Basalt is an igneous rock which forms from lava which cools on the surface of the Earth. The crystals in basalt are difficult to see without a microscope, because the rock cooled quickly. The crystals did not have time to grow large. Another igneous rock, obsidian, cools so quickly that no crystals form at all. Crystallography and the work of AGSO Crystallography is the study of crystals, how they grow, their shape, and atomic structure.
Scientists are even able to identify microscopic crystals using the principles of crystallography.
One of AGSO's roles is to produce geological maps. In order to produce maps, AGSO scientists must identify the rock types which are located in the area they are mapping. This is where crystallography is very useful. As already mentioned, most rocks contain crystals. Crystallography can be used to help classify rocks by identifying the crystals that they contain.