📖 what
What is a batholith?
GeologyIgneous Rocks
Quick Answer
A batholith is a huge mass of intrusive igneous rock that crystallized deep underground. It is usually larger than 100 square kilometers at the surface exposure.
The Full Story
Batholiths form when large bodies of magma cool slowly beneath Earth’s surface, creating coarse-grained rocks such as granite. Over millions of years, erosion can expose them. Many mountain ranges include batholithic rocks at their core, because uplift and erosion strip away the overlying material. Famous examples include the Sierra Nevada batholith in California.
Key Facts
1.large intrusive igneous body
2.often granitic
3.typically more than 100 km² in exposed area
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The giant underground magma bodies exposed by erosion"