Blending involves the homogeneous mixing of two or more unlike magmas, forming a chemically and physically homogeneous mixture with an intermediate composition. In contrast, many features recorded in "mixed rocks" indicate that blending is less important than mingling.
Mingling of dissimilar magmas produces a heterogeneous mixture containing discrete portions of the end-member magmas, (eg: rhyolite and basalt), due to the incomplete mixing of the different magmas. The resulting igneous rock is chemically intermediate between the two original magmas. However, the rock comprises spatially discrete portions of each rock type and is very heterogeneous.
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