Batholithic

/ˌbæθəˈlɪθɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or composed of a batholith, which is a huge underground body of igneous rock that forms when magma cools beneath Earth's surface.

Etymology

From batholith (Greek bathos 'depth' + lithos 'stone') + -ic suffix. The term was coined in the 1870s by geologists to describe massive subsurface rock formations.

Kelly Says

Batholithic rocks are so deep underground that we rarely see them unless mountains erode away over millions of years, yet they make up a huge portion of Earth's continental crust—kind of like the hidden skeleton of continents!

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