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Story: Geology – overview

Marlborough schist under the microscope

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Marlborough schist under the microscope

A microscope slice of Marlborough schist, 3 millimetres across, viewed under polarized light. There is a very strong alignment of minerals, with an alternation of coarser and finer-grained layers. The larger grains (white to dark grey) are quartz and feldspar, whereas the smaller, coloured grains are mainly mica.

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GNS Science

by Nick Mortimer

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney and Simon Nathan, Geology – overview – Disturbances on the edge of Gondwana, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9852/marlborough-schist-under-the-microscope (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney and Simon Nathan, published 2 March 2009.