continuous reaction series
Quick Summary
The continuous reaction series describes how minerals form as magma cools. As magma cools, crystals begin to form. In the discontinuous series, early high-temperature minerals like olivine react with the remaining liquid to form new minerals at lower temperatures, progressing through pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite. This series is characterized by distinct mineral changes at specific temperatures.12
The continuous reaction series involves minerals like plagioclase feldspar, which gradually changes its composition from calcium-rich to sodium-rich as the magma cools, without forming entirely new minerals. These processes, outlined by Norman L. Bowen, explain the variety of igneous rocks formed from different magmas, such as basaltic, andesitic, and rhyolitic.12
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