BH250-85
Title
BH250-85
Subject
Amygdaloidal, porphyritic basalt
Description
Major Minerals: Titanaugite (zoned and showing Carlsbad twinning) Plagioclase
Minor Minerals: Analcime, Zeolites, Serpentine (alteration product of olivine), Oxides
Optical Features: Titanaugite displays anomalous interference colors, compared to expected birefringence values.
Note on Anomalous Interference Colors:
Titanaugite contains significant titanium, which enhances pleochroic absorption. This strong absorption alters the behavior of light as it travels through the crystal, causing deviations from the typical interference colors expected from its birefringence. These anomalous interference colors are primarily due to intense pleochroism and absorption linked to titanium and iron content, a phenomenon known as anomalous interference coloration.
Amygdules and amygdaloidal basalt:
Vesicles in basalt filled with concentrically zoned secondary minerals are a striking result of post-eruption processes, recording interactions between fluids and solidified rock. Vesicles form when volatiles (e.g., H₂O, CO₂, SO₂) escape from magma during eruption. As lava cools rapidly, gas bubbles become trapped, leaving spherical or elongated cavities. After solidification, hydrothermal fluids or groundwater enter the basalt and deposit minerals inside the vesicles, a process known as amygdaloid formation. The infilled vesicles, called amygdules, contain secondary minerals. Amygdules are rounded, almond-shaped mineral deposits. These minerals often form concentric bands due to stepwise precipitation as fluid conditions change (e.g., temperature, pH, or chemistry). Early minerals coat the walls; later ones fill the center. Supersaturation of minerals like calcite or zeolites leads to layered deposition.
Typical textures include:
• Concentric banding – Alternating mineral layers
• Botryoidal texture – Grape-like mineral masses
• Zonation – Color or compositional variation from rim to core
These features not only stand out visually but also reflect the history of fluid-rock interaction and may indicate low-grade metamorphism or hydrothermal alteration. Common secondary minerals include zeolites, analcime, calcite, chlorite, and quartz, each marking shifts in post-volcanic conditions.
Minor Minerals: Analcime, Zeolites, Serpentine (alteration product of olivine), Oxides
Optical Features: Titanaugite displays anomalous interference colors, compared to expected birefringence values.
Note on Anomalous Interference Colors:
Titanaugite contains significant titanium, which enhances pleochroic absorption. This strong absorption alters the behavior of light as it travels through the crystal, causing deviations from the typical interference colors expected from its birefringence. These anomalous interference colors are primarily due to intense pleochroism and absorption linked to titanium and iron content, a phenomenon known as anomalous interference coloration.
Amygdules and amygdaloidal basalt:
Vesicles in basalt filled with concentrically zoned secondary minerals are a striking result of post-eruption processes, recording interactions between fluids and solidified rock. Vesicles form when volatiles (e.g., H₂O, CO₂, SO₂) escape from magma during eruption. As lava cools rapidly, gas bubbles become trapped, leaving spherical or elongated cavities. After solidification, hydrothermal fluids or groundwater enter the basalt and deposit minerals inside the vesicles, a process known as amygdaloid formation. The infilled vesicles, called amygdules, contain secondary minerals. Amygdules are rounded, almond-shaped mineral deposits. These minerals often form concentric bands due to stepwise precipitation as fluid conditions change (e.g., temperature, pH, or chemistry). Early minerals coat the walls; later ones fill the center. Supersaturation of minerals like calcite or zeolites leads to layered deposition.
Typical textures include:
• Concentric banding – Alternating mineral layers
• Botryoidal texture – Grape-like mineral masses
• Zonation – Color or compositional variation from rim to core
These features not only stand out visually but also reflect the history of fluid-rock interaction and may indicate low-grade metamorphism or hydrothermal alteration. Common secondary minerals include zeolites, analcime, calcite, chlorite, and quartz, each marking shifts in post-volcanic conditions.
Coverage
Location: Tahiti
Creator
Bereket Haileab
Source
From the rock collection of Bereket Haileab. Sample BH250-85. Housed at Carleton College in Minnesota.
Type
Thin section
Relation
Collection
Citation
Bereket Haileab, “BH250-85,” BH250 Mineralogy Teaching Collection, accessed April 25, 2026, https://bereket-haileab.geology.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/96.