Name(s): XXXXXXXXX!

Student Number(s): XXXXXXXXX

Petrographic Description - Sample 1

Sample: Hypothetical Sample
Location: Nowhere, Canada
Name: Moderately fractured, moderately albite-epidote-

sericte-chlorite-hematite altered hornblende granite

Textures: Porphyritic with coarse-grained potassic
feldspar phenocrysts in a medium-grained, poorly
foliated grouodmass.
Field relations: Phase of a composite granitoid batholith
Description: Rock is a pale pink and green, moderately
fractured intrusive igneous rock that has been altered by
hydrothermal fluids. Most fractures are small and are
infilled with a white-green colored mineral assemblage,
however, one third of the rock (and thin section)
comprises a large vein of matrix supported breccia
(discussed at end of report). Modal mineralogy of
primary mineralogy (igneous) suggests that this was a
hornblende granite.

MINERAL

MODAL %

plagioclase

32

quartz

36

orthoclase

12

Mineral Descriptions

chlorite (clinochlore)

15

clinozoisite (epidote)

plagioclase: Relict subhedral plagioclase (1.1 mm avg)

commonly found in complex clusters (glomerocrysts) that reach
6.5 mm in size. Glomerocrysts have irregular grain boundaries
and show albite and carlsbad twinning (Plate 2). Individual and
glomercysts have no primary inclusions, however, they contain
abundant secondary inclusions of clinozoisite-epidote, located
within the cores of the plagioclase grains, and very fine grained
hematite.

magnetite

<1

hematite

<1

white mica (sericite)

<1

titanite

<1

Page 1 of 3!

Plate 1: Top - Hand sample, Bottom - representative

photomicrograph of sample 1, PPL. Field of view = 4 mm

potassium feldspar (orthoclase) : Relict interstitial anhedral

orthoclase (0.75 mm avg) with minor perthite exsolution
laminae. Minor primary inclusions of quartz and plagioclase,
however, contain secondary inclusions of sericite giving a
dusty appearance in ppl.

GEOL 235: Lab Assignment #0 - Granites

Name(s): XXXXXXXXX!

Student Number(s): XXXXXXXXX

quartz : Anhedral ameboid quartz (4.1 mm avg) with undulose extinction and abundant 2-phase fluid inclusions (up
to 0.01 mm) (Plate 2).
chlorite : Partial pseudomorphic chlorite (1.5 mm avg) after amphibole (hornblende?). Titanite, albite, magnetite
and epidote inclusions along basal cleavage.
clinozoisite : Small (<0.1 mm) subhedral to anhedral inclusions within plagioclase and chlorite.
Summary
Primary : The primary crystallization sequence was plagioclase, titanite (?), hornblende, quartz, orthoclase.
Plagioclase glomerocrysts were likely formed during magmatic differentiation.
Secondary : Moderately altered plagioclase and potassium feldspar with up to 30% partial replacement to epidotewhite mica (sericite)-hematite. Quartz shows evidence of extensive recrystallization and fluid infiltration by the
undulose extinction and with numerous secondary fluid inclusions (up to 20%)(Plate 2).
Structure : Moderate fracture/veining is present with thin section at a frequency of 1.65 veins per cm with an
average vein aperture of 2.1 mm. One third of thin section has been extensive altered during brittle deformation
(Plate 2).

Page 2 of 3!

GEOL 235: Lab Assignment #0 - Granites

Name(s): XXXXXXXXX!

Student Number(s): XXXXXXXXX

Plate 2: Photomicrographs of sample 1. A) Hematite-clinozoisite (Czo) altered plagioclase (Plag) glomerocryst in a

quartz (Qtz) groundmass (plane polarized light, PPL-scale bar = 1 mm) l). B) cross polarized light, XPL. C) Chlorite
(Chl) after amphibole (hornblende?) with clinozoisite and titanite inclusions (PPL-scale bar = 1 mm). D) cross
polarized light, XPL. E) Brittle fracture contact (dashed line) with hornblende granite. Fracture is infilled with a claysericite-epidote-hematite(?) matrix supporting clasts of plagioclase, quartz, calcite, and orthoclase (PPL-scale bar = 1

mm). F) same as E, XPL.

Page 3 of 3!

GEOL 235: Lab Assignment #0 - Granites