Definition
Petrography is the description and systematic classification of rocks, mainly by the microscopic examination of thin sections.
Introduction
Petrographic analysis identifies the origin, whether igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic, and the mineral content for the classification of a rock.
Analysis usually comprises the description of the macroscopic aspects of the rock, such as fabric, color, grain size, and other relevant characteristics that may be visually observed in hand specimen or in outcrops, and chiefly the identification and description of microscopic characteristics of the studied material in thin sections such as mineral composition, texture, grain size, and evidence of alteration and/or deformation.
The results of petrographic analysis are an important tool for many branches of the geosciences by allowing the determination of the conditions of the formation of the rock, but, in engineering geology, the aim is to explain the mechanical behavior and anticipating...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Allard B, Sotin C (1988) Determination of mineral phase percentages in granular rocks by image analysis on a microcomputer. Comput Geosci 14:261–269
American Society for Testing and Material – ASTM C1721-15 (2015) Standard guide for petrographic examination of dimension stone. West Conshohocken, ASTM International
American Society for Testing and Material – ASTM C1778-14 (2014) Standard guide for reducing the risk of deleterious alkali-aggregate reaction in concrete. West Conshohocken, ASTM International
American Society for Testing and Material – ASTM C295-12 (2012) Standard guide for petrographic examination of aggregates for concrete. ASTM International, West Conshohocken
British Standard Institution – BSI. BS EN 12407:2007 Natural stone test methods – petrographic examination
British Standard Institution – BSI. BS EN 932–3:1997 Tests for general properties of aggregates – part 3: procedure and terminology for simplified petrographic description
Bucher K, Grapes R (rev) (2011) Petrogenesis of metamorphic rocks. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer, 428 p
Carozzi AV (1993) Sedimentary petrography. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 263 p
Deer WA, Howie RA, Zussman J (2013) An introduction to the rock-forming minerals, 3rd edn. The Mineralogical Society, London, 498 p
Demange M (2012) Mineralogy for petrologists: optics, chemistry and occurrence of rock-forming minerals. Taylor & Francis Group, London, 173 p
Dunham RJ (1962) Classification of carbonate rocks according to depositional texture. In: Ham WE (ed) Classification of carbonate rocks: a symposium. Tulsa, Oklahoma, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG memoir, p. 108–121
Frascá MHBO (2013) Dimension stone and technological characteristics. In: Vidal FWH, Azevedo HCA, Castro NF (eds) Technology of ornamental stones: research, mining and processing. CETEM/MCTI, Rio de Janeiro, pp 43–98. (in Portuguese)
Folk RL (1962) Spectral subdivisions of limestone types. In: Ham WE (ed) Classification of carbonate rocks: a symposium. Tulsa, Oklahoma, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, AAPG memoir. p. 62–84
Hibbard MJ (1995) Petrography to petrogenesis. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 587 p
Hutchison CS (1974) Laboratory handbook of petrographic techniques. Wiley, New York, 527 p
Irfan TY, Dearman WR (1978) The engineering petrography of weathered granite in Cornwall, England. Q J Eng Geol Hydrogeol 11:233–244
Klein C, Dutrow B (2008) Manual of mineral science (after Dana JD). 23rd ed. Rev. ed. of Manual of Mineralogy 21st ed. rev. 1999. Hoboken: Wiley. 675 p
Le Bas MJ, Streckeisen AL (1991) The IUGS systematics of igneous rocks. J Geol Soc Lond 148:825–833
Le Maitre RW (ed) (2003) International Union of Geological Sciences. Subcommission on the Systematics of Igneous Rocks. In: Igneous rocks: A classification and glossary of terms: recommendations of the International Union of Geological Sciences. Subcommission on the Systematics of Igneous Rocks (2nd edn) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 236 p
MacKenzie WS, Guilford C (1980) Atlas of rock-forming minerals in thin section. Longman Scientific & Technical, London, 98 p
MacKenzie WS, Donaldson CH, Guilford C (1982) Atlas of igneous rocks and their textures. Longman Scientific & Technical, London, 148 p
Moorhouse WW (1959) The study of rocks in thin section. Harper & Brothers, New York, 514p
Neuendorf KKE, Mehl JP Jr, Jackson JA (ed) (2011) Glossary of geology (5th edn, revised). American Geosciences Institute, Virginia, 783 p
Pettijohn FJ (1975) Sedimentary rocks, 3rd edn. Harper & Row Publishers, New York, 628p
Pettijohn FJ, Potter PE, Siever R (1987) Sand and sandstone, 2nd edn. Springer, New York, 553 p
Schmid R, Fettes D, Harte B, Davis E, Desmons J (2007) How to name a metamorphic rock. Recommendations by the IUGS subcommission on the systematics of metamorphic rocks: web version 01/02/07. 22 p. https://www.bgs.ac.uk/scmr/products.html. Accessed in 14 May 2014
Shelley D (1992) Igneous and metamorphic rocks under the microscope – classification, textures, microstructures and mineral preferred-orientations. Chapman & Hall, Cambridge, 445p
Williams H, Turner FJ, Gilbert CM (1982) Petrography. An introduction to the study of rocks in thin sections, 2nd edn. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, 626 p
Yardley BWD, MacKenzie WS, Guilford C (1990) Atlas of metamorphic rocks and their textures. Longman Scientific & Technical, London, 120 p
Zorlu K, Gokceoglu C, Ocakoglu F, Nefeslioglu HA, Acikalin S (2008) Prediction of uniaxial compressive strength of sandstones using petrography-based models. Eng Geol 96:141–158
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this entry
Cite this entry
de Oliveira Frascá, M.H.B. (2018). Petrographic Analysis. In: Bobrowsky, P.T., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73568-9_218
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73568-9_218
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-73566-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-73568-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences