The Geology of Mt. Mansfield State ForestChristman, Robert A. (Robert Adam)
Science
The Geology of Mt. Mansfield State Forest
Christman, Robert A. (Robert Adam)
Geology -- Vermont -- Mount Mansfield State Forest
Albite and quartz are also important constituents of the schists.
Together they are more abundant than mica in the average schist on Mount
Mansfield but because they are not so “showy” they are more easily
overlooked. Both minerals are white and granular. Quartz, which consists
of silica or SiO₂, is the principal constituent of most beach sands. In
the typical mica schist, quartz is glassy in appearance and occurs as
small rounded or irregular grains without plane surfaces. _Albite_ is a
variety of plagioclase feldspar having the composition of NaAlSi₃O₈. It
has a white chalky appearance and occurs in small equidimensional grains
bounded by flat surfaces which break along plane surfaces that reflect
light in certain positions. On the west side of Mount Mansfield some of
the rocks contain so much albite and so little mica that the rock is
granular in appearance.
_Chlorite_, variety pennine, is an important mineral constituent of some
of the schist. Chlorite is characterized by its green color and small
amounts are responsible for giving a greenish cast to much of the
schist. Like mica it occurs as thin sheets which reflect the folding of
the schist.
Garnet and magnetite are locally abundant minerals in the schist.
_Garnet_ occurs as pink to red grains ranging from pin point to pea
size. Most of the grains are rounded although a few occur as
equidimensional crystals which have twelve equally developed faces.
Garnet has a semitransparent, glassy appearance and is harder than a
knife blade. _Magnetite_ occurs as bluish-black metallic masses with
about the same size range as the garnet. Although most are rounded
masses, crystal faces are developed on some. Perfectly developed
crystals occur as _octahedrons_ which is the form consisting of eight
faces, as two four-sided pyramids with their bases together. The larger
grains of magnetite have sufficient magnetic power to attract or deflect
a compass needle. The garnet and magnetite usually do not occur
together, but each may form localized concentrations as lenses or layers
in the schist.
In smaller amounts, usually visible only with a hand lens or microscope,
the schist also contains a green mineral called epidote, a white mineral
apatite, and an elongated black mineral called tourmaline. Locally, as
on the Nose Dive ski run above the Toll Road on Mount Mansfield, slender
needles of tourmaline are visible in the schist.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account