Petrography
This web site includes almost 200 photomicrographs of rocks and minerals.
All photographs are of thin sections ground to .03 mm thickness, in transmitted
white light. Some show the appearance of minerals in plane polarized light,
but most were taken with crossed polarizers on a petrographic microscope,
better to illustrate mineral properties and rock textures. The majority
of the pictures show a field of view 1.5 mm long (about 80X magnificaiton);
other magnifications are indicated where different.
This collection is intended as a tutorial for students of geology who are
somewhat familiar with mineral optics, but many people may find the beauty
of minerals in polarized light sufficient reason to browse this site. Additions
and changes are made periodically.
The photographs are arranged to illustrate common igneous
minerals, metamorphic minerals,
sedimentary minerals, rocks
that are formed from these minerals, and some common rock textures.
I suggest that you begin by looking at the minerals.
Petrography Home
Minerals List Rocks
List