A very large, underground body of igneous rock that cooled slowly beneath the earth's surface, typically exposed after surface rock erodes away over millions of years.
From Greek 'bathos' meaning 'depth' plus 'lithos' meaning 'stone,' literally translating to 'deep rock.' Coined in geology in the 19th century to describe exposed granite formations.
The granite you see in Yosemite Valley is the exposed top of a batholith that extends miles deep—it cooled so slowly underground that it formed huge perfect crystals, which is why it's so beautiful!
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