A batholith is a large mass of intrusive igneous rock, larger than 100 km² in area, that forms from cooled magma deep in Earth's crust. Batholiths are almost always made mostly of felsic or intermediate rock types, such as granite, quartz monzonite, or diorite.

What does the term batholith mean?

batholith, large body of igneous rock formed beneath the Earth's surface by the intrusion and solidification of magma. It is commonly composed of coarse-grained rocks (e.g., granite or granodiorite) with a surface exposure of 100 square km (40 square miles) or larger.

What is an example of a batholith?

A batholith is formed when many plutons converge to form a huge expanse of granitic rock. ... One such batholith is the Sierra Nevada Batholith, which is a continuous granitic formation that makes up much of the Sierra Nevada in California.