Nucleation-Assisted Fluid Inclusion Microthermometry (NA-FIM) Analyzer: A Tool for Speleothems and Low-Temperature Minerals

Abstract

The Nucleation-Assisted Fluid Inclusion Microthermometry (NA-FIM) Analyzer: A Tool for Speleothems and Low-Temperature Minerals is an open-source, Python-based graphical user interface designed to accurately estimate original fluid entrapment temperatures (Th) by mitigating the effects of post-entrapment stretching. In easily deformed minerals such as speleothem calcite, fluid inclusion stretching introduces an asymmetric, positive bias to Th datasets. Because standard parametric statistics (such as the arithmetic mean and standard deviation) are highly sensitive to these right-skewed alterations, they frequently overestimate true entrapment conditions. To address this, the FIM Analyzer applies a resilient, non-parametric statistical approach. By anchoring the Th estimate to the First Quartile (25th percentile, Q1) and utilizing a 10,000-pass Bootstrap resampling algorithm to calculate 95% confidence intervals, the software effectively bypasses the altered data tail to isolate the densest consensus of preserved, un-stretched inclusions. Key Capabilities: Robust Statistics: Automated calculation of both traditional parametric metrics and robust non-parametric estimators to handle non-Gaussian data. Normality Diagnostics: Integrated Q-Q plots and Shapiro-Wilk tests to visually and statistically evaluate dataset skewness. Thermodynamic Constraints: Volume vs. Th scatter plots that overlay physical boundary data to delineate impossible bubble nucleation zones. Workflow Integration: Batch processing for entire folders of microthermometry data, with direct appending of statistical summaries to the original files and export of publication-ready vector graphics.