Advances in Igneous Petrology: Coupling Chemical Maps with Thermodynamic Models to Tackle Mush Crystallization Dynamics and Crystal–Melt Segregation.

The article focuses on a novel approach that couples quantitative chemical maps of igneous rock thin sections with thermodynamic models to spatially map magmatic parameters such as crystallization temperature, melt fraction, and melt composition. Applied to a gabbroic dike from the Atlantis Bank oceanic core complex—a rare closed-system mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) sample—the method reveals heterogeneous melt distributions formed during progressive solidification, attributed primarily to heterogeneous nucleation processes. Simplified numerical models support that heterogeneous nucleation can generate melt-rich and melt-poor domains significantly larger than those from homogeneous nucleation, potentially facilitating melt mobilization during rejuvenation events. This approach offers new insights into mushy igneous system dynamics, including crystal–melt segregation and melt aggregation, and provides a framework for future detailed petrological investigations.