Show UniqueIdentification

Id 38
Identification Type Mineral
Name Calcite
Distinguishing Features High-birefringence
Transparent
Description Transparent colorless to pale greenish. High birefringence. Rhombic or ellipsoidal euhedra, corroded grains, micritic masses most common; more rarely twins, bow-ties, dendrites, sprays. Medium relief. Occurs as inorganic precipitate in lakes, in surface water and diagenetically (including as a replacement); also irregular detrital grains and rock fragments.

Organisms with calcite skeletal components include ostracodes, some molluscs, foraminifera, coccoliths, calcareous nannoplankton, Phacotus, charophytes, peloids, microbialites.
Tags carbonate
Colorless
Rhombic
euhedral
salt
External Resources Calcite on MinDat
Imposters Dolomite

Images
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Twin
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: not specified
Notes: rhombic equant
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Twin
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: not specified
Notes: rhombic equant
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: not specified
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630
Submitted by: Michael Rosen Blas Valero
Notes: transparent high-birefringent rhombohedric detrital
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: not specified
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630
Submitted by: Michael Rosen Blas Valero
Notes: transparent high-birefringent rhombohedric detrital
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Tanners
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400x
Submitted by: Amy Myrbo
Notes: coarse polycrystalline twinned shallow-water
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Tanners
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400x
Submitted by: Amy Myrbo
Notes: coarse polycrystalline twinned shallow-water
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Twin
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400x
Submitted by: Amy Myrbo
Notes: polycrystalline
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Twin
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400x
Submitted by: Amy Myrbo
Notes: polycrystalline
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Big Soda Lake
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630
Submitted by: Michael Rosen Blas Valero
Notes: calcite aggregates, transparent high-birefringent
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Tahltan Lake, BC, Canada
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400.0
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Triassic marine limestone
Image Tags: corroded resorbed detrital pitted
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Tahltan Lake, BC, Canada
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400X
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Triassic marine limestone
Image Tags: corroded resorbed detrital pitted
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Tahltan Lake, BC, Canada
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400.0
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Triassic marine limestone
Image Tags: subangular anhedral detrital extreme-birefringence
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Tahltan Lake, BC, Canada
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400.0
Submitted by: Mark Shapley
Notes: Triassic marine limestone
Image Tags: subangular anhedral detrital extreme-birefringence
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Big Soda Lake
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630
Submitted by: Michael Rosen Blas Valero
Notes: calcite aggregates, transparent high-birefringent
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Miscanti
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 100
Submitted by: Blas Valero
Notes: highly birefringent, high relief elongated, coating fragments (Chara?)
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Miscanti
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 100
Submitted by: Blas Valero
Notes: highly birefringent, high relief elongated, coating fragments (Chara?)
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Titicaca
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400
Submitted by: Blas Valero
Notes: transparent high-birefringent rhombohedric endogenic
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Titicaca
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400
Submitted by: Blas Valero
Notes: transparent high-birefringent rhombohedric endogenic
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Negro Francisco
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630
Submitted by: Blas Valero
Notes: transparent high-birefringent rhombohedric endogenic, could be dolomite
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Negro Francisco
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630
Submitted by: Blas Valero
Notes: transparent high-birefringent rhombohedric endogenic, could be dolomite
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Titicaca
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630
Submitted by: Blas Valero
Notes: transparent high-birefringent rhombohedric endogenic
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Titicaca
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 630
Submitted by: Blas Valero
Notes: transparent high-birefringent rhombohedric endogenic
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: South Fraserdale, ON
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: Andy Breckenridge
Notes: limestone, calcite, detrital, glaciolacustrine
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: South Fraserdale, ON
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: Andy Breckenridge
Notes: limestone, calcite, detrital, glaciolacustrine
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Itzan, Guatemala
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: Andy Breckenridge
Notes: limestone, calcite, detrital, glaciolacustrine
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Itzan, Guatemala
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: not specified
Submitted by: Andy Breckenridge
Notes: limestone, calcite, detrital, glaciolacustrine
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Bear
Light type: Cross-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400
Submitted by: Joe Smoot
Notes: multiple extinction domains with jagged boundaries, high birefringence
Image Tags: none
Unique Identification: Calcite
Site name: Owens
Light type: Plane-Polarized Light
Magnification: 400X
Submitted by: Joe Smoot
Notes: dense translucent with bright internal grains, elongate with even width
Image Tags: none

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