Theoretical petrology

Abstract

A discussion of significant advances in theoretical petrology is primarily a prediction of what the future holds in the way of application of ‘new’ approaches developed over the past quadrennium. Thompson [1970, p. 550] expressed the situation quite clearly: My advice to those who wish to understand rocks more fully is to go ahead and experiment freely with new ways of doing things despite cries of ‘Who needs it!’ What is useless will be forgotten soon enough, what is not will stick and should.