Description
Darby and others,Basaltic magma is classified as mafic; it is
considered by scientists to represent the average composition of oceanic
crust. Continental crust, meanwhile, approximates the chemistry of
granite, a felsic rock. What do the terms mafic and felsic mean, and where do those names actually come from?More importantly, how did the two different chemical compositions of
crust develop in the first place, billions of years ago? That question
is a tough one. If you want to take a crack at it, here is an article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-evolution-of-continental-crust-2005-07/ (Links to an external site.)
and here is a hint: Different minerals have different melting/freezing
points. Olivine forms from magma at a very high temperature, while
quartz forms from magma at a much lower temperature.
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