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  • Understanding Plutons: What Forms Beneath the Earth's Surface?
    Structures that form when magma solidifies beneath the surface are called plutons.

    Here's a breakdown:

    * Magma: Molten rock found beneath the Earth's surface.

    * Pluton: A body of intrusive igneous rock (formed from solidified magma) that is exposed at the surface by erosion.

    * Intrusive: Describes igneous rocks that solidify beneath the Earth's surface.

    Plutons come in various shapes and sizes, and they can be classified based on their geometry and size, such as:

    * Batholith: A very large, irregularly shaped pluton.

    * Stock: A smaller, more rounded pluton.

    * Dike: A tabular, discordant pluton that cuts across existing rock layers.

    * Sill: A tabular, concordant pluton that is parallel to existing rock layers.

    * Laccolith: A dome-shaped pluton that forces overlying rock layers upwards.

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