The Journal of Geology, May-June 1893: A Semi-Quarterly Magazone of Geology and Related SciencesVarious
Science
The Journal of Geology, May-June 1893: A Semi-Quarterly Magazone of Geology and Related Sciences
Various
Geology -- Periodicals
the cross-fibration, and greenish-yellow alteration-products result,
the fibres of which are perpendicular to the length of the lath-shaped
sections.
Nepheline is always fresh, colorless and transparent; it rarely
exhibits a regular shape, but generally forms an aggregate of irregular
grains, cementing the other components; it is evidently the latest
formed mineral in the rock.
There is abundant magnetite besides perovskite, the common associate of
melilite, which occurs in small octahedrons and irregular grains. The
perovskite becomes transparent with a brownish-violet color, and shows
in some sections a feeble, abnormal double refraction. There appears
to be no isotropic base in the normal rock, but if any is present, it
must be in a very small amount. There are coarser grained spots in
the rock, which are rich in a partly chloritized base, and in which
nepheline occurs in well-shaped crystals.
The second group of rocks, as already mentioned, falls under the
head of nepheline-basanite poor in olivine. And since the specimens
bear sanidine phenocrysts beside plagioclase, it forms a transition
to phonolite. The rock-specimens have a more andesitic than basaltic
appearance. Numerous phenocrysts of hornblende and augite are imbedded
in the dense bluish-gray groundmass. The next most abundant mineral is
nepheline in the form of phenocrysts, in part well-shaped crystals,
in part rounded, the largest of which are 0.5 cm. in diameter. The
nepheline differs from the feldspar in having a grayish color and
greasy lustre. Phenocrysts of feldspar and crystals of olivine are
scarce. Beside these components, the rocks contain apatite, some
titanite and iron ores. Under the microscope olivine is seen to be
scarce. It is fresh and shows the normal properties. It contains minute
octahedrons of picotite and in some sections abundant inclusions of a
liquid with moving bubbles.
The amphibole mineral is a typical basaltic hornblende. It becomes
transparent with a dark reddish-brown color and exhibits a strong
pleochroism according to the following scheme:
=a=, brownish yellow, =b= and =c= dark reddish brown. Absorption,
=c > b > a=.
The angle of extinction was examined in sections cut approximately
parallel to the clinopinacoid (010) and was determined to be very
small. This fact and the dark reddish-brown color are in all
probability due to a high amount of Fe₂O₃. The dependence of the angle
of extinction upon the amount of Fe₂O₃ in minerals of the amphibole
group has been recently established by Schneider and Belowsky. The
basaltic hornblende shows the well-known dark borders produced by
reabsorption by the magma in an early stage of consolidation. In
many cases nothing of the original mineral is preserved; the whole
hornblende is replaced by a fine grained aggregate of pyroxene and
magnetite, presenting clearly the outlines of the absorbed mineral.
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