The purpose of this project is to identify the unknown minerals in a metamorphosed ultramafic rock sample from Day Book Mine in western North Carolina. These rocks contain Mg and Fe rich amphiboles and sheet silicates resulting from the metamorphism of the olivine-rich parent rock. Due to the similar chemistry of the minerals, morphology and other characteristics of the different phases is key to identification. Additionally, the chemical composition of the minerals is necessary to differentiate mineral species. The minerals within our samples are identified by comparing data collected from the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and the Polarized Light Microscope (PLM). The different mineral phases can be identified by the morphological characteristics observed with both microscopes. Chemical composition is measured using the X-ray detectors in the electron microscope and unique optical properties are observed using the light microscope. The mineral phases within these samples give insight to the composition and formation of these rocks.
