Show UniqueIdentification

Id 39
Identification Type Mineral
Name Dolomite
Distinguishing Features Rhombic
High-birefringence
Description Transparent colorless. Nonpleochroic. Extremely high birefringence. Equant cleavage rhombs, usually with sharp edges. High relief. Usually detrital but may be authigenic in some rare environments. Usually small (fine silt to clay) grains. Higher relief than calcite, and rhombs generally more equant than calcite, but can be difficult to conclusively distinguish from calcite.
Tags carbonate
cleavage
high-relief
equant
transparent
colorless
salt
External Resources Dolomite on MinDat
Imposters Calcite
Difficult to distinguish between calcite and dolomite. Dolomite rhombs are typically more equant and higher relief, with sharper cleavage edges.
Images
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: not specified
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: Guy Rothwell
Notes: Euhedral dolomite rhomb, rhombic
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Pyramid
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400X
Submitted by: Joe Smoot
Notes: high relief, rhombic
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Pyramid
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400X
Submitted by: Joe Smoot
Notes: high birefringence, rhombic
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Lake Bosumtwi
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: not specified
Notes: none
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Lake Bosumtwi
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: not specified
Notes: none
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Bosumtwi
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630X
Submitted by: Michael Rosen Blas Valero
Notes: corroded rhombic transparent high-birefringent
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Bosumtwi
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630X
Submitted by: Michael Rosen Blas Valero
Notes: corroded rhombic transparent high-birefringent
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Bosumtwi
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630X
Submitted by: Michael Rosen Blas Valero
Notes: rhombic transparent high-birefringent
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Bosumtwi
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630X
Submitted by: Michael Rosen Blas Valero
Notes: euhedral, rhombic transparent high-birefringent
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Red Lake Peatland
Light type: Scanning Electron Micrograph
Magnification: 1200.0
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Detrital dolomite (composition confirmed by EDX) from beneath a peatland. The denticulate texture is interpreted as the result of partial dissolution in a low-pH depositional environment. Through the petrographic microscope, partially dissolved carbonate mineral grains may exhibit prominent 'zig-zag' patterning to birefringence, due to etching along cleavage planes and grain boundaries.
Image Tags: detrital toothed dissolution etched ragged reaction-texture SEM resorbed
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Red Lake Peatland
Light type: Scanning Electron Micrograph
Magnification: 1500.0
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Detrital dolomite (composition confirmed by EDX) from beneath a peatland. The denticulate texture is interpreted as the result of partial dissolution in a low-pH depositional environment. Through the petrographic microscope, partially dissolved carbonate mineral grains may exhibit prominent 'zig-zag' patterning to birefringence, due to etching along cleavage planes and grain boundaries.
Image Tags: detrital toothed dissolution etched ragged reaction-texture SEM resorbed
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Red Lake Peatland
Light type: Scanning Electron Micrograph
Magnification: 1200.0
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Detrital dolomite (composition confirmed by EDX) from beneath a peatland. The denticulate texture is interpreted as the result of partial dissolution in a low-pH depositional environment. Through the petrographic microscope, partially dissolved carbonate mineral grains may exhibit prominent 'zig-zag' patterning to birefringence, due to etching along cleavage planes and grain boundaries.
Image Tags: detrital toothed dissolution etched ragged reaction-texture SEM resorbed
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Red Lake Peatland
Light type: Scanning Electron Micrograph
Magnification: 5000.0
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Detrital dolomite (composition confirmed by EDX) from beneath a peatland. The denticulate texture is interpreted as the result of partial dissolution in a low-pH depositional environment. Through the petrographic microscope, partially dissolved carbonate mineral grains may exhibit prominent 'zig-zag' patterning to birefringence, due to etching along cleavage planes and grain boundaries.
Image Tags: detrital toothed dissolution etched ragged reaction-texture SEM resorbed
Unique Identification: Dolomite
Site name: Red Lake Peatland
Light type: Scanning Electron Micrograph
Magnification: 1800.0
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Detrital dolomite (composition confirmed by EDX) from beneath a peatland. The denticulate texture is interpreted as the result of partial dissolution in a low-pH depositional environment. Through the petrographic microscope, partially dissolved carbonate mineral grains may exhibit prominent 'zig-zag' patterning to birefringence, due to etching along cleavage planes and grain boundaries.
Image Tags: detrital toothed dissolution etched ragged reaction-texture SEM resorbed

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