TOPIC OF PRESENTATION

BOWENS
REACTION
SERIES

PRESENTED TO:

SIR RAFI
PRESENTED BY:

MIFZALA KHAN
IRZA AKHTAR
MAHA ALI HAIDER
PALWASHA SHAHZAD RATHORE

ROCKS
Rocks are aggregates of minerals.
They form major part of earths crust.
Rocks are broadly classified in to
three groups:
Igneous rocks
Sedimentary rocks
Metamorphic rocks

IGNEOUS ROCKS
These rocks are formed by cooling
and solidification of magma.
90% of earth crust is composed of
igneous rocks but their great
abundance is hidden on the earths
surface by relatively thin layer of
metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.

MAGMA
Magma is a hot viscous, siliceous
melt containing water vapour and
gases.
It comes from great depth below the
earths surface.
It is composed mainly of O, Si, Al, Fe,
Mg, Ca, Na.

ORIGIN OF IGNEOUS
ROCKS
The mineral composition of igneous
rocks is determined by the chemical
composition of magma from which it
crystallized.
Because a large variety of igneous
rocks exists, it was thought that
equally large variety of magmas also
existed.

 Later on it geologists found that only

two types of magmas existed and all
types of igneous rocks were derived
from them:

ACIDIC MAGMA
The magma which is rich in Si, Na, and
K, and poor in Fe, Mg and Ca. it results
from the melting of earths crust itself.
Acid magma produce acid rocks such
as granites and rhyolites.

BASIC MAGMA
The magma which is rich in Fe, Ca
and Mg and poor in Na, K and silica.
It originates from the partial melting
of rocks lying beneath the earths
crust. Basic magma gives rise to
Basic rocks such as Gabbro and
Basalt.

THE TWO MAGMA THEORY WAS

ALSO DISCARDED SOON AND
IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT A
SINGLE MAGMA OF BASALTIC
COMPOSITION COULD
PRODUCE ROCKS OF VARYING
MINERAL COMPOSITION.

DIFFERENTIATION
The process by which the primary basaltic
composition splits up into fractions that give rise
to rocks of various types, is called
differentiation. the various processes that
operate during differentiation are:
Liquid immiscibility (insignificant role)
Fractional crystallization
Gravity settling
Gaseous transfer
Filter pressing ( mountain building regions)
Assimilation

FRACTIONAL CRYSTALLIZATION

BOWENS REACTION SERIES

Relationship of minerals with cooling
magma.
Or
Crystallization of magma (the
process by which hot liquid magma
solidifies to become a rock) is most
important concept in igneous
geology and is described by
BOWENS REACTION SERIES

Different minerals form from

magma at different temperatures.

Some minerals crystallize when

magma is at a higher
temperature, while others only
crystallize when magma is at a
lower temperature.

Minerals that form at high

temperatures are listed at the top
and minerals that form at lower
temperatures are listed at the
bottom.

Rocks that form from magma at

high temperatures are called
mafic and tend to be dominated
by dark colored minerals such as
olivine and pyroxene.

Rocks that form from magma at

lower temperatures are called
felsic and tend to be dominated

 NORMAN L. BOWEN
was a petrologist who explained
that why certain types of
minerals tend to be found
together while others are almost
never associated with one
another.
And he discovered two reaction
series:
Continuous Reaction Series
Discontinuous Reaction Series

CONTINUOUS SERIES
Minerals of a solid solution series generally
form a continuous reaction series. The
plagioclase feldspar with end members
anorthite and albite, exhibit such a reaction
.
An rich crystallize before Ab rich members.
With falling temperature there is
continuous reaction between the melt and
precipitated crystals and thus composition
of crystals is continuously being changed.

DISCONTINUOUS SERIES
Discontinuous reactions are those
which occur at fairly definite
temperatures.
A series of ferromagnesian (Mg-Fe
rich) minerals that crystallize from a
basaltic magma are found to be
related to each other by the
discontinuous reaction.

IMPORTANCE OF BOWENS
REACTION SERIES
It describes the sequence of minerals
crystallization from magma as cooling occurs.
It tells us about the association of minerals
with rocks e.g. basalt contains olivine,
pyroxene and high calcium plagioclase but not
potash feldspar and quartz.
It tells us about the stability of minerals.
Interpretation of physical and chemical
conditions under which magma is formed.

Explanation of differentiation by
Bowens reaction series
thedifferentiationof one or more "new"
magma composition(s) from an original
magma of completely different composition.
Like if the rock containing sodic plagioclase
and amphibole is melted at 1600 the mineral
that form is olivine and if olivine is removed
from it no Fe or mg is left so Si rich minerals
are crystallized so it is differentiation that
different composition of magma rises from
single compositional magma.

Minerals Stability
The minerals are always stable in the
conditions similar to conditions in
which they were formed so high
temperature minerals are unstable
on earth surface and get weathered
whereas low temperature minerals
like quartz formed at low
temperature so it is very stable.

Thank you

Any question?