A companion volume to the "Atlas of rock-forming minerals in thin section", this full-colour handbook is designed to be used as a laboratory manual both by elementary students of earth sciences undertaking a study of igneous rocks in thin section under the microscope, and by more advanced students and teachers as a reference work. The book is divided into two parts - Part one is devoted to photographs of many of the common textures found in igneous rocks with brief descriptions accompanying each photograph. Part two illustrates the appearance of examples of some sixty of the commonest (and a few not so common) igneous rock types; each photograph is accompanied by a brief description of the field of view shown. Nearly 300 full-colour photographs are included, and in many cases the same view is shown both in plen-polarized light and under crossed polars. A brief account of how thin sections can be prepared is included as an appendix.

An introduction to the thin section description and interpretation of metamorphic rocks, their textures, and microstructures, for advanced undergraduate and graduate geology students. Sections cover some of the broader aspects of metamorphism and metamorphic rocks, the basics of description and interpretation of the textural/microstructural features from the simplest to the more complex, and advanced interpretations in polydeformed and polymetamorphosed rocks. Also available in paper (02414-2), $29.95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This concise volume is designed for the introductory undergraduate level. With the help of colour photographs, the authors explain how to observe, describe and identify thin section samples of rocks and minerals using the polarizing microscope.

A text which aims to help undergraduate students in geology to recognize and interpret metamorphic textures and microstructures in thin-section. For lecturers and postgraduates in geology and petrology, the book provides reference for the interpretation of metamorphic rocks.

The Atlas of Minerals and Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks in Thin-section provides the geology student and geoscientist with a stunning new color atlas of the main rock-forming minerals and igneous and metamorphic rocks in thin-section. It showcases minerals in various settings and degrees of alteration and preservation to allow users to best identify their own specimens in practice. Chapters highlight the distinctive characteristics used to identify different minerals. Building on this base, following chapters describe rock textures and types, summarising their petrogenesis within a plate tectonic framework. This book also includes insights into how information from photomicrographs can be studied using modern analytical methods, increasing understanding of geological processes. This Atlas is an indispensable reference textbook for all facilities that use a petrographic microscope, for professional geoscientists, and as an aid for any student studying minerals and rocks.