GEL4050 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology Page1

VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

Name: Your Full Name Section: 001 Grade:

/50

Instructor’s Comments:

The following assignment was modified from Calculating of a CIPW norm from a bulk chemical analysis (2013) Kurt
Hollocher, Geology Department, Union College NY, and Calculation of CIPW Norm (2008), G. Mattioli, Dept. of Geosciences,
Univ. of Arkansas.

Materials:
9 Whole Rock Analytical Results 9 Calculator 9 Normative Calculation Instructions
9 Volcanic QAPF Diagram

Introduction:
Normative mineralogy calculations from bulk geochemical analysis were first developed in the 1930s by W. Cross, J.P. Iddings, L.V.
Pirsson, and H.S. Washington. Using the letters of their last name the method is called the CIPW normative calculation of igneous
rocks. A norm is essentially a set of idealized mineral-like components that are calculated from a whole rock chemical analysis based
on the predictable geochemistry of the Bowen’s Reaction Series and uses basically the following steps:
From Whole Rock Analysis (Oxides)
i. Find AMU for each Oxide
ii. Convert Oxide % to Moles
iii. Create Table Matrix:
(1) Using Normation Flowchart:
(2) Assign Moles to Minerals according to Oxide Formula
iv. Convert distributed Moles back to Oxide %
v. Add Oxide % for each individual mineral
vi. Result: Percent distribution of minerals
Norms are a great tool for classifying or comparing volcanic rocks, were crystals are too small to allow for an assessment of the
mineral mode. The calculated normative minerals are a representation of actual minerals present. Certain mineralogical rules are
assumed and observed in the calculation process as, for example, mutually exclusive mineral assemblages listed in table 1:

Table 1 - Observed and normative exclusive mineral assemblages

Mutually exclusive mineralogy observed Mutually exclusive mineralogy assumed in calculation

quartz and Mg-rich olivine quartz and olivine of any composition

quartz and nepheline quartz and nepheline

Al-silicates and augite corundum and diopside

orthopyroxene and nepheline orthopyroxene and nepheline

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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

Hence Table 2 summarizes the mutually INCLUSIVE mineral pairs commonly used in normative assessments:
Table 2 - Normative INCLUSIVE mineral assemblages

Mineral Assemblages Igneous Rock Interpretation

quartz, corundum, orthopyroxene silica-saturated, peraluminous, subalkaline

quartz, diopside, orthopyroxene Silica-saturated, subaluminous, subalkaline

olivine, diopside, orthopyroxene silica-undersaturated, subaluminous, subalkaline

olivine, diopside, nepheline silica-undersaturated, subaluminous, peralkaline

Using these generalizations you should be able to calculate mineralogies by using the procedure below from the data given.

The Data and Your Assignment:

The whole rock analysis of a volcanic igneous rock yields the following results:

SiO2 TiO2 Al2O3 FeO MgO CaO Na2O K2O LOI TOTAL

66 % 0.5 % 15 % 4.3 % 2.5 % 4.5 % 4.0 % 3.0 % 0.2 % 100 %

It will be your job during this lab to recalculate these oxides into mineral assemblages using a calculator and filling out the tables
below. Then classify this rock using the attached IUGS QAPF diagram for volcanic rocks.
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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

Procedure:
1) Divide the weight percentage (wt. %) of each oxide by its molecular weight to obtain the number of molecules (mols or molecular
proportion) of each oxide. Assume LOI is ALL H2O. Complete the table below. Fill in the Tally Fields with pencil so you can subtract
from the total as a follow the steps below. (Note: You may not need to fill out every single field):
Mol.W. 60.08

SiO2 TiO2 Al2O3 FeO MgO CaO Na2O K2O H2O

Weight% 66 % 0.5 % 15 % 4.3 % 2.5 % 4.5 % 4.0 % 3.0 % 0.2 %

Moles 1.09854

TALLY

Qtz

Ap

Il

Every time you tally/assign an appropriate oxide amount for each mineral you may adjust the sum tally of the oxide to see how much
of the oxide is remaining, or if there was any excess tallied. This will help you with the procedure below.

2) Add mol. prop. of MnO to that of FeO.

3)Make APATITE (3.3CaOCP2O5): Calculate normative apatite, which equals mol. prop. P2O5. Note that Ca is also in apatite, you
must tally the equivalent number of moles of CaO (3.33 times that of P2O5). (To be subtracted from the original CaO mol. prop.)

4)Make ILMENITE (FeOCTiO2): Calculate normative ilmenite, which equals the mol. prop. of TiO2 that does not exceed the
available amount of FeO, as it also is required to form stoichiometric ilmenite . You must also tally the equivalent mol. prop. of FeO
(To be subtracted from the original FeO mol. prop.)
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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

Make TITANITE (CaOCTiO2CSiO2) and/or RUTILE (TiO2): If the mol. prop. of TiO2 is greater than that of FeO, excess
TiO2 will remain. This will be used to calculate normative sphene or “titanite”. Again, since CaO is also in sphene, you must
tally an amount of CaO equal to the TiO2 used to make sphene. All remaining TiO2 is assigned to make rutile.

5) Make ORTHOCLASE (K2OCAl2O3C6SiO2): Calculate normative orthoclase, which equals the mol. prop. of K2O. Tally an equal
amount of Al2O3 and six times the mol. prop. of K2O under SiO2 as these are the appropriate stoichiometric proportions of these
components to make orthoclase.

[Rare] Make KALSILITE (K2OCSiO2): In rare cases of excess K2O over the amount of Al2O3, assign this to normative
potassium metasilicate or kalsilite. Tally the equivalent amount of mols under the mol. prop. of SiO2.

6) Make ALBITE (Na2OCAl2O3C6SiO2): Calculate normative albite, which equals the mol. prop. of Na2O. Similar to step (5) above,
tally the equal amount of Al2O3 and six times the mol. prop. of Na2O under the original amount of SiO2 as these are the appropriate
stoichiometric proportions of these components to make albite.

Make ACMITE (Na2OCFe2O3C4SiO2): If there is excess of Na2O over Al2O3, assign it to normative acmite, which equals
the excess mol. prop. of Na2O or Fe2O3, whichever is greater (acmite is the same as aegirine, NaFeSi2O6). (Note: Since only
%FeO is given in the original analysis, you may have to convert Fe2O3 to FeO and FeO to Fe2O3) Tally this amount of
Na2O and mol. prop. Fe2O3 and 4 times this amount under the mol. prop. of SiO2.

Make SODIUM METASILICATE (Na2OCSiO2): Excess Na2O is assigned to normative sodium metasilicate. Tally this
amount under mol. prop. SiO2. Any excess Fe2O3 should be assigned to normative magnetite (see step 8 below).

7) Make ANORTHITE (CaOCAl2O3C2SiO2): Calculate normative anorthite, which equals the excess CaO left over after forming
titanite in step 4. Tally CaO used to make anorthite under the remaining CaO; tally the same amount of Al2O3 and 2 times that amount
of SiO2, corresponding to the appropriate stoichiometry for anorthite.

Make CORUNDUM (Al2O3): If there is any remaining excess Al2O3, assign it to normative corundum. Any excess CaO
is used to make normative diopside and wollastonite in step 10 below.

8) Make MAGNETITE (FeOCFe2O3): Calculate normative magnetite, which corresponds to the mo, prop. of Fe2O3 or any excess
Fe2O3 left over after formation of acmite in step 6 above. Tally an equal amount of FeO to yield the appropriate stoichiometry for
magnetite.

Make HEMATITE (Fe2O3): If there remains any excess Fe2O3 after forming magnetite and you have used all the FeO, then
Fe2O3 should be assigned to form normative hematite.

9) Calculate the mol. prop. MgO/(MgO + remaining FeO). This is referred to as the Mg#.

10) Make DIOPSIDE (CaOCFeO+MgOC2SiO2): Calculate normative diopside, which is equal to the mol. prop. of CaO remaining
after making anorthite in step 7. An equal amount of MgO + FeO is allocated to diopside, maintaining the appropriate Mg# as
calculated in step 9. Tally amounts of MgO and FeO under their respective fields. Tally 2 times the amount of CaO under SiO2.

Make WOLLASTONITE (CaOCSiO2): If CaO remains after combination with MgO + FeO, it is assigned as provisional
wollastonite and an equal of amount of SiO2 is tallied under its total remaining mols.

11) Make HYPERSTENE (FeO+MgOCSiO2) or endmembers ENSTATITE (MgOCSiO2) and FERROSILITE (FeOCSiO2):
Calculate normative hypersthene (FeO+MgOCSiO2), which equals any remaining MgO + FeO. Appropriate proportions should be
assigned correspondingly to the Mg# calculated in step 9. Equivalently, the normative hypersthene may be expressed as normative
enstatite and normative ferrosilite. Tally an equal amount of SiO2 under its total.
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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

Make HYPERSTENE (FeO+MgOCSiO2) + OLIVINE (2(FeO+MgO)CSiO2): If SiO2 is deficient by more than half the
remaining MgO + FeO, then normative hypersthene is equal to 2 times the remaining SiO2 minus the mol. prop. of MgO
+ FeO. Assign normative olivine to the mol. prop. of MgO + FeO minus the amount of normative hypersthene.

Make OLIVINE (2(FeO+MgO)CSiO2) or endmembers FORSTERITE (2MgOCSiO2) and FAYALITE (2FeOCSiO2): If

SiO2 is less than half the remaining MgO + FeO, then normative olivine is equal to the mol. prop. of MgO + FeO and half
that amount is tallied under the mol. prop. of SiO2 . Equivalently, the normative hypersthene may be expressed as normative
forsterite and normative fayalite. Tally an equal amount of SiO2 under its total.

Make PEROVSKITE (CaO•TiO2), NEPHELINE (Na2O•Al2O3 •2SiO2) and/or LEUCITE (K2O•Al2O3 •4SiO2): If SiO2
is still deficient, similar procedures should be used to make perovskite (pf = CaO•TiO2) in place of titanite (CaOCTiO2CSiO2),
nepheline (ne = Na2O•Al2O3 •2SiO2) in place of albite (Na2OCAl2O3C6SiO2), and leucite (lc = K2O•Al2O3 •4SiO2) in place
of orthoclase (K2OCAl2O3C6SiO2).

12) H2O: Water is usually ignored in the original CIPW norm calculation, because all calculated mineral are assumed to come from
a dry magma. However, if small quantities of CaO, MgO, K2O, and/or Al2O3 are still remaining, see if the mole prop. fit common
hydrous rockforming minerals, such as MUSCOVITE (K2OC3Al2O3C6SiO2C2H2O), TREMOLITE (2CaOC5MgOC8SiO2CH2O), or
BIOTITE (K2OC3FeOC3MgOCAl2O3C6SiO2C2H2O). You may remove rare minerals, such as KALSILITE (K2OCSiO2) from step
5 to do so. If large amounts of H2O are assumed, micas are probably the preferred minerals to form. If orthoclase is definitely present,
muscovite can be assumed as a most likely candidate, and some of the K2O and mole proportionate Al2O3 and SiO2 forming orthoclase
may be removed to accommodate for muscovite. This, however, is a trial and error exercise to see if a better resolution of tallied
oxides can be accomplished by doing so. If you do, keep a copy of the original CIPW normation for classification and comparative
purposes.

13) Make QUARTZ (SiO2): Calculate normative silica as the mol. prop. of SiO2 remaining after the first part of step 11 and any
provisional values above are now fixed.

14) The norm for the rock is finally calculated from the normative oxide components determined by multiplying by the molecular
weight of each normative mineral. Do this in the table below.
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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

Mol.W. 60.08

SiO2 TiO2 Al2O3 FeO MgO CaO Na2O K2O H2O

Mineral Percentage

Qtz

Ap

Il

Rock Classification
G Start with the IUGS QAPF diagram for volcanics.
G From the mineral percentages of your CIPW norm calculation, recalculate QAP or APF to 100 and allot the
endmembers.
G Plot on diagram (see below)
G Complete the TAS diagram for Volcanic Rock Identification based on plotting SiO2 weight percent against the sum of Na2O
+ K2O weight percent. Use the diagram below to plot your result.
G How does your QAPF and TAS plots compare? Where do you see advantages and disadvantages in using the TAS plot
versus the QAPF plot.
Answer:
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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

G Plot your results on the

pictured QAPF diagram
for volcanics to determine
extrusive igneous rock
type.
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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

G Complete the pictured TAS plot

by plotting SiO2 weight percent
against the sum of Na2O + K2O
weight percent.

G For full credit: TURN IN the complete package for grading, including your plots and calculations.
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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB

YOUR ANSWERS:
Sample ID #: Rock Name (according to IUGS classification) leucocratic For grading purposes.
mesocratic Do NOT write here!
melanocratic
Rock Name (according to TAS classification)

Detailed Rock description (field notebook entry style) Minerals and percentages

Unusual observations (e.g. contains gem quality rubies)

VOLCANIC IGNEOUS ROCK ID LAB

LAB GRADE:

Instructor’s Comments:
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VOLCANIC IGNEOUS NORM CALCULATION & ROCK ID LAB