This hypidiomorphic inequigranular granite has rather scalloped grain boundaries, particularly among the quartzofeldspathic phases, though the biotite grains exhibit similar textures with the feldspars. One anhedral biotite grain has bulbs protruding into the neighboring k-feldspar grain. Quartz extinction is uniform. Olivine is present in trace amounts and the highly-fractured phase is typically surrounded by a thick rim of iddingsite.
Most crystals in this thin section are highly embayed, including the distinctive riebeckite grains.
The minerals in this sample all appear to intergrow with one another. Most grain boundaries are lobate, especially between feldspar phases and flame lamellae and perthitic intergrowths abound. Although a few hornblende crystals are euhdral in shape, the majority are found as rims around possible clinopyroxene or olivine grains and they tend to group with the other mafic phases. Euhedral apatite appear throughout.
This allotriomorphic granite is dominated by feldspar phases which are altering to clays. The mica phases are anhedral, emabyed, and filled with unaligned opaque inclusions.
A noteworthy characteristic of this allotriomorphic granite is the presence of feldspar laths with albite twinning in the core and anhedral k-feldspar rims. The remainder of the rock is comprised of equigranular and subhedral biotite, hornblende, and k-feldspar grains. Randomly oriented prismatic apatite grains are abundant in this sample.
Square phenocrysts of quartz and feldspar disrupt this porphyritic granite's otherwise mosaic of equigranular grains. Subhedral and partially resorbed biotite is scattered throughout.
The feldspars in this sample show a range of solid solution substitution textures including exsolution lamellae and flame lamellae, although birefringence colors are in the lower first order yellows to pinks. The dark mineral throughout the sample is subhedral, embayed ferrohastingsite which displays excellent amphibole cleavage and retains its originally euhedral crystal structure. A hematite stain pervades this rock, particularly along fractures.
Though dominated by k-feldspar, albite and quartz, this thin section contains biotite pseudomorphs after hornblende, and trace monzaite (distinguished by its high relief, high birefringence colors, and square to diamond shape).
The feldspar grains in this thin section span a broad range of sizes, with larger grains displaying strong lamellae of either the blebby or flame variety. The mafic phases are anhedral to skeletal in shape and are much less abundant than the more felsic phases. The minerals in this thin section are highly fractured lending the appearance of porousness to this intrusive igneous rock.
Although the bulk of this thin section has an aplitic texture of quartz and feldspar, several larger feldspar phenocrysts punctuate the mosaic texture of the smaller population of quartzofeldspathic phases. Biotite is sparse and where present, skeletal in shape.
The feldspar grains in this thin section span a broad range of sizes, with larger grains displaying strong lamellae of either the blebby or flame variety. The mafic phases are anhedral to skeletal in shape and are much less abundant than the more felsic phases. Small zircon crystals are clustered with a hornblende aggregate.
The flame lamellae that pervade this thin section are cut thicker than ususal and thus display first order yellows and oranges, though the tartan twinning of the microcline retains the ususal first order grey birefringence. Grain boundaries between feldspars are lined with smaller feldspar grains, which gives the larger grains a scalloped appearance. The hornblende grains are highly irregular in shape and contain many inclusions of feldspar, opaques, biotite, and other unidentifiable phases.
The feldspars in this granite are altering to clays and thus have a consistantly cloudy appearance. The indented grain boundaries in this sample indicate the mutual interference of all phases during growth. The anhedral shape of muscovite grains indicates it grew in the interstices between grains.
This generally allotriomprhic-equigranular thin section is thicker than standar thin sections, thus the quartz and some k-feldspar grains display first order red to pink colors. The riebeckite is nearly opaque in both plane and cross-polarized light.
The feldspars in this thin section are partially sericitized and somewhat poikilitic and the biotite is substantially altered. Grains are generally anhedral in shape.
Several glomeroporphyroblasts of clinopyroxene and opaques with hornblende, biotite, and chlorite rims are scattered throughout this syenite. The remainder consists of altered k-feldspars and rare quartz grains with rather sutured grain boundaries.
The quartz and feldspar grains in this thin section have rather amoeboid, though elongated shapes. These elongated grains are roughly aligned giving this syenite a somewhat layered appearance. Feldspar intergrowths are primarily of the flame lamellae variety. Rare biotite grains are observed.
This allotriomorphic granite shows evidence of weathering as most feldspars are partially obscured by a dusting of clay minerals. Tartan twinning of microcline is obvious throughout the sample. The curving of biotite cleavage and subhedral grain shapes indicates the biotite is not pristine. It is commonly found occurring with subhedral hornblende as well as large, clear to light brown, anhedral sphene crystals.
Grain shapes in this thin section are consistantly anhedral. Weathering of the feldspars give them a dusty appearance. Because the thin section is cut too thick, the birefringence of quartz and some k-feldspars is as high as second order blues. Mnay hornblende crystals are nearly opaque and they are frequently found surrounding and likely replacing inclusions of pyroxene (perhaps). The biotite and hornblende are rather skeletal. Euhedral sphene and apatite are occasionally scattered throughout.
This thin section is divided in half diagonally by texture and grain size. The fine-grained side consists of roughly equigranular quartz, microcline, albite, biotite, and riebeckite. More quartzofeldspathic-rich portions have sutured grain boundaries whereas in more mafic patches the grains are typically equant and subhedral. The mineral phases in the coarse-grained half of the thin section are the same though the grain size increases several fold and clear grain boundaries are rarer.
This sample is quite coarse-grained. Tartan twinning in the k-feldspar is overprinted by flame and blebby lamellae and both are riddled with inclusions of hornblende, micas, and monazite or zircon. Radiation halos are found around the zircons or monazite crystals found as inclusions in biotite grains.
This gabbro is altered to the point of being nearly unrecongnizable. All primary phases are obsecured secondary mineralization. Clays have replaced the plagioclase grains and mats of chlorite and iddingsite, with some minor biotite are found clustered around the euhedral opaques. Overprinting all of this are euhderal apatite grains that range up to nearly a centimeter in length.
The riebeckite grains in this sample are embayed in a skeletal fashion, with embayments strongly controlled by the amphibole cleavage. The feldspars have classic albite and tartan twins in addition to patchy lamellae.
This fine-grained granite has a mosaic texture. The quartz seems undisturbed, however, most other phases display evidence of weathering and disequilibrium. The dusting of clays and presence of sericite inclusions in the feldspars indicates they are chemically weathered. Biotite and muscovite are skeletal in appearance and biotite is frequently interfingered with chlorite.
The coarseness of this granite obscures in thin section the graphic texture so evident in handsample. The feldspars contain inclusions of muscovite as well as zircon (or another like mineral) and untwinned grains are readily distinguished from quartz by the comprehensive dusting of clay minerals due to weathering.
