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Fractional crystallization, or crystal fractionation, is one of the most important geochemical and physical processes operating within crust and mantle of a rocky planetary body, such as the Earth. It is important in the formation of igneous rocks because it is one of the main processes of magmatic differentiation . [ 1 ]
After about 80% of the LMO has crystallized, less dense solids (i.e., plagioclase) begin to form and float towards the surface, forming the primordial crust of the Moon. The Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) is the layer of molten rock that is theorized to have been present on the surface of the Moon .
This order meant that the minerals that crystallized first from the melt were the least stable under earth surface conditions, while the minerals that crystallized last were the most stable. This is not the only control on weathering rate; this rate is dependent on both intrinsic (qualities specific to the minerals) and extrinsic (qualities ...
Space farming refers to the cultivation of crops for food and other materials in space or on off-Earth celestial objects – equivalent to agriculture on Moon. Farming on celestial bodies, such as the Moon or Mars , shares many similarities with farming on a space station or space colony .
QAPF diagram for the classification of plutonic rocks Devils Tower, United States, an igneous intrusion exposed when the surrounding softer rock eroded away. Intrusive rock is formed when magma penetrates existing rock, crystallizes, and solidifies underground to form intrusions, such as batholiths, dikes, sills, laccoliths, and volcanic necks.
The term pluton is poorly defined, [12] but has been used to describe an intrusion emplaced at great depth; [13] as a synonym for all igneous intrusions; [14] as a dustbin category for intrusions whose size or character are not well determined; [15] or as a name for a very large intrusion [16] or for a crystallized magma chamber. [17]
Crystallization is the process by which solids form, where the atoms or molecules are highly organized into a structure known as a crystal.Some ways by which crystals form are precipitating from a solution, freezing, or more rarely deposition directly from a gas.
Magma rises through cracks from beneath and across the crust because it is less dense than the surrounding rock. When the magma cannot find a path upwards it pools into a magma chamber. These chambers are commonly built up over time, [4] [5] by successive horizontal [6] or vertical [7] magma injections.