Atlas of rock-forming minerals in thin section This full-colour handbook illustrates the appearance of common rock-forming minerals as seen in thin section under the polarizing microscope. It is not intended to replace a mineralogy textbook — rather it is designed to be used as a laboratory manual alongside the standard texts, by all students of earth sciences from sixth form to honours degree level. The book contains over 200 photomicrographs accompanied by short descriptions and summaries of the optical properties of the various minerals. The photographs are taken in either plane-polarized light or under crossed polars, and are carefully chosen to show the features by which the minerals can most easily be recognised.