Adaptive identification interview
The next question is chosen from the properties that best separate the current leading candidates.
Steps answered: 0Diagnostic evidence: 0Candidate species: 485
Database: 0
Candidates: 0
Evidence: 0
Mode: Ranked
Look-Alike Laboratory
Compare the top candidates automatically or choose up to four from result cards.
Field-test protocols
Use these procedures to improve observation quality and avoid common identification errors.
Explorer results: 0Groups: 0
Mineral Chemistry Laboratory
Interpret ideal formulas without pretending generalized solid solutions are exact chemical analyses.
Oxidation-state model
Elemental composition
Solid solutions and substitutions
Integration-ready record
Endmember calculator
Mix two ideal endmembers by molar fraction. The result is an idealized bulk composition, not a crystallographic site assignment.
Chemistry audit
Checks formula coverage, mineral-class assignment, atomic-mass coverage, and mass-percent closure.
No chemistry audit has been run in this session.
Igneous petrology
Interactive Bowen’s Reaction Series
Explore the discontinuous ferromagnesian branch, the continuous plagioclase branch, late felsic phases, and the chemical trends produced as a melt evolves.
HotterCooler
Discontinuous branchFerromagnesian minerals react to form new structures
Continuous branchPlagioclase composition shifts from Ca-rich to Na-rich
Late, silica-rich assemblage
Down-series trends
Broad trends from early high-temperature phases toward late low-temperature phases.
Plagioclase An–Ab composition explorer
Move through the continuous branch using anorthite mol% (An). The formula is an idealized albite–anorthite bulk composition.
Use an igneous assemblage as supporting evidence
These presets populate the existing geologic-context controls. They influence ranking modestly and never replace streak, hardness, cleavage, magnetism, acid reaction, or other physical evidence.
No Bowen mapping audit has been run in this session.
View the supplied reference diagram
Data and ranking diagnostics
Runs structural checks, context enrichment checks, guided-question validation, and ideal-profile recovery.
No audit has been run in this session.
Mineral ID v4.1 — Igneous Petrology
- All v3 adaptive identification, uncertainty, geologic-context, look-alike, and unknown-specimen features remain intact.
- Formula parsing distinguishes exact, generalized, and descriptive records.
- Exact formulas receive molar mass and elemental mass percentages; variable formulas do not receive false precision.
- Mineral class and silicate structural class are inferred from chemistry plus curated mineral-family knowledge.
- Charge-balanced oxidation-state assignments are shown as models, with ambiguity disclosed.
- Curated solid-solution families explain substitutions and provide an idealized endmember mixer.
- Chemistry records are structured for a later connection to the periodic-table workbench.
- An interactive Bowen reaction-series module links igneous mineral groups to database records and mineral chemistry.
- The plagioclase An–Ab explorer calculates idealized compositions and recognizes albite through anorthite compositional zones.
- Bowen assemblage presets feed the existing geologic-context ranking system as low-weight supporting evidence.
Ideal mineral formulas are not substitutes for microprobe, XRF, ICP-MS, XRD, Raman, or site-occupancy analysis. Natural minerals commonly contain vacancies, zoning, substitutions, mixed valence, and hydration variability.