Rock Thin Sections

Use of a digital microscope

Dr Peter Copley

Newcastle College

June 2004

Philip Harris (Motic) Microscope

Cost: about £1200(to the Biology dept!)

Includes software

The Microscope

Digital cameraBinoculareyepiece(x10)

ObjectiveLenses(x4,x10,x40,X100 oe)

MainPowerswitch Camera

power

Powerinput

usb

No polarising facilities

Adequate for basic textural images.

Exam papers only use/expect monochromatic

drawings.

Acknowledgement

Thin sections

Geology department

Keele University

Sedimentary Rocks

Desert sandstone (x40)

Keele Sandstone (x40)

Sherwood Sandstone (x40)‘Bunter Sst’

Oolitic Limestone (x40)

Limestone – calcite crystals in shell (x100)

Arkose (x40)

Igneous Rocks

Peridotite (x40)

Olivine

Pyroxene

Porphyrytic Olivine Basalt

Groundmass

Ophitic Texture (x40) Pyroxene

Feldspar

Zoned Olivine crystal (x40)

Spherulitic Pitchstone (x40)

Metamorphic Rocks

Garnet Mica Schist (x100)

Mica

Chiastolite Slate (x40)

Gneiss (x40) Felsic minerals

Mafic minerals

Sillimanite needles (x400)

Kyanite & Biotite (x100)

Alternatively……

What if you cannot afford £1200?

A cheaper alternative!About £40But discontinued in 2002 by Intel.But now available…….

£60 from www.thepcstore.co.uk

Don’t expect the image quality to be as good!!!

Oolitic Limestone (x60)

Porphyritic Basalt (x60)

Ophitic Texture (x60)

PyroxeneFeldspar

Chiastolite Slate (x60)

Will it do???

That’s up to you!

THE END