Digital image processing technique in rock forming minerals identification

In this study, several image processing techniques have been studied for mineral identification. The image data are obtained from a thin section under a polarizing microscope through a video camera with a frame grabber card. The data have been collected for isotropic (garnet), anisotropic non-pleochroic (quartz), and anisotropic pleochroic (biotit) minerals, during parallel- and cross-nicol observation. Using the image processing technique, color analysis can be done by a quantitative method; that is why the optical characteristics and physical phenomena of minerals can be explained more clearly. The end result of this study gives us a promising method for mineral identification using the digital image processing technique.