Rocks and Microscopy > Komatiite, Kambalda, Australia by Ian Butler

The orthomagamatic sulfide deposit at Kambalda is hosted within komatiitic lavas. These ultramafic rocks are high volume melts and so can include a large amount of metal sulfide, normally a restite phase. Crystallisation of the komatiite melts was assocaited with the development of high supersaturation with respect to olivine and growth of skeletal spinifex olivine textures as illustrated by the elongate olivine crystals in this section.

Gigapan from a meiji microscope converted to work in cross polars and using a Zeiss luminar objective and direct eyepiece projection.