Olivine
Pyroxene
AmphiboleBiotite
Plag
ioclas
e Fe
ldspa
r
Na-rich
Ca-rich
Potassium FeldsparMuscovite
Quartz
Felsic
Intermediate
Mafic
Ultramafic
cool
ing
of m
agm
a
1400°C
700°C
BOWEN’S REACTION SERIESMinerals crystallize out of magma and lava at various temperatures based on their composition and crystal structure. Bow-en’s Reaction Series was constructed by a Canadian geologist named Norman Bowen - a now famous geologist who used experiments to study how rocks and minerals form (a sub-field of geology called Petrology). Bowen’s Reaction Series is a widely used and refered to sequence in the geosciences that you should familiarize yourself with. Notice that each zoned area on the chart cooresponds to a specific set of minerals we associate with the igenous rock classifications ranging from felsic to ultramafic.