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Rather than referring to a particular mineral with a specific chemical composition, plagioclase is a continuous solid solution series, more properly known as the plagioclase feldspar series. This was first shown by the German mineralogist Johann Friedrich Christian Hessel (1796–1872) in 1826.
Its chemical formula is (Ca, Na)(Al, Si) 4 O 8, where Ca/(Ca + Na) (% anorthite) is between 30 and 50%. The formula may be written as Na 0.7-0.5 Ca 0.3-0.5 Al 1.3-1.5 Si 2.7-2.5 O 8. [2] The plagioclase feldspars are a continuous solid solution series and as such the accurate identification of individual members requires detailed optical study ...
The ratio of alkali feldspar to plagioclase feldspar, together with the proportion of quartz, is the basis for the QAPF classification of igneous rock. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] [ 17 ] Calcium-rich plagioclase is the first feldspar to crystallize from cooling magma, then the plagioclase becomes increasingly sodium-rich as crystallization continues.
Anorthite (an = not, ortho = straight) is the calcium endmember of the plagioclase feldspar mineral series. The chemical formula of pure anorthite is CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8. Anorthite is found in mafic igneous rocks. Anorthite is rare on the Earth [6] but abundant on the Moon. [7]
Albite is a plagioclase feldspar mineral. It is the sodium endmember of the plagioclase solid solution series. It represents a plagioclase with less than 10% anorthite content. The pure albite endmember has the formula Na Al Si 3 O 8. It is a tectosilicate. Its color is usually pure white, hence its name from Latin, albus. [5]
Monzonite is defined as rock having less than 5% quartz in its QAPF fraction and in which alkali feldspar makes up between 35% and 65% of the total feldspar content. If quartz constitutes greater than 5% of the QAPF fraction, the rock is termed a quartz monzonite , while if feldspathoids are present as up to 10% of the QAPF fraction, the rock ...
Anorthosite (/ ə ˈ n ɔːr θ ə s aɪ t /) is a phaneritic, intrusive igneous rock characterized by its composition: mostly plagioclase feldspar (90–100%), with a minimal mafic component (0–10%). Pyroxene, ilmenite, magnetite, and olivine are the mafic minerals most commonly present.
Diorite is an intrusive igneous rock composed principally of the silicate minerals plagioclase feldspar (typically andesine), biotite, hornblende, and sometimes pyroxene. The chemical composition of diorite is intermediate, between that of mafic gabbro and felsic granite.