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This is an ideal textbook for both advanced undergraduates and graduate students. It contains valuable coverage of the optical properties of minerals, as well as up-to-date descriptions of common rock-forming minerals. The chapters on optical theory include discussions of the nature and properties of light, the petrographic microscope, and the behavior of light in isotropic materials and in uniaxial and biaxial anisotropic materials. Thoroughly revised to include recent developments in the field, the book includes step-by-step procedures to guide students through the determination of all optical properties by which minerals are routinely identified with a petrographic microscope. Readers will find descriptive information on over 125 common rock forming minerals, and many photomicrographs and illustrations. The book also includes a flow sheet to guide students through the process of identifying an unknown mineral.
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• Á~OJt?JgU!W Jl?~!ldQ . Ol UO!lJilp01lUJ Introduction to Optical ·Mineralogy Second Edition WILLIAM D. NESSE University of Northem Colorado New York Oxford OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1991 x_ Oxford University Press Oxford New York Toronto Delhi Bombay Calcutta Madras Karachi Petaling Jaya Singapore Hong Kong Tokyo Nairobi Dares Salaam Cape Town Melbourne Auckland and associated companies in Berlin lbadan Copyright © 1986, 1991 by Oxford University Press, Inc. Published by Oxford University Press, Inc., 200 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 Oxford is a registered tradernark of Oxford University Press Ali rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Nesse, William D. lntroduction to optical mineralogy /William D. Nesse.-2nd ed. p. cm. lncludes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN 0-19-506024-5 1. Optical mineralogy. 2. Mineralogy, Determinative. 1. Title. QE397.N47 1991 549'.125-dc20 90-7328 Universidade Federei de Pernambuco BIBLIOTECA CENTRAL CIDADE UNIVERSITÁRIA . CEP. 5067 ().901 ·Recife-Pernambuco-BD i:iYefu l~ 1 /o ré f9 Printing (last digit): 98765 Printed in the United States of Arnerica on acid-free paper - ... ____ ·-- ... Preface Despite the major advances in the use of sophisticated analytical equipment that have taken place in mineralogy and petrology over the past several decades, the petrographic microscope still retains its essential role in rapid identification of minerais and interpretation of rock textures. The purpose of this book is to serve the needs of students in learning the procedures and theory required to use the petrographic microscope. ln the second edition, the text has been updated and a number of changes that have been suggested by students, colleagues, and reviewers have been incorporated. The net result of these changes should be to make the book more useful to students in learning how to identify minerais using the petrographic microscope. A number of additional photomicrographs of minerais are included as is a new determinative diagram that plots minerais as a function of index of refraction and birefringence. As always, 1 will be delighted to hear from students, faculty, and other users of the book should errors or areas for improvement be identified. Greeley, Colorado April 1990 W.D.N. Preface to the First Edition This book is intended for use in an introductory optical mineralogy course. The objective in preparing the book was to present in a single volume of reasonab