Binary equilibrium digrams for the melting and crystallization of rocks involving solid solution minerals are qualitatively different from binary diagrams in which there is no compositional variation of the minerals. When a magma is saturated with a solid solution mineral, the chemical compositions of both the mineral and the magma change with temperature. Concepts that are developed include:
- distillation
- solidus curves
- binary loop
- chemical zoning
- azeotropic point
