Orthopyroxene Thin Section

Key optical features of pyroxene in thin section.
Orthopyroxene thin section. Orthopyroxene enstatite mg fe 2si2o6 thin section. Xpl image 10x field of view 2mm orthopyroxene crystal. Ppl image 2x field of view 7mm orthopyroxene crystal.
Elizabeth thomas 2003 andrea gohl 2007 and emma hall 2013. A diagnostic feature of members of the pyroxene group is the 110 cleavage that. Alex strekeisen i vetrini della mia fantasia.
Parallel extinction in longitudinal sections pale pink to green pleochroism. Xpl image 10x field of view 2mm orthopyroxene crystal with clinopyroxene rim in a dacite. Euhedral crystals will be stubby prisms.
Anhedral grains may fill the space between other grains. Orthopyroxene crystal with clinopyroxene rim in a dacite. Approximatly 90º cleavage planes.
Thin irregular and wavy lamellae common. Parallel extinction in longitudinal sections pale pink to green pleochroism. Thin irregular and wavy lamellae common.
Note the different extinction positions of the two phases. Fe rich orthopyroxene is typically found in diorite syenite and granite. The rock illustrated in these images contains both clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene and the significantly higher cr 2 o 3 content of the clinopyroxene in this sample gives it a pale green colour in plane polarized light whereas the cr poor orthopyroxene is colourless a.