here the olivl!-lIrt.'C1l patches arc of serpentine after
olivine. Most of the pyroxene 31 the lo .... ;::r left of the lield
ofvicw is orthopyroxene. It has a lamellar but this
cannot be seen at this magnification. The crystals :thowing
red and blue interference colours to the right of the field
of view are of clinopyroxene. The ophltic texture is
typical of \hls type of rock.
DQlerile from Palisades .tlll, New )'ork , USA , "WKlllfICtl
lion x 21. I'P1- (/lid X PL.
Addi/imlal doleriles art! WI/Slrll//'(l ill 51. 53, 59. 60. 6.1 , 89
and 90.
"9
Norite
ThiS;$ [he name ust.'d for" cOllnlC-grained rock consIsting
mamly of a calCIC plagioclasc lind orlhopyroxene.
The sample illustrated shows plagioclasc. orthopyrox-
ene and some clinopyroxene in a subhedrul granular
texture. In lhe PPL view it IS difficult to distinguish the
IWO pyroxenes but we can delCCl the presence of inter-
growths in the IWO largest areas of brownish pyroxene.
In the XPL vicw the areas wilh a brownish-yellow inter-
ference colour arc of orthopyroxene with clinopyroxene
lamellae showing higher interference colours. Smaller
showing blue and green interference colours arc
of eli nopyroxcnc and these hn vc lamellae of orthopyroxene.
One such are.1 sho\\ ing a blue intcrrcrcncccolour is located
aboullhe centre Just above the OOllom cdgeoflhe field.
Nome from IJlIsllrc/dt complex. SUlltll Afrku: magll!/ira-
liOIl )( 11. PPt (11111 Xl'L.
.. ' ......... "

Basic rocks

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13
Anorthosite
An anorthosite IS a coarse-grained rock consisting
of more than plagioclase. usually labradonte or
bytownite. There arc a variety or differcnl types of anor-
thosite depending on the type of o(;currence and the com-
position of the plagioclase; many although
perhaps originally igcnous, are now metamorphic rocks.
The specimen illustrated in the upper and middle
photographs is of an anorthosite from ll n ignCQus
complex. Most of the field of view is occupied by byto ..... n-
lte: towards the left edge orthe field of ... iew some pyroxene
can be recognized among the plagioclase crystals. The
mineral .... hit h appears opaque is a very dark brown
chrome spinel. There is a strong preferred orientation in
the tabular plagioclase c!)'lilals in this rock giving it a
lamLnaled texture. The thin section is slightly thick as is
indicated by the pale yellow tinge in the plagioclase
Lntcrference colours.
The lower photograph lS of a lunar anorthosite. It
shows a strained and broken (Le. cataclastlc) texture
whrch probably resulted from meteori te impact. The
feldspar composition in IhLS sample is An'J"J and is much
more calcIUm-rich than most terrestrial anorthosi tes.
Only Imy crystals of pyroxene among thc
feldspar fmgments. The large feldspar crystal occupying
the lower!cft part of the fidd of vie .... shows patchy extinc-
tion as docs the crystal just above Ihc centre of the field .
ThlS materIal is one of the oldest kno ..... TI rocks having an
age between 4.000 and 4,500 million years.
First allli second photographs: Anortilosite Imm RIll/II! .
Scol/aNtI: II1I1Kllijit:(lfioll x 9. PPL IIlId XPL.
Third photograph ' AnortJ/o.filc I rom Cayley Forlllmioll.
Desct/ru:s regiOIl 01 the LUllllr /Nell/awls : sUlIlp/e brollglll
back by Apollo 16 mission ( NASA sllmple lIumlH.'r 60025,
ljj ). magnificatlOlI x 12. XPL.
AIIQ/III'r allorlhosif(' If iffustr(Jlf!tlm 104.
131
Andesite
ThiS IS the name gLvcn (0 :l \'okamc rock with esscnl1al
IIndcsme in the groundmass and or more ferro-
magnesian minerals. commonly pyroxenc(s) or hom-
blcndc:tbiotltc. The rock type is commonly porphYritIC
and the feldspar phenocrysts may be complexly zoned and
\\ lth the composllLon of thc cores of the
liS calcic Ill> b)'lownuc. The eqUIValent coarse-grained rock
(/IOrtl,..
The first pholOgrJph shows II PPL VICW ofa porph}ritic
rock in .... hich thc phenocrysts arc of plagioclase. a brown
3mphilx>Ic and a fey. scattered microphenocrysts of pyr-
oxene in a microcrystalline groundmass consisting mainl)
of plagioclase. Some of the plagioclase are
qUIte diftcrcnl from OIher'S; at the right edge ofthc field. II
large phenocryst contains numerous mclusions and
has u dark rim of inclusions,
" he SC'{'ond :tnd third photographs sho\\ an llndl"'lIe
cQll1ammg clc-.tr !)hcnocryslS of plagioclase and bro\\ nlsh
phcnocrysh of fI) roxene. The view has been selecte<l 10
mclude orthopyroxene and augite In the group of t'r)stals
10 the right of the centre of the licld, The IO\\I,!f crystal.
li!;.httr 10 colour In the PPl vic\\!, IS orthopyroxene, Ihe
darker crystal IS :lUglIC: The r1agj().
d;Isc and p) roxcne hut thl-'> Il> tuo tinc gralnL'<i 10 determine
the rHtture oflhe pyroxene
""SI pholOgrupli. Amitmr(' JTQm 80111';(1. mtlgllijic(llioli
x 17. PPL
SI'f1md amI tlard plwlOgfllph.r. TlI'o-prrfJ.wlw emdt'Slll' tmlll
Ilak,vII(' rule/JIIO, JafXm, mUL!,III/lCII/IC/fI x Ii. PPL ulld XPL.
Addlli()1I1I1 (1IIt/"Sllt' p!tOIOf(fllp!tS arc' ,hOLm 1/1 19 {l1I(1 97.
lnl ermetliatl' rocks
101
Int ermediat e rocks
102
132
Boninite
This is the n:lme given to a voknnic rO\.'k Ihecomposition
of \\hich IS Ihut of a high m::tgncsl:! [mdeslle. It is pre-
domina n Ily glassy but wn tai ns microphenocrysts of ortho-
pyro>;cnc lind sometimes olivine and cl inopyro.\cnc also.
The specimen illustrated shows orthopyroxene cfyst:tls
with first-order grcy illterferenee colours. clinopyroxene:.
showing first- and second-order colours Ilnd somewhat
lurger skeletal crystals of olivine. A Itermion of the olivines
to serpentine IS seen in brownish patches in the thin sec-
tion. No plagioclase is visible in any of these photographs.
The thi rd photograph is an cnlllrgcmcm of the central
arc'::! of the other photographs. This shows a Jarge onho-
pyro:tene crystal with two clinopyroxene crystals parallel
to the length of the orthopyroxene. AI the len extremity
of this is :mothcr one (at extinction)
1ll,Inlled on three sides clinopyroxene.
IJ()IJlllift' from Chichi lima. Bo/lill Islwlt/s. Japm .- nwgl1!/i-
canOlI x 11 (jlrsf and .w.'("ond pholOs ) . rPL (/lid XPL, x 71
(third phIJto) . X/'L.
133
Diorite
A coarse-grained. mooium-colourcd rock con)!slmg of
andesme pbgioclase and one or more of the mafic minerals
elmo- and ortho-pyroxene. hornblende and bioI lie. A
little quam and rnllY be present . Olivine is a
minor constituent of some diorites. This IS the
grained equivalent of andesite. If quurtz is abundant (up to
the name quort; dioriu! is used.
The photographs sho\\ a field OrllleW In which there are
IhrC(' mafic miner-dis: biotite. pale to dark brown
in lhe view under PPL: orthopyroxene; and clino-
pyroxene. Some of the clinopyroxene t-rysla1s cun be
e<mly recognized in the XPL vic .... bcclIuse they sho\\
second-order interference colours of blue and purple Tb"
onhoPYTOxcncs show only first order (;O)OUh. The
plagioclase feldspar shows a very sllghl cloudmg which
can be deteCioo in the rPL vic ..... A rock from the same
intrusion showing pronounced cloudmg ofthc feldspar is
shown m Pan I in 67. A small amount orquaru is present
in thiS rock and is recognized by absence of alter.nion.
I)iorlt(> jrom Crllllrie. PerlhslJire, SOOI/tIllJ: /IIagllljicUliOiI
)( I:!. PPI- ami XPL.
A/roIl,er '''orlll.' iJ- shon II ill 92.
"
"

,




'03
InlermcdillU' rocks
104
13'
Tonalite
A coarse-gramed rock consisting of u pt.lgloclasc (appro>:.
An Jo), hornblende. or blOlllC or both. and ncccsoor)'
quartz. Thc name is synonymous wllh quem: diorite
(In Nonh Amenea tonalite implies a quartz content of
more than 2Qo o' bUI in Bntain smaller quortzcontents are
included.)
The mincr.tlog) of the rock is Mrnplc: lOned
plagiodase and strained quart.: arc readily Identified,
and the only ferronmgncsian mmcraJ present biotitc.
The cores or the plagioclase crystals conlnin a dense mass
or\ery fine mica and day minerals. generally nscribed to
aherntion. and the biolHC crystals h:l\C mciuSlons. man}
of \\ hich produce pleochroiC haloes.
TOII{JlIle from Pit} dt' Dr)me. /-"//11("1.'; II1Uglllftcatl(JII
x 11, PPLand XPL
13'
Kentallenite
A (.'Qar>e-graincd rock consisting of essential olivine.
llugite. biotite, plagioclase (more calcic than and
orthoclase. Tills i ... a coarse-grained I,:qulValent of utlchy-
naSl"tlt (i.e. a iI lIlay be rcgard<.'(1 :I$:m oih' me
bearing monzonite.
In Ihc porphyritic ... pecmlcn here. the ferro-
magnesian minerals olivine. augite and biotite. arc fUlrly
easily identified in the view m PPL. Most of the biotite
crystals show II fox-brown absorptIOn colour. The crystals
ct,)\'cred by networks of block cracks :,r.::: 01;"'mc5. tlnd the
augite crystals can Ix Identified by their relief agai nst the
colourless feldspar: there arc only three augite crystals
visible and \\\0 of these show yellow Interference colours
lind the third.:'11 the lOp right Mthe field o(vil:w. shows a
blue mterrerence colour. Some pale 1!rcen chlor; le elm be
seen near the left edge orlhc phol ogmphs.
The mineml showmg grey. black ,l/1d white mterrerence
CQlours is largely labradorite. It is dIfficult to $how Ihat
is present In this field of ... ;cl'. bUI t .... o unt'" mned
crYSlltls II ith unIform grey mlerrerellcc colours. just below
the oliv;ne crystal shol'. iog a purple Interference colour at
the right I.:dge of the field. arc orthoclase.
Kplllallel1l//' from Kl'llwlfl'll . Scm/lind: mugllijim/ iOIl )( ' 1.
I'PL ond XI'L.
105
Int ermedhue rocks
'.0
'3.
Monzonite
This is the name used for a coarse-gramed rock m v.hlch
thc amount of alkali feldspa r is about the same as Ihnt of
plagiodusc feldspar. The amount of quartz should
be 0 5 "y. and mMie minerals 10- 25" 0' The rock is
intermediat e III character between s,I'f'/Iil;' and (/il}l'lli.'.
Its fine-gruincd C<luivalenl is called or IWl"Ii)'lllllieslle.
The rock illustrated conSISts mainly of clinopyroxene.
alkali feldspar and plagioclase feldspar. In thc I' PL vie"
Lhe clinopyroxene can be readi ly identified. tiS can small
amounts of bloille and opaque OXides. In this rock the
distinction between plllgioclase and alkali feldspar IS
easily made because the alkali feldspar no multiple
twmning. almost alllhe plagioclase crystals In [he
field ofvlCw arc multiple twinned. vcry fine IIll ergrov.l hs
lITe pre!>ent III the alkali feldspa r but they ea nnot easily be
SI.'tn ,II Ihe magnificat ion of Ihese photographs. A vcry
small !lmounl of quartz is present in this rock.
M O/l=onile from MOl/III Dmmf'llm)' CQmpltx. Nell'SOIIIh
Willes. AIISlrtlfi(l , lII(Jgnijicmioll x J J. PPL (lmf XPL.
'"
Dacite
IS (I volcanic rock which usulI11y conillins phcno
of plagioclase, less calcic than andes,ine. quartz and
subordinate ferromagnesian minerul(s) in a fine-gramed
groundmass ; 11 small proportion of alkoli feldspar may
be present. The coarse-grained cquivu1cnl 15 gml1odwr ire.
The specimen illustrated shows strongly-zoned pheno-
crysts of plagioclase, and quartz lind microphenocrysis of
a brownish-green amphibole In a fine-gramed groundmass
composed of the same minerals and biotite. The phtoo-
CI)"SIS of quarlz can be disll nguished from those of plagio-
clase bll a number of criteria . the lntcrferem:e colour
\hov,'fl by Ihe quanz crystals is JUSI slightly higher than
thai of the feldspar : Ihe quart/. crystals show no zoning
or [\\inning: and they have round outhnes. wbcre.1S the
plagioclase crystals show lhe outl ines of crystal faces only
rounded lIt the corners. Some of the plagioclase
phenocrysts have Steve texture (top left). The fddspars
complete j.!r.tdation in sile of crystals from pheno-
through to groundmass crystals
(scnate texture). Some of the vartiHion 11\ size of the
due to the faCI thai Ihe Sf."Ctlon does nOI cut
through Ihe centres of all crystals.
from IInknol<lllocullf.lll1 Argentum. magnifica/Ion
xH. PPL and XPL.
, IIIQlit"r dudlt> is illl/sITu/I'I1 ill J .
'07
'.8
138
G ranod iorite
A gruno<horite is a medium- to tighto<:olourcd coarse-
gruined rock containing essential quarll. plagioduSt!
feldspar (oligoclase), and alkali feldspar. In amounts
10"0 and 35\ of the IOtal f<'ldsP.1r. and lesser
amounts of mafic rnmera!:.. oornmonly hornblende or
biotite. or bOlh. Whereas granodiOrites hale 10 ]0.
0
qu.tn1.. dionte has only accessory quartz. If :my.
The specimen illustmtcd ,s a granular blotitehorn
blende granodiori te. The hornblende IS pleochroic in
shades of brown and green in PPL vic .... (e.g. Ihc [hr
green neM Ihc centre of the field) . Two or lhCl.c
hornblende crystals sho .... twinning m thc XPL ViCII.
J USI below them fI rc two biotite crystals showing light a nd
dark brown absorption colours. Quartz can be distin-
guished from the feldspa r in thai it is rdatively dear in the
PilL view nnd some cryst:lls show II slightly highcr inter-
ference colour than the fe ldspars. It is more dil1kult to
d istinguish thc alkali feldspar from the piligiodase. but In
this rock the fonner shows only simple twins: the crystals
at the lOp right corner of the field of view are of alkali
feldslXtr. whereas thc large f.:rystal ncar the centre of the
ficld is plagioclase. The distinction is most e.1sily made by
the difference in relief which cannot easily be shown in
photographs, but the plagioclase in this rocl has:1 higher
relief than quarlz whereas the alkali fdd:.pa r has a lo\\er
relief.
(mil! S(,()llolUl. lIIogmfi((l-
1/01/ l( J J. PPL ulld XPL
'3'
Trachyte
A trachyte is a finc-gramoo volcanic rock consisting
mainl} of alkali feldspar or sometimes of \\\0 feldspars.
tI sodic plagioclase lind tl potassic feldspar. A small
,[mount of ferrornagncsian minerals is usually preso:nt.
Quart1. or nepheline may be pre:.cnt as lIccessorics but tlTC
confined to the groundmass. The cO<lrse-gruined equi-
valent is :f),('I11/(.'.
The sampk illustrated is n porphyritic rock in which the
rredominuntly cuhedral phenocrysts IIfC of both sod!!.:
plagIoclase and sanidine. In the centre of the fidd there
is a of plugioclasc cr}"ilals which in the PPL view
can Ix seen to hal'c slightly higher relief than the large
snnidincs whIch CK.'CuPY Ihc 00110111 len corner of the
field In the XPL view the multIple twinning III the plagIO-
clase crysilils is ob, ioU5. The tWO large crystals at the
right of the phOiograph are of sanidinc. one showin1! a
si mple !II III. AI the bonom left there iS:I hole In the slide-
in \Ihich the large s;tnidine shows broken fragments. A
rew microphenocrysb of pyroxene are Iistble. one lying
JUst above the centre of the field. Unfortunately it does not
shOll Up "cry \le1l in the PPL view bcc'.lUse the subst age
dmphragm was :.topJ>l-d <lo\ln to show the relief in the
plagioclase feldspar. and in the XPL view this pyroxene
is;n the e.'(tinction position.
Tmclnl/t' from IJdrl<l, lIaty: /Uuj;llificlI/iQII x /4. Pf'L lIl/I/
,\PL.
Adl/ilio/!a/ trachyte plrolOgrapJI5 or(' III 64. 65 (/lid
107.
infemlcti ial e rocl
'09
Inlcrrnediatl' rocks
"'
140
Syenite
A syenite is a Iight-coloureO, coarse-grained rock consist-
Ing maml>' of alkali feldspar wIth less than 5
0
0
quar!l, or
less Ihan of feldsp.llhoid. Clinopyroxene, hornblende.
biotite and even olivine may 00 pmsent m small amounts.
Plagioclase may be prescnt as an accessory. This rock is the
plutonic equivalent of /radIY/I' _
The upper photograph is of.\ slab of larnki/e.
a syeni te commonly used as a decorative building materi.).1
because of thc mOOnstone schiller shown the alkali
feldspars. A thin section cut from this rock is illustmted in
XPL view in thc middle photograph. Mosl of Ihe field of
VICW is occupied by cryptopcrthitic alkali feldspar. A
small (lmount of nephcline is presenl in this sample but
cannot be casily illustrated In one photograph. The
crystal showmg a green interference colour at thc right
edges of thc field is lin iron- rich olivllle: cli nopyroxene
and biotite arc also prescnt.
The lowcr photograph is of a granular-textured syemte.
A field of view has chosen so as to show the fcrro-
magnesian minerals at the edges only. The mineral on the
top edge showtng a brown interference colour is of pyrox-
enc: a purplish :Ibsorplion colour being added to the
interference colour is the cause of the slightly anomalous
colol1r. The crystals showing red and green colours at the
right-hand edge are oli'lines with alkaline amphibole
rims to the crystals.
First ami sec(JmJ pho10graphs: Synllle fmm 1.Llnik ill
Norway .. maglli/ictllion )( J (first photo), x J I ( seCunt!
photo ) . XPL.
Third phu/ograph . SYl!lIiu.' fr(l/ll lfima/I$saq, SOlllh-wesl
Gre/'lIlund; lI1agllijic(lIiOI1 x 16, X PL
141
Shonkinite
This name is used for a melanocraticor mesocrallc potassic
Hem/e.
Tbe photographs sho" crystals of blolllc and elmo-
pyroxene, with one olivine crystal t o w a r d ~ the bouom
leO comer of the field its interference colour In the XPL
view is dark green. Olivine is only an accessory cOIlSllIucnt
of a ShQllkilll/f'. The remainder of the field of \ic .... is
occupied by un alkali feldspar with a s),TIlplcctitc-hkc
intcrgro .... th, best seen In the PPL view; somcsodic pl:.lglo-
cJasc is also prescnt . The p..1rls of the symplcclitc .... hleh
appear hrown ure fine grained alteration products of
another mmeral. A sTIl:t1l amount of nephehne is also
visible in Ihis \ lew bUI is not c:tsily dlStlngUlshed In the
pholograph. With Uicrcasmg amount of nepheline Ihis
rock would grade mlO a maliglll/f' (sec 152).
Sil(mkinll(' from Shonk;n Sflg, Hig/rll' oOl/ Marul/lIlI/s, MOII-
tand. USA. /ullgll!fiClItlQII x 22, I'I'L (/1/(1 X PL.
111
112
142
Rhyolite
A rhyolite IS an acid \'ok'lOic rock generally containing
phenocrysts of quurlz il!ld alkali-rich fcldspnT in a fine-
J!.l1Iincd or gl assy groundmass. Unfortunately, because the
quartz phcnocryslS may be absent, it is sometimes im-
possible to slate without a chemical analysis whether a
given rock Isa rhyolite. The fcldsparmaybcsanidinc-. sodic
plagl()Ci:lsc or bolh. Grul1Ill' IS the coarsc-gnllncd C'qulva-
tent . Man)' rhyoliles lire wholly glassy and some have a
high proportion of the tcmlsohli(/rUII :lOdp/U'hsIOIIl'
then apply respectively; these terms do nolo however.
iml"l)' rhyolile composition. It m:ly be n01l'<l that some
petrologists define obsidi:ln and pitchstone nO! on the
basis ofcryswllini lY but on water content : in the former
it is usually less than 1"0 and in the Jailer lip to 10"0'
We have chosen a rock containmg twO types offddspar
phenocrysts in II microcrystalline to glassy groundmass
sho\"' ing perlilic fracturing. Most of the phenocrysts are of
alkali feldspar. some of which show simple Iwinnmg and
comain glass inclusions: one phenocryst in the field is u
pillgioclase. Th ... small crystals showmg higher interference
colours are clinopyroxene. Some opaque Iron ore crystals
arc also present.
Rhyolite from S('mlulltl : m{/gmjicllllI)ll x 7, PPL lind
XPL.
A11dWon1l1 (1/ rhyIJIiII!.f 1/IIt! 0/ plldmol!l's lIrt'
$11011'" ;113, 5. 12, 14. 21. 66, 87, 88. 91 (/1/(1 141.
143
Pantellerite
This IS the name given 10 a pcralkaline
'
rh:yohle. [\ is
usually distinguished from a nonna! rhyolite by the
cnce of phenocrysts of anorthoclase and Ihc sodi um-
titanium mineral aenigmatlte. Sometimes an alkali pyr-
oxene IS present but II IS not ;1[\\.a)'5 green in colour (5(.'C
betow), Another name used for pcralkahnc rhyolites is
romt'll(lirC' but this type is difficult 10 distinguish from a
pantdlerilc by optical observations only. A comcndite
tends to have less mafic minerals and is more likely to
contain quartz phenocrysts.
We ha\c choscn two 5.1mplcs from the type locality \0
illustrate this rock. The l'irst and second photographs sho\\
phenocrysts of IInorthoclasc. easily idcnlilk"<l by the vcry
tine cross-ha tched twinning. together with microphcno-
crysts of pyroxene and a fayalitic olivine SCI in a fine-
gf'dinl-d groundmass whIch IS mainly qUlIrtz and feldspar.
Only one olivine is visible in thi!; fic!d afvie\\'. it is
to the [eft of ccntre oflhe field. sho\\ ing a blUe-green Inler
fcrcnl'ccolour. "hlch arc almost oraque arc of
aenigmaute. In the third photograph \\'C shown II
higher magnilicallon XPL view of another sample of
pamellcnte in "hi<:h t .... o crystals of aemgmlltilc showUlg
dark brown colour are beside;\ .:rystnl of pyroxene. I n
Ih('....: rocks the pyroxene IS commonly It Mxhc he<knbcrg-
Itt:. M) absorption colour may be pale brown inste-Jd of
grccn.
Two (h{fl!felll .tpl'/'mwllS 0/ pall/ellerill! lrolll P{II1I1'I/I'rill.
1I1IIy , rtwgnijictllwnx 11 (first (1I1l1 photos ), 1'1'1..
(/lid X PI.. )C 17 (tlllrd piloto), XPL.
.\'a+ K
'If rod m "hII'll mulllr AI > I (1.1'. '" u'hu'll/ltf'rf' /J dl'ft-
rime" of I" ","ma "ill! f(> al/..ali.t). Till,! f,'SI,/IJ 1/1 rfl'swll-
i:aliOfl nj.umlf' P.IrO'U'1I' Of alkali amphlbol,. and, ill $(ilI1f'
C'(IJes,ormgm,'(lft.
IT
I .
.. .
,
, .
r
.'
"
,
113
11 .
144
Granite
Granite is the name used for lcucocratic coarse-grained
rocks containing mainly quartz and feldspar. alkali feld-
spar constituting bctwcl:n 90" Q and 35 U D of the IOllIl
feldspar. Accessory hornblende or biotite are the .:-orn-
monesl malic minerals. Muscovi te may be prcscnL Rhro-
lile is the fine-grained equivalent. A microgranitc with
micrographiC quartz-alkali feldspar intergrowlh is known
as a graMphyre (77). A IcucQCrnlic micrograni!c occuTTIng
as dykes or veins is known as apli/e. Granites in which
more than 90"" of the feldspar is an alkali feldspar arc
known as atkafi gr(miles (sec 145). When alkal i feldspar is
between 35 % and 65\, of the \olal feldspar the !ltlmes
aliul1l1'llile and qllllfl: mon:onilc have been used for rocks
wi lh qtlarlz contcnt between 5\ lind 20"".
The first and second photographs urc of the Westerly
gr'.mite. a rock which hus ix'en used as 11 sumdard granite
for a variety of studies. From Ihc photographs it can be
seen to consist mainly of a granular mixture of quartz and
feldspar. with biotite and a fell crystals of muscovite. Sodi!'
plagioclasc lind POlllSS1C rc!dSIXH arc prescnt: more than
half of the feldspar in Ihis rock is potassic feldspar. Much
of it does not show microcline-type twinning which ap-
pears only in patches in somc of the crystals. e.g. JUSt above
the cell! re of the field and slightly to the right is u crystal
showing vague cross-hatched twinning. At the left edge
of the photograph one potassium Icldspar crystal shows 11
s nnplc twi n.
The third photograph is an XI>L vicw of !.he
from Shap. In this view the right lower part of the held is
occupied by a group of fairly 1;lrge phenocrysts of alkali
feldspar showing a microperthitic texture. Mosl of the
plagioclase crystals show some alteration and CliO be
recognized in the photograph by the presence of multiple
twinning and zoning. The quartz crystals Ciln be recog-
nized as free from alteration and the two areas which
appear black in this photograph. to tile left of the centre
and at the left bollom corner. are quartz crystal s at ex-
tinction. The only other mineral present in a significant
amoulII in this field of I'iew is bioli te. (Sec also the h:md
specimen photograph in 10.)
First und second pholograplls: Grimift' from Weslerl!".
Rhode /.II/ll1d. USA: I/Ulgmficallon x 14. PPL {lilt! XPL.
Third phOIOKNlP/t: Granile from Shop, Engiond: IlUlgllijinl-
/;QI/x l, XPL.
144
Granite
(continued)
The granular textured specimen illustrated here shows
mainly quartz and two feldspa rs. The quartz is recognized
in Ih" PPL view by the lack of alteration. (l nd in the XPL
view. by its interference colours which are slightly higher
than thaI of the feldspar. and by the non-uni fonn extinc-
tion shown by one cryst al ill the top right of the vicw.
Microclinc is clearly identified by the Iypical cross-
hatched twi nning and there arc slight signs of micro-
perthitic texture also. In this field of view there lire only a
few plagioclase crystals visible; one. near the lOp kfl
corner of the field is a simple twinned crystal showing
very dark grey interference colours: vagw' signs of albi te
twin lamellae can just be seen in this crystal. Anot her
crystal justlQ the right of the centre of the field and show-
ing. a low grey colour is also plagioclase. To the left of the
biotite crystal at middle left is a smull patch of myrmekite.
From the relative proponions of the two feldspars visible
in this field of view this sample could be close to the
boundary between alkali gn.lOilc lind granite.
GrllI/;11! from Sow/! DukoUl. USA; magnific(I/lvl/ x /},
PPLolldXI'L.
Additional \'iews of are sholl'lI ill 2. /0. 42. 76, 94.
105 arul/09.
115
"
,
...

".
'4S
Alkali granite
A leucocratic coarse-grained plutOnic rock cQnsisting
essentially of qu:Htz lind alkali feldspar. any plagioclase
constituting less than 10'-';, of the total feldspar content.
The fcrrolUugnlosian minerals present are alkali amphibole.
or alkali pyroxene.
The PPL view of this rock shows lin area of colourless
minerals and;} few fairly crystu ls these
arl' of an alkaline ,tmphibo!c. ricbeckilC. which shows
strong pleochroism from a brown to mdlgo-blue. The
interference colours shown in the XPL vicw urc masked
by the absorption colours. The large areas of fairly uni-
form interference colour :lrC quartz phenocrysts. and the
rcst of the fi eld is made up mainly of albite laths ophitic311y
and subophilically enclosed in subhedral patches of
microclinc: cross-hatched twinning. characteristic of
microdinc, is visible. The crystals of :Llbite tend to be
smaller than those of microcli ne and show only albite
twinning.
Alk(lli gr(lnilej rom Jos. Nigeria; m(lgnijiclilioll )( 16. 1'J>1.
(lnt! XPL.
,.6
Phonolite
This is the n:lmc gl\'l!n to a fine-grained rock ,,:ons.isling
chlcny of sallldinc or anonhoclase 3S groundnlass lmhs
and frequently \lIsa as phenocrysts. nepheline as ground-
mass crystals and often 3S phcnocl)sts as well. ..... ith some
alkali pyroxene or alkali amphibole. II is fairly common 10
h,l\'c a mineral of the sodahtc group prescnt also. The
coarse eqUivalent is nepheline syenite.
The first and second photographs show phenocrysts of
nepheline and alkali rcldsp.1T In a finegrained groundmaf-S.
The greenish brown microphcnocrysis arc mainly of
alkali 3mphibo1e. although in lhe group of crystals near
[he bottom left corner of thc field there arc one or two
small crystilis of biOlite. II is difficult 10 know which of the
phenocrysts are sanidine and whIch are nepheline bill
those showing simple twinning are invariably sanidi ne.
Thus Ihe cryslllilo Ihe len of centre of the field. showing
1 .... 0 triangular arcus with different interference colours,
is 31most certuinly twin of sanidine. In thi s
partIcular rock the nepheline shows a distinct cleavage
and this can be seen in the PPL \iew in two crystals near
to the 0011001 right-hand corner. This IS unusual bt."'CaLlS<!.
ahhough feldsp.1r may show one or two cleavages.
nepheli ne rarely does so. The groundmass of this rock is
nlllde up of sanidine. nepheline and needles of a green
pyroxene.
The third photograph is thaI of a phonolite with a
small amount of nosean prescnt. ThL" photograph
included here mainly for hi storical interest in thliithe Ihin
seclion used for Ihis pholoS"lph was preparL""Ci for J. R.
Gregory in 1895 and has been in the Manchester Unher
slIy collection Since that lime. The \'iew shows. nepheline
and feldspar phenocrysts and one phenocryst and a few
Inlcrophenocrysts of nosean. \.\ hich appear almost black
in PPL due to the high density of inclusions. The lath
shnp.:d arc hkely 10 be s.midinc. whereas the
nepheline crystals arc rectangular. In this rock the nephel .
inc crystals show zoning by the margins of the cryslab
haVing a higher refractive index than the interior. nnd they
C,IO be disl1nguished from the feldspars by this reature.
The groundmass of this rock consists of nepheline.. sani
dine, .1 green pyroxene and nosean.
First and s('coII(1 photographs: PhonQlite from MarUl/glld:i.
Zimbal;w(' : I/lagnf/iclllioll x 14. PI'I, fl/ld X PL.
'111;,,/ photograph NoseD" phonolitt' ) rol1l Wolf. Rm:k.
Gml\wll. I::"ghmd, IIJ(lg1l1jicalJQ11 x 14. PPL.
117
147
Leucite phonolite
This is the name given tO:l volcanic rock which l'Onsiqsof
csscntl<tl leucilc. nepheline and K.fcldspar: 1111 "I"ali
pyroxene flo prcl>Cnl. The term lerldwphrr(l was
fonnerly used for varieties which contamed no ncpbchnc
but this dlstmction is perhaps not necessary.
The photographs arc of a rock \\hrch contams !cUCltc
microphcnocrysts. each of which IS surrounded by 11 ring
of small pyroxene crystals. These lie in a groundmas.s
mainly composed of nepheline. leuclle. pyroxene and a
small amount of alkali fetdspar. The nepheline IS easily
Tl"COgnized b)' the rectangular and shape orlhe
crystals and one hexagonal cross-section of zonooncphcl.
mc is almost exactly In the centre of Ihe field of Ilell .
Wldl.' pll/J/lo/ueJrom O'I>nirl;, ijel. G,nm",.\'. nll/gll/fico-
Iit'il/ x 17. PPL llIuJ XPL.
148
Nosean leucite"
phonolite
Most usage of Ihc term phonolite regards nephelm.: and
alkali feldspar as essential constituents so thaI a noscan
Icutite phonolite contains nosean. leudlC. nepheline and
feldspar, usually with an alkali pyro)(cne as accessory.
The first \\.\ 0 phologruphs sho .... a rod: containing
phenocrysts of ]cueile. (clear In the PPL VIC\\). brownish
n ~ a n crystals wilh darker brolOo'Tl borders. due to thou-
sands of small inclusions. and phenocrysts and micro-
phenocryst5 of a green pyroxene. The multiple twinning
in the Icudlc makes II fairly easy 10 identify. Around the
noscan crystals In the cent re of the field the mineral which
appears almost white in the XPL view is calcite and it can
also be seen fllirly well disLIibutcd in the groundmass ncar
other nosean crySllIls. The rest of the groundm:lss is
composed of sanidi ne. nepheline. nose"n. lcucite and
green pyroxene.
The third photOgraph shows;J very similar rock to the
one shown above but the nosean crystals h:.we orange
borden.. The phenocryst,; arc of lcucitc and noscan with
micro phenocrysts of pale brown pyroxene having greenish
flUb. and nllerophcnocr):)ts 01 lcuclte and noscan 111 a
groundnlUss of samdllle. ncphcll1lc. n05ellll, kuclte and
pyroxene. One elong.lled samdinc mlcrophcnocry:.1 ar-
pears at Ihl.' bottom right of thl! fidd. A small amount of
sphene and calcite can also be dcICCu..'<I1Il the groundmass
bUI ("":1nnOI be discerned III the photograph.
Firs/ and second pllO/ograpll.l . N o s ~ a l l It'Ucl/e phollolll"
j(/Jm Rellll'II , Eifel. GUIIIlIIIY. fIIl/glI/fim/lolI )( I I . PPL (IIul
XPL.
Third photograph Nosl"tm lell(ite phOilOlltt Imm UJacher
See, Gtrman) : magnificatloll x y, PPL
119
120
14'
Pseudoleucite
phonolite
This tl'nn b used to describe a rock which contains pheno-
crysts having. the )hapc of leu cite crystab but comlXlsed of
a pscudomorph aggregate of nepheline and K.feldspar.
The groundma.\S conSIsts of nepheline. alkali feldspar and
alkali pyroxene.
The specimen illustrated sho ..... s \\.\0 sizes of phenocrysts
bolh haYing the outline of leucilc or analcite crystals. j,e.
eight- and sections. The 111'0 larger phenocrysts
are predominantly brown m colour and this is mai nly
altered sanidine: Ihe clear areas within them are of
nepheline and analcite. The clear area in the large pseudo-
Icueilc allhe right edge of the field i ... analcite. The smaller
phenocrysts differ in that they show very liule brown alter-
ation and have a higher concentration of needles of pyrox-
ene. It appears thatthcsc may represenllwo gcner.l.Iions of
original icucilrs. The groundmass IS an aggregate of
millute crystals or nepheline. :tnd
Pseu(loleucile pho/lo/ilt? /rlJm Beurpuw Hmmtu;lls. MOl/
/(J1Il1. USA; /t1agllijlCflluJil x II, PI'/' mul X PL
150
Blairmorite
A very rare \'olcanic rock, known only from tlm."C or [\lur
Ioc-.ditic.s, it is chamctcrizcd by the presence of phcllo-
C I ) : ~ l S of analci te and slinidi nc in a groundm:. ss of 3nalcilc,
alkali feldspar and pyroxene. Melan itc garnet is frequently
present. Despite ils rdrity. 11 is inciudt'(l here because it is
Inc only extrusive rock .... hieh has both analcite and game\
as phenocrysts. Its chemical composition is thai of II
sodium-rich phonolite but the nepheline which is prescnt
In a phonolite is here represented by Analcite. and il 111I li
been suggestcO thai the analcite is U primary minerai and
not a replacement orteuel!c.
The photogrnphs show three phenOCl)'sl!; of sanidinc
(@rey interference colours). Two of Ihe phenocrysts arc
p:millily surrounded by analcite .... hich has a slight ly
)dlowish colour in the PPL \'icw: the d,trk brown mlcro-
phenCK'rysts are or mclanitc garnet: and the green crystal s
are of aegirine augite, The groundmass consists of laths or
:i:lnidinc. equant analcite and pyroxcne.
BllIirll/orlll' from all/irll/ort' , Crnll"s N('XI POss, A/berra,
Ctmadtl: /lllIgllifit'miQI/ x 11. ,'PL alld XPL.
Alkaline and miscell aneous rocks
'"
151
Nepheline syenite
This is the name used for a ooarsc'graillcd, felsic rock
consisling essentially of alkali feldspar and nepheline with
a small proponion of mafic miner.ils. ,llk"li
amphibole or pyroxene or both. [\ is the plutonic cqui-
... alcnI of phonofi!!'. The medium-grained equivalent
Ix.-S\ called l1l'plwlill(, micros),ellile. though the special
mime lillguailf' also exists for this.
The nmncj!J),l.lile has been used for nepheline syeni tes
which have a lrachyioid texture and the first two rocks
illustrated fall in Ihis category. The Icrm tiilroiu.' is some-
limes used for nepheline syenitcs in which Ihe texture is
subhedml granular, and the third rock illustrated could be
so described.
We have chosen 10 illuSlnllc Ihis rock type by three
XPL photographs, since lhe PPL views lire dominated by
colourless low relief minerals and henee arc less informa
tive. 111e fi rst photograph shows interpenetrating tabular
crystals of feldspar in which the interference colours arc
patcby. This is part ly due to the fact that the crysUl.ls are
microperthitic. and partly duc to the presence of mult iple
twinning in both thl: sodium- and potassium-rich phases
of the microperthite. A region of uniform grey interfer-
encc colour can be secn just below the cent re of the field.
This is nepheline. as is a small triangular lIrea towards the
top right-hand part of tbe fi eld. The small black triangular
area jusl above the centre of the fie ld and to the left is
analcite. AI the top left of the field arc 1I few crystals of
pyroxene showing a green interference colour. and an
alkalinc amphib<l!c Showing a very dark brown colour
can be Sl.-en (It the lower right of the centre of the field.
The second photograph shows tabular phenocrysts of
mieropcrthitic-fcldspar and mierophenocrysts of nephel -
ine showing homogeneous gJl:y interference colours - a
large area just above and to the left of the centre of thc
field of view is nepheline. Between the phenocrysts is a
trachytic-textured groundmass consisting of nepheline.
feldspar. pyroxene and a few biotite crystals showing
bright sccondorder interference colours. The magnifica-
tion used here is such that we c;tllnOI easily distinguish lhe
ferro-magncsian minerals from the onc photograph. All
thc regions in which the interfercnce colour is a uniform
light or dark grey arc of nepheline-.
The third photograph is of a slightly coarser-grained
rock than the olher two. bUI here again the alkali fe ldspar
and nepheline can be fairly easily distinguished by the
homogent.-ous interference colour sho .... 'T1 by the nepheline.
in contrast to lhe mieroperthitic lexture of the feldspars.
A few crystals of nepheline arc visible to the right of the
(-entre of the field. The small coloured crystal to the right
of lhe centre is biotite and in lhe oouom right comer a few
cryst als of sphene are visible.
Firsl pholOgraplr : Nepheline sYl'nile/wm SOIllIr
A/rim; mo.gllijirallol! x f2. XPL
St!colld photograph: Ncpirelillt! mkrosyellilf' /r,"" Barulltl.
PUr/ugtll ; IIl11gnijictllioll x 7. XPL
Third pirotograph: Nepheline s),l'l1ile from Lmrgesrllldfjord.
Nonray ; mtlg/rijial/iOn x II, XPt.
Malignite
This IS thc name given (0 a rock consisting essentially of
pyroxene, alkali feldspar nod nepheline in which the
pyroxene is thc dominant (about 50" v) lind the
other IWO minemls are in approximately equal amouni S.
It can be considered to be a mesocralic variet), of nepheline
syenile.
The rock illustrated 5ho" 5 a large number of equant
cuhcdral green pyroxene crystals. The dear crystals to Ihe
left of Ihe centre, showing uniform interference colours
are of nepheline, Ihc other parts are offddspar. The region
al the right edge of the field is composOO of a nepheline-
feldspar intcrgrowth. A crystal of biotite is al Ihc
top left corner of the field.
Mallglllujro/fl Shllll-xi. Chlllu: magl1ijiclllioll x 7. PPL mI(l
XI'/"
123
/
124
,Y
, "\
. , l-
-l ,.1'
..
, ')
.J:..
-' \
,
y
153
Sodalite syenite
A coarse-grained rock cons.isling es'-Cntially of socialite
and alkali feldspar wilh generally somc nephehne llho.
Alkali amphiboles and pyroxene arc Invariably prescnl.
The view illuslnned here. ShOW1l large cuhcdral sodllhlC
phenocrysts, isotropic in the XPL vicw, amphibole and
pyroxene in a fine r-gmi nL-d aggregate of al kal i feldspar li nd
nepheline. The alkali feldspar shows the same patchy
extinction as seen in the nepheline syenites illuSInLloo.
whcrells the nepheline has unifonn colours -
one nepheline crystal showing a pale grey interference
colour can be secn adj3CC'nllo tWO sodalitc crySUtls, In the
left pan ofthc \ lew. Anothcrclear nepheline can be
seen to the left of the large sodalite at the boltom edge of
the field. The two Illth-sh:lped isotropic cryst:lls :In:' :Ilso
ofsodulite. indicli ting a I:lbular habit of the cryst:11s In thIS
rock.
Sadi.Jlilt! jmlll .I11/illll/wuh. Greell/lInd .. l1/(1gllijklll 10/11
x //.I'Pl. ,mdXPL
154
Nephelinite
This is a fine-gramoo rock consl)lmg essentIally of nephel-
me and pyroxene \Vuhoul oli\'ine (when olivine is prc:;eru
the name would be O/II'/lfI> IIl'pht'IIIJlIl'). J f morc (him 50 ~
of mafi!: minerals IS present the tcnn mi!lallt'phdimtl' i ~
used. Ijolll(> is the coarse equivalent of nephelinitc.
The rock illustrated 1/1 the fir.;IIWO photogruphs conSIsts
mamly of pyroxene ffilcrophenocryslJi in II fincr-grained.
seriate-textured aggregate of pyroxene. nepheline and Iron
ore. The. pyroxenes show a pale greenish colour In the
PPL photograph, whereas the nepheline crystals un:
smaller and are transparcni. They show a fl'Clangular or
square shape. and one nepheline crystal is clearly \iSlblc
near the top right comeroflhe field. Thesmal1 palchcsofu
mmeTal showmg a fox-brown absorption colour arc of
bIotite; Iron ore is widclydistributcd throughout the rock.
The third photograph sho\\S a porphyntic nephelinite in
which the phenocrysts are of nepheline and p ~ ro;<enc in a
ground mass II hich is extremc:ly fine grained. and made of
the SlIme: mmcOils. The only other mineral present in this
rock is iron ort!.
FirSI fwd second plUllogmplu: Nt.'phelimlt' .from Mm'ollf',
Com(Jr(J I,Ialtt/s. 'ilt/fUll Ocean; f1!f1xmjlt'um", x51. PPL
alld XPL.
Third pho/OgrapJI ' Nephelinill' (rolll Marol/I'. Comuro
l.s/wuk India" Quon. IIu1l.mfictlll(Jn x II . ,\ PL.
125
126
n.
Ijolite
An ijohte IS a mesocralic coarse-grained rock consisting
essenllally of nepheline and clinopyroxene in upproxi-
malcl), equal amounts. Frequently mclanite garnel is
scnt. is the coarse-gramed equivalent of l1l'p/!elume.
Other names used for coarse-gr:l1nl'<l nepheline-pyroxene
mixtures arc alkali P),Toxt'lrirr. meftdgiu.' and IIrllle (Sl.."e
156). these rl"spl.:ctively bting hypennelunic fe ..... per
cenl nephcline). mclanocrJlic and leucocralic. The pyro-
can rAnge in composition from sodie diopsidc 10
aeglnne augite to aegIrine \0 [ilannugll!!. If tilamlUgilc is
the pyro'en!! in IlIl alkali pyroxenite. then the namcjntll-
pifllllgill' is used.
In Ihe granular-Ic:uured specimen we have used \0
illustrate thi s rock type, the nephehne is recogni7.cd by ils
10\\ Telkf In the PPL vicw and by lhe first-order grey
mterrerence colours in the XPL view, At the edges orthe
nepheline and in eracks within them, the mineral
which has first-order pule yellow and while colours is
cancrinitc, The pyroxene in this rocl.: IS not strongly
coloured but shows only a pale green llbsorplion colour.
Ijohte frum AItIQ, Swedf'l1 ; mugmjic(lliol1 x 16. I'I'L amI
XPL.
A leucill'bearillg \'Ori,,')' ojmil'roijolill! is sllo1l'/1 III 20,
15"
Urtite
A coarse-grained. [cucocratic rock consisting mainly of
nepheline, but generally an alkali pyroxene and/or an
amphibole IS prescnt In small amounts. II IS more felsIc
than ijolile. ( I SS)
The field of view is mainly occupied by nepheline. some
what altered and showing a brown colour in the PPL \ic\\ .
The dark crystab in the field arc of an alkali pyroxene
considerably altered in paris. Al the centre of the bouom
edge of the field, an urea which was probllbly pyroxene is
almosl entirely filled with fine-grained alteration product s
of the pyroxene. except for a group of clear crystals (PI'L
vic ..... ) .... hieh life of apatite.
UrI;//? fro", Kh,bilUl. Ko/u fIenilisula. USSR. magnificol ;""
x II. PPL (111(/ XPL.
127
'"
157
Basanite
A fine.grd Ined mcsoc::ralic rock conta mingessclH ial ol h me.
augite. plHgioclase feldspar and a fcldspalhoid. g.enerally
nepheline. wit h or " lthotll amllcitc or Icueite'. I he ellul\ a-
lent olivine-free rock lI'phm('(sec 158). Thc!,:oarse-
gnuned eqUlv<llent known (1I1rlllt' (hemU/I',
sample contains Illicrophcnocrysis of olt\ mc "hlCh
stand out in the PPL VICW because of their \:u,:k of colour
and high relief. The l1Ioundmtlss is made up of pall.'
brownish pyroxenes. scarce laths of plagioclase (e.g. at
top right) and abundant poiki]ilic are'.ts of nepheline (e.g.
in the ccnlrc oftke field of view and allhe len side showi ng
low grey interference colours). To Ihe bol1ol11 left of the
phOlogmph the pyroxene is inlcrgrown with a
mineral of lower refraCl1\'C inde., lhan the nepheline and
wi th almost Lero blrerrmgence: [hiS been identified as
analcite by microprobe anal ysis. The presence of abundant
nepheline and limited pl<lgiochlsc in this rock wh:ll dis
tingui shes it from lin olivine basalt .
BlLWIIIII' jr(J1II Ja/l(,I I).f Sau/Ia. Libra , maglll/II(J//011 x li.
PPL //lJd ,\ IlL
' The name I.unlt },.,MUI"" be u .... -d II 1<'u...I IC IS praclll
to mean thai nephehne IS Ihe
fddsp'Hhold.
158
Tephrite
A Icphme is a fine-gr.uned mCSQCralic rock con taining. in
addition 10 plagioclase and pyroxene. nephehne or
another fcldspalhoid I. Olivine IS absent: If it is prcsem. (lIe
rock IS c'1l1ed ;I (l>l'C 157). c\cn Ihouh 01/1'1/1("-
tl'piJrill' ""QuId IX' more JogicaL Thl'f(IIIIf' the l'O<Ir5f'-
gnuned equivalem of tcphrilc.
The sample we used \0 illustrate Ihi'> rock type is.\
h:lUyne Icphnte. IL contlllns phenocryl>ls of clinopyro1(cne
!lnd hauyne. The clinopyroxene are cuhedral and
have a dark colour in the PPL both
LOnlng and tWinning can be S\.'Cn in th ... XPL \iell , The
hau)'ne phenocrysts are ellher blue or colourless and hUIe
rims of a darker blue or brown colour. The groundm;'Iss
r.:onsisb ofl uth s.haped crystals of plagioclase. small round
crystals of t('uclle. together with hauyne and citnopyro,"
ene.
1I(IlI,1'I1(' /('plJrut> from I/ome lulwrJ. lIet" MIIIII , /if/h';
IIwKmjicalioll )( 27. PPL (I/Jd NPL .
Tcplrml' /lnpil/'s IlrOI "tPM/Illi' 1$ IIw {t'/dspt.lIhOld, if <1'10111<"
IcldspllllrOlJ;5 prt},'.1 III plurt II/ ""phdmt'. " p' .. /Ixn ,Ir. III"'''
('.g lcucllt lcphruc
"9
159
Olivine melilitite
This rock is composed of essential o l h ~ n e , melilile and
pyroxene. Pcrovskilc is a frequent accessory constituent
and nepheline may be present. The name meliliu basal/ has
been used for this type of rock but il is not appropriate
since plagioclase is absent. its place being taken by melili te.
The sample we have illustrated contains very lil1k
pyroxene and so consists mainly of olivine and melilile
crystals in a glassy groundmass. l n the PPL vicv.' the rock
appears to consist of olivine and plagioclase microphcno-
crysts. but it can be clearly seen from the XPL photograph
mal what onc might take to be laths of plagioclase arc in
fact mdilites. These are dearly identified by their anomal-
OtiS interference colours. Closer inspection of the PPL
view shows thai many of the mclilil!! laths have a line
along the centre of crystals which is chamcterist;c of
melilite crystals. In addi tion to olivine and melilite,
pcrovskite is fairly abundant in this rock. The third
photograph is a high.magnilic!.Ilion view of part of Ihe
field of view shown in the first IWO photographs. and
shows a number of multiple-twinned p<:rovsk ite crystals:
in this photograph they arc dark green in colour. Thi s
section must be slightly thin because the olivine crystals do
not show colours as high on Newton's scale as expected
from a mineral whose birefringence is betwee n 0.0]5 and
0.OS2.
Olil'inc melilirile from KOllmga. Uganda; magllijicllliOIl
x 15 (firsl (lnd second plJoros) PPL (lnd XPL ,x 72 ( third
phoro) , XPL.
'60
Leucitite
This is Ihe name given [0 liD cxtrusi .. c mesocralic rock
consisting essentially of [eucile lind II clinopyroxene
without olivine. If olivine is present the nnmc used is
olMne fellcililf.'. and if Ihe olivine and pyroxene dominate
il is known as IIgandit/!. The int rusive equivaknt of II
lcuc!!;tc tOilk.-<I aferguslle (sec 161).
The sample we have illustrated shows, in the PPL vie .....
dear phenocrysts and glomerocrysls of lcucite and zoned
olive-green crystals of pyroxene, sel in II very fine-grained
ground mass composed mainly of these two minerals and
glass. There is no evidence of any other minerals such as
nepheli ne or feldspa r.
Ullt'IIlIe from lIlugnijicmioll x 12. PPL lIIld XPL.
131
134
163
Aln6ite
Thl' r,..:l hdllllg' hi lhealkah lampmph}TI' group 11 (.111-
011\ IIlC. p) roxene and biotite.
III it 1;ontalnlng mcilhll". II c,lroonatl' Illmcrnl
commonly I)Tc<-cnl Monti.:clhlc m:l) he pre,en!
CI/IIlPWI1III' or plagulCla'\t.' and hftll-ln
,Hlll'hlhllk. llwmlulPtc mil) he rrc!>C1l1. P'l"lhl} In ""l'C'o..'
(If Ihc amrhlhvlc . a Iluk anOJ!..:lh: 01,1) I!I.'UIP} the mler-
"Ill',', 1/"111/111111111' ha' (,'"cnll<,1 "lnUll'. 1I1,tnauglic and
hm .... n h.,rnhkmk In ,I m,llri'\ tlf ,In.lil'uo.: Jnd f'I"'lhl)
'lime hlllilil' fIJl/rlhl/, ' /ilf ",hl .. h an unu,uaJ !,',luT\"(1
lanelY is sho'M'fl In J55 and 70) is the hUI \.\ IlhoUI
oliline.
In thc specimen IlluSlrJlcJ here rno" of thc .. I"
m Ihc centre of Ihe field lIf vie\\ an: lonc.'d dmop} ru.\enc'
A fe\\ .. t .. of ollvrne ;.Ire rrc'oCnl At tlw
n.lttUIll rlghl fifth .. , th.:ld 'If vie\\ ,lre;1 .... tlllh un
aggrq;;rk 01 I:ry,1td, til' nUllllC rnterj!Tlm n \\ II h
In the groundmass tHe pOlklhl11: reglom shO\\U\i! a pale
hWI"!l .:olour ,mu Ih .. ''oC ar.: .. hllll i hlullll: A p.lk hnll'.n
.:Inngated ,II mll'a ,.;an lx' !>C'I,'n t,'"ard .. the rlglH \'\.1111,'
III the li.:ld
Much of the de-.H !foundmass mateT1al:.(!en m the PPL
\lev. I' m.:llh1<.' hut hc .. :a uloC ur rb 1,,\\ ,Inurtlal"u,
mlcrl .. 'r.::ncc "'"Iuur It I' mIl e;NI) rtlcnl1til'(l In the '\I'L
11<'\\ ,It till .. m"gnlfil'iltlun Thc hrn\\n .. t;ll, arc

A/,,{iui' lrom Ok(J QUl'ht't, "wgmjWIIIIIIII >C /5, PPL IIm/
.\ 1'1
168
Carbonatite
This name covers 11 considernble variety of different vol-
canic and intrusive igneous rock tylX"S whose main can
stituent (greater than 5 0 ~ ~ ) is 11 carbonate mineral. The
mOSi common carbonatite LS called SOI'iIt> which is a
calcite carbonatite. Others contain dolomite. or siderite
or alkali carbonate. The texture is generaUy granular but
rarely may be trachytic or comb layered.
The specimen we have chosen to i11ustrate is u carbona-
tite composed of more than 9 0 ~ " : calcite with minor
amounts of apati te. pyroxene. mOnl icellite, mica and an
opaque mineral which we have not identified.
Cllrbol1{f/i/e from Oka tompll.'x, Quebec. emU/da ; maglli.
fiwllon x7. P/'Llll1dXPL.
;\lkalin(' and miscell aneous rocks
139
140
169
Chondrite
(meteorite)
Meteoritcs are c.lassed as stones, stony-irons or irons
depending on the proportion of silicates 10 nickel-iron
alloy. The stones are mainly composed of olivine and
and arc subdivided into chondrites and
achondrites according to the presence or Ilbsent'C of
chondrules. Chondrule:s <Ire spherical objects, with an
average diameter of I mm, and are compose<! of olivine
or pyroxene or bolh. We have illustrated IWO chondritcs
and one achondri te (170). Most aut hori ties on meteorites
prefer 10 consider chondrites as mCI3morphic rocks.
though lhe chondrulcs may be of igneous origin.
The: first photograph is a PPL vi ew of an olivine -
hypersthene chondri!e which is the commoneSl type of
chondritc. I n the thin section only Ihc one chondrule
(which we have iBustraledj is present. It consists of
radiati ng crystals of orthopyroxene. The rest of the field
is made up of an aggregate of onhopyroxenl: and olivine
and some opaque regions. The opaque regions are most ly
ofa metal phase with some sulphides but these cannOI be
distinguished in transmitted light.
The second photograph is an X PL view of a chrondrite
in which the chondrules are unusually well developed and
can be seen to bave different minerillogy Hnd texture.
One small chondrule, just above the cent re of the field of
view. showing a yellow birefringence colour with black
lameUue is composed of olivi ne wilh li1mellae ofglilss.
The third photograph is a higher mllgnification XPL
view of lho;' top kft corner of the second phologr<lph. The
chondrule at the left or the field consists ofbladcd tllinned
of clinobronzite. Because of the twinning lind 10\1
birefringence it could be mistaken in a photograph, for
plagioclase. This chondruk appe;lrs to have been broken
at SQmc st:lge since in section it is not a complete circle.
The other large chondrule is alSQ composed of pyroxene
but is too fine grained for opticill identification. Th ree
separate olivllle cryst;l!s art: vi$ibk at the bOIlQm of lhe
field of view.
Firs/ phoIPgraph: C/u:m(/ri/t' frQm Rrudf'rheim. Alber/a.
Cml{uili . II1l1gllij"(JliQn X 28< PPL.
Second (Jlld third pholOgraphs : Chondri/e from PrUJrir Dog
Creek , USA .. lI/agllificlJlioll)( 16 ( ue-ond plioto) .
XPL. )( 4) ( third pholo) . XPL.
17.
Achondrite
met eori te
AchondrllCS ,He siany meteorites (sec I). 140) in which
chondrulcs arc lackmg and a nickel Iron phllst IS Cit her
:Ibscnt or present In vel)' sm:11l amounl S. These are
relatively meteorites.
The phologmph shows coarse-gnuncd clasts or fmg-
menls In a brecciated matrix. This specimen IS classed 85 3
eucri/e and it consists mainly ofbylOwmtC and a pigoonitic
pyroxene together with an !lugill'. To the left of lhc centre
of the field is a fragment consisling of an intcrgrowlh of
plagioclase and clinopyroxene. The plagioclase contains
trails of minute inclusions unevenly distributed within the
crystah and it is these inclusions which cause the
colours III the cryst nls in the PPL view. The clinopyroxene
relnth ely iron-rich and a fine lamellar structure can just
be detected In the XPL photograph. The rest oflhe licld is
occupied by the same minerals but (If mUl'h finer gram size
in some paris. The pyroxene crystals are almost black due
to a very h1gh concentration of an Op.1que mineral. pro-
bably magneti te. There is 110 olivine in this spc."'Cimen.
The n:IOll' eller/Ie' IS also used for a terrestrial gllbbroic
rock consisting of II calcic pl agioclase and a
Sollie of the achondrites have textures
Slmii:tr to those of terrestrial gabbros.
l)yroxelU'-p/agiocflW! {lr/wlI{/rile .frfJ/II SUmlJt'fII, C:l.'d'(J-
.I"/U)/IJ.;"I , (ub.\l'fI't'l1 filII. 1808): 1fI(lgllljlc(lliQlI)( 14. PI' L
(/lid .'PL.
141
All references refer to page numbers.
Page numbers in iralics refer to
additiona l photographs of rocks in
part I where detailed descriptions of
them are included in part 2.
Absarokite 87
Accessory mineral 78
Achondrite 141
Acicular crystal 20
Acid rock 78, 112- 16
Adamellite 114
Alkali gabro 95
Alkali granite 114,116
Alkali oli vi ne basalt 87, 89
Allotriomorphic crystal
Alnoite 134
Alkali picrite
Aligned texture;
Amphibolite
87
41 - 5
86
Amygdaloidal texture
Andesite 15, 65. 101
Anhedral crysta l 18
18
71, 72
Ankaramite 66, 87, 93
Anorthosite 69, 100
Antipert hitic texture
Aphanitic texture
Aphyric texture
Aplite 47, 114
Ash-fall tuff 7
Ash-flow tuff 7
9
Automorphic crystal
Axiolites 54
9
50, 52
18
Banded textures 68- 9
Basalt 5, 10, 17, 18,19, 21 , 22,30,
32,37, 38, 40,71,72, 87- 93
Basanite 128
146
Basic rock
Benmorei te
Bl aded crystal
Bl a irmorite
78, 87- 100
87
20
121
Bleb-like intergrowths 50, 52
Boninite 102
Branching crystal 24--5
Camptonite 134
Carbonatite 139
Cavi ty textures 71
Chadacryst 33
Chondrite 140
Coarse-grai ned rock
Columna r crystal
12
20
Comb layering 44
Comb texture 44
Comendite 11 3
Conserta l texture
Corona texture
45- 6
59
Crescumul ate layering
Crinanite 96
Cryptocrystalline texture
Crystallinity 4-8
Crysta llite 9
Crysta l shapes
Crysta l zoning
continuo us
convolute
18- 27
6 1- 8
61
65
di scontinuous 6 1
even 63
hourglass 66
mUltipl e 63
normal 61
44
9
oscill atory 63
reverse 6 1
sector 66
Curved crysta l 24
Daci te 107
Dendriti c crysta l 20- 21
Dendri tic overgrowth 58
Di orite 43,59,103
Directed texture 41 5
Ditroite 122
Dolerite 24, 35,36, 38.39.40,43,
50,55, 57,63,98
34 Doleri ti c texture
Druse. drusy cavit y 71, 73
Dunite 69. 79
Embayed crystal 20, 21
Eq uant crystal 19
Eq uidimensional crystal 19
Equigranular. textures 14,27 9
Essenti al mineral 78
Essexi te 67,68,95,97
Euhedral crystal 18
Eutaxi tic texture 8
Exsol uti on texture 3. 50
Feldspathic peridoti te 80
Felsic rock 78
Felsite 9
Felsi tic texture 9
Felty texture 41
Fergusite 131, 132
Fine-grained rock 12
Fitzroyite 136
Flow texture 41
Fluxion texture 41
Fourchite 25, 134
Foyaite 122
Fragmental texture 7
Gabbro 12, 13, 14,28,33,34,36,
39, 43, 46, 52, 53, 60,95
Ga rnet peridotite 82
Gl assy glo bules 7
Glassy texture
Glomerocryst
4, 5- 8
32
Glomero phyric texture 32
Glomeroporphyritic texture
Grai n size 12
32
Granite 4, 9, 10,29, 47, 49,51, 60,
70,73, 114-16
Granodiorite 46, 108
Granophyre 114
Granophyric texture 46-8
Granul arit y 9- 17
Granule 19
Graphic texture 46-8
Har ri si te 23
Harzburgite 80
Hawaiite 32, 87
Hiatal texture 14
Holl ow spherulite 54
Holocrysta lline texture 4
Ho lohyaline texture 4
Hornblendite 28, 86
Hyaline texture 4, 5
Hyalophiti c texture 37
Hyalopilitic texture 41
HypautomQrphic crysta l 18
Hypermel anic rock 78
Hypidiomorphi c crystal 18
Hypocrystalline texture 4, 5
Hypohyali ne texture 4
Idi omorphic crystal 18
Ignimbrite 7
Ij olite 16, 126
Inequidimensiona l crystal 19
Inequi granula r texture 14, 30-41
Intergranular texture 37
I ntergrowth texture
Intermediate rock
I ntersertal texture
Int erstiti al texture
45- 54
78, 101- 11
37
Intrafasicul ate texture
Jacupira ngite
Katungite 135
Kel yphitic texture
126
Kentallenite 105
Kersantite 133
Kimberlite
Komatiite
81
26, 84
37
50
59
Lamellar & bleb-like intergrowths
50-2
Lamellar crystal 20
Lamproite 136
Lamprophyre 133, 134
Larvikite 110
Lath-sha ped feldspar 20
Layering 68
Leucite basanite
Leucite phonolite
Leucite tephrite
Leucitite 131
128
11 8
129
Leucitophyre 118
Leucocratic 78
Lherzolite 29, 80
Li ght-coloured rock 78
Liquid immiscibility 7a
Lithophysa 54, 71
Lunar low-ti basalt
Lunar high-ti basalt
Madupite
Mafic rock
138
78
Mafurite 135
Malignite 123
Medium grained rock
90
9 1
Melanephelinite 125
Melanocratic rock 78
Melilitite 31, 130
Melilite basalt 130
Meltei gite 126
Mesocratic rock 78
Meteorite 140, 141
Meymechite 85
12
Miarolitic texture 7 1, 73
Microcrystall ine texture
Microgabbro
Microgranite
12
48, 78
9
Micrographic texture 46-8
Microlite 9
Micropegmatitic texture 46
Minette 133
Monchiquite 134
Monzonite 106
Mugearite 87
Mutual relations of crystals
Myrmekitic texture 49
Nepheline syenite 51, 122
Nephelinite 125
Norite 99
27- 73
Nosean leucite-phonolite 119
Obsidi an 11 2
Ocell ar texture
Oikocryst 33
Oli vine basa lt
Oli vine leucitite
7 1, 73
87
131
Olivine melilitite
130 /
Olivine nephelinite 125
Olivine tephrite 129
Oli vine teschenite 96
Olivine theralite 128
Oli vine tholeiite 87
Ophimottled texture 34, 37
Ophitic texture 34-7
Orbicular gran it e 70
Orbicular texture 69, 70
Oriented textures
Overgrowth texture
Pantellerite 113
41 - 5
59- 68
Para llel-growth texture 22, 23
Paramorph 26
Pele' s ha ir 6
Peridotite 15, 23, 33, 34, 80
Perlitic cracks
Perthitic texture
5
50, 51
Phanerocrystalline texture
Phenocryst 14
Phlogopite leucitite 137
9
147
Index
Phonolite 117
Picrite 80
Picritic basalt 18,20, 21,22, 87, 92
Pilotaxitic texture 41
Pitchstone 5, 6, 12, 58, I 12
Platy crystal 20
33, 34 Poikilitic texture
Poikilophitic texture
Porphyritic texture
34, 36
14-16, 31
Pseudoleucite phonolite
Pseudomorph 26--7
Pyroclastic rock 7
Pyroxenite 83
Quartz diorite
Quartz gabbro
103, 104
78
Quartz monzonite 114
Radiate intergrowth 57
Radiate textures 54- 7
Rapakivi texture 59, 60
Reaction corona 59
Reaction rim 59
120
Rhyolite 10, 42,55, 56, 112
Seriate texture 14, 30
Shonkinite III
Shoshonite 87
148
Sieve texture 23, 24
Skeletal crysta l 20, 21
Sodalite syenite 124
S6vite 139
Spessartite 133
Spherulitic texture 54-6
Spilite 94
Stone-ball 71
Subalkaline basalt 87
Subhedral crystal 18
Subophitic texture 34-6
Syenite 110, III
Syenogabbro 87, 95
Symplectite texture 53
Synneusis texture 32
Tabular crystal 20
Tephrite 68, 128, 129
Teschenite 95, 96
Texture (Definition) 3
Theralite 129
Tholeiite 87
Tholeiitic basalt 87
Tholeiitic picrite 87
Tholeiitic picrite basalt
Tinguaite 122
Tonalite 52, 104
Trachyandesite 106
87
Trachybasalt 87
Trachyte 42, 72, 109
Trachytic texture
Trachytoid texture
41,42
41,43
Troctolite 28, 80
Tuff 7,8
Ugandite 131
Ultrabasic rock
Ultramafic rock
Urtite 126
Variolitic texture
Vermicular texture
Vesicular texture
Vitreous texture
Vitrophyric texture
Vogesi te 133
Websterite 83
Welded tuff 7,8
Wehrlite 80
78, 79- 86
78
56, 57
53
71,72
4
14
Willow-lake layering 44
Wyomingite 137
Xenomorphic crystal 18
Zoning see Crystal zoning