This collection of virtual thin sections is the result of a collaboration between earth scientists at Portsmouth University and The Open University. The collection consists of 26 slides from the Portsmouth teaching collection, including igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION! This Collection is currently under development, so you may notice reduced functionality as new samples are brought online.
Alessandro Da Mommio runs the Alex Strekeisen website. He graduated in 2009 in Earth Sciences at the University of Pisa, and obtained the MSc in Earth Sciences and Technologies at the same University in 2013. From November 2014, he has worked as a PhD Student at "A.Desio" Earth Science Department in Milan (Italy).
The Ilimaussaq alkaline complex is the type locality for agpaitic nepheline syenites and represents an enormous concentration of rare elements, notably Li, Be, Nb, Zr, REE, Y, Th and U. Around 220 mineral species have been identified. We can't identify all the minerals present in these samples. Email us at virtual-microscope@open.ac.uk if you can help.
Note we have recently expanded the collection to include other syenite complexes worldwide.
Jistin Filiberto at Southern Illinois University