petrography
Describing rock types
Petrography is the branch of geology concerned with describing and classifying rocks—their mineral composition, texture, and structure as observed in hand specimens and under the microscope.
Where petrology asks how rocks form and change, petrography focuses on what they look like: The petrography of the sample revealed quartz and feldspar crystals in a fine-grained matrix.
Instrument for viewing minute objects
- polarizedSplit into opposing factions
- magnificationDegree of visual enlargement
- spectroscopyStudy of light-matter interaction
- geochemistryEarth's chemical makeup science
laboratory · diagram · microprobe · photomicrograph · backscatter · fluorescence
Silicate mineral group
- quartzCrystalline silicon dioxide
- micaLayered silicate mineral
- olivineGreen igneous rock mineral
- pyroxeneRock-forming silicate group
amphibole · garnet · calcite · biotite · hornblende · muscovite · chlorite · silicate
Formed from cooled magma
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- metamorphicUndergoing structural change
- faciesDiagnostic facial appearance
- taxonomyScience of categorical arrangement
Having small sacs
- glassySmooth and shiny
- foliatedLayered like pages
- grainCereal plant's harvest unit
- matrixOrdered numerical arrangement
interlocking · clastic · crystalline · graphic · microcrystalline · banded · laminated · massive
microscope
Instrument for viewing minute objects
- polarizedSplit into opposing factions
- magnificationDegree of visual enlargement
- spectroscopyStudy of light-matter interaction
geochemistry · laboratory · diagram · microprobe · photomicrograph · backscatter · fluorescence
feldspar
Silicate mineral group
pyroxene · amphibole · garnet · calcite · biotite · hornblende · muscovite · chlorite · silicate · dolomite
igneous
Formed from cooled magma
- sedimentaryFormed from deposited material
- metamorphicUndergoing structural change
- faciesDiagnostic facial appearance
vesicular
Having small sacs
matrix · interlocking · clastic · crystalline · graphic · microcrystalline · banded · laminated · massive
petrographypaleontology
Study of ancient organisms
geomorphology · stratigraphy · sedimentology · volcanology · seismology