Epidote-rimmed albite and sieve-textured hornblende in Buck Creek (NC) amphibolite.

Click on image to enlarge.          Photo © Daniel R. Snyder

Epidote (cyan and magenta) rimming albite grains (white or gray) and sieve-textured hornblende (stippled orange and brown grains: left center, bottom center, lower left, bottom right) in Buck Creek  amphibolite. Blue Ridge Mountains, Clay County, western North Carolina. XPL. Imaged area 1.3mm by 2 mm.

Below: Higher magnification PPL image of sieve texture in hornblende grain at bottom center of image above. Imaged area 0.27mm by 0.4mm.

Click on image to enlarge.          Photo © Daniel R. Snyder

Below: Epidote-rimmed albite in another area of the same thin section. XPL.  Imaged area 0.76mm by 1.14mm. Ab=albite, Hbl=hornblende, Mt=magnetite. Epidote, not labeled, is the high-birefringence mineral rimming the albite grains.

Click on image to enlarge.          Photo © Daniel R. Snyder

Below:  PPL image of above. Note green color of hornblende (stage is rotated to give a pale green color) and sieve texture in hornblende grain at left of image.

Click on image to enlarge.          Photo © Daniel R. Snyder

Pseudomorphs after pyroxene in greenstone

Click on image to enlarge.          Photo © Daniel R. Snyder

Above: Serpentine pseudomorphs after pyroxene. Greenstone, specimen No. 5. Pebble in glacial gravel, southeastern Michigan. Provenance likely northern Ontario. XPL. Imaged area 2.7mm by 4mm.
Below, as above. Imaged area 3.2mm by 3.5mm.

Click on image to enlarge.          Photo © Daniel R. Snyder

Below, as above. Imaged area 1.3mm by 2mm.