quote:
Originally posted by Tranquility Base:
Thanks Edge - so dating relies on liquificaiton/crystallization partitioning the parent.
This is a grossly oversimplified version, but I suppose you could say that. Actually, the primary cause is cooling. Insofar as crystallization is part of that larger cause, one might generalize as you have, but I would not put it that way. Please reread my post. This all goes to point out that magmatism is not a trivial subject. And don't confuse melting with liquefaction. The latter is usually used to describe the process by which a granular material looses all cohesive strength.
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