PRELIMINARY CONFOCAL SCANNING LASER MICROSCOPY STUDY OF FLUID INCLUSIONS IN QUARTZ

The initial results of the first dedicated confocal scanning laser mic roscopy (CSLM) study of fluid inclusions in quartz are presented, CSLM imaging of a large inclusion shows the quartz crystal to contain nume rous small (<1 mu m), highly reflective inclusions arranged along plan es in at least two directions that are not readily visible in transmit ted light. The technique allows measurements to be made of the angular intersection and orientation of the planes in both two and three dime nsions, Results suggest that larger inclusions (> 10 mu m) occur where two planes of small inclusions intersect, and that the shape of the l arge inclusions is controlled by the angular relationship between inte rsecting planes.