Olivine

Pyroxene

Amphibole

Biotite

Plag

ioclas

e Feld

spar

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.