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A large body of magmatic material that cools in the deeper depth of the Earth's crust and develops in the form of large domes is known as
Explanation
Batholiths are the largest intrusive igneous bodies, forming from magmatic material that cools at great depths within the Earth's crust. They are characterized as deep-seated, irregularly shaped plutons that often develop into large domes as they cool [1]. Unlike laccoliths, which are smaller, dome-shaped intrusions with a flat base that form at shallower depths (typically less than 3 km) by arching overlying strata [2], batholiths form the core of many mountain ranges and cover areas exceeding 100 square kilometers. While laccoliths are described as 'large dome-shaped intrusive bodies' [1], the specific criteria of cooling at 'deeper depth' and being a 'large body' (often forming the base of other intrusions) uniquely identifies batholiths in geological classification. These massive granitic bodies only appear on the surface after significant crustal uplift and erosion.
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 11: Volcanism > Laccoliths > p. 154
- [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 3: Volcanism and Earthquakes > Landforms of lgneous Intrusions > p. 27