Field book of common rocks and minerals : $b for identifying the rocks and minerals of the United States and interpreting their origins and meaningsLoomis, Frederic Brewster
Science
Field book of common rocks and minerals : $b for identifying the rocks and minerals of the United States and interpreting their origins and meanings
Loomis, Frederic Brewster
Minerals -- United States; Rocks -- United States
In the plagioclase feldspars twinning is multiple, a large number of
crystals, each thin, sometimes as thin as paper, growing side by side,
the first one in normal position, the next at 180° with it, the third
revolved 180° to the second and thus parallel to the first, and so on.
The result is first of all a striated appearance, and second that, as
plagioclase crystals have their prism faces intersecting at 86°, there
is a series of low roofs and valleys, which are best seen by holding the
piece of feldspar so the light reflects from a cleavage face, when it
will appear striated; then by tilting it about 8 degrees a second set of
reflections, also appearing striated, will appear. The light was first
reflected from one side of the roofs, and in the second case from the
other side. Figure D, Pl. 34, is a diagram showing the relation of the
individual crystals in a multiple twinned piece of plagioclase, in which
the crystals are represented as rather large. Plate 35, under
labradorite, shows a photograph of a cleavage piece, on which is readily
seen the striation which is characteristic of the plagioclase feldspars.
Mixtures of albite and anorthite occur in bewildering numbers, one or
the other predominating, and each mixture being uniform throughout the
crystal and in the whole mass; so each combination is a mineral, each
with its special properties; but the different plagioclase feldspars are
so similar in appearance, that by the naked eye it is impossible to
separate the closely related ones. This can be done under the microscope
by studying the angles at which light is cut off, and also by chemical
analyses. For our purposes six types will suffice to illustrate the
group, and their composition may be indicated as follows.
Albite is albite with up to 15% of anorthite mixed with it.
Oligoclase is albite with from 15-25% of anorthite mixed with it.
Andesite is albite with from 25-50% of anorthite mixed with it.
Labradorite is anorthite with from 25-50% of albite mixed with it.
Bytownite is anorthite with from 15-25% of albite mixed with it.
Anorthite is anorthite with up to 15% of albite mixed with it.
The best method for distinguishing these feldspars of the plagioclase
group is to measure the angle between the two perfect cleavage faces,
and even this requires careful measurement. The angles between these
faces are as follows:
Orthoclase 90°
Microcline 89° 30′
Oligoclase 86° 32′
Andesite 86° 14′
Labradorite 86° 14′
Bytownite 86° 14′
Anorthite 86° 50′
Orthoclase
KAlSi₃O₈
Occurs in granites, syenites, gneisses and light-colored lavas;
hardness, 6; specific gravity, 2.57; color white to gray or pink;
cleavage in two directions perfect and at 90°, in the third direction
imperfect; luster vitreous; translucent on thin edges.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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