A key for identification of rock-forming minerals in thin-section / Ключ для идентификации породообразующих минералов в шлифе

Being able to accurately identify minerals in thin-section is an essential skill for any geologist, and is vital for the correct interpretation of rocks and their petrogenesis. It can be a particularly challenging prospect for students new to the subject. However, with a basic understanding of microscopy, petrology and optical mineralogy, coupled with some reference text books, it is soon possible to identify some of the major rock- forming minerals with confidence. However, being able to move beyond this, to efficiently and reliably identify newly encountered unknown minerals can prove difficult. Students may resort to flicking through the pages of one of the many beautifully illustrated atlases of rock-forming minerals (e.g. MacKenzie & Adams, 1994; MacKenzie & Guilford, 1980) or may use an optical mineralogy book such as Kerr (1977), or the superb “Introduction to Rock-forming Minerals” by Deer et al. (1992, 2013). To the novice, however, the latter can seem impenetrable at first glance, but with time becomes an essential companion. It is hoped that by producing a key to mineral identification, an efficient and systematic approach to identifying minerals in thin-section will be provided. This is not intended to replace the detailed optical mineralogy text book, but rather to complement it.