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4.4 How and why do rocks melt?
- If temperature is raised enough, a rock will melt
- Silicate minerals melt across a range of 800oC to around 1900oC (at sea level pressures)
- Increasing pressure increases melting temperature
- At sea level olivine melts at 1890oC, at 100 km it rises to 2050oC
- Mixtures melt at a different temp than lone minerals
- Olivine mixed with pyroxene and plagioclase melts at ~1200oC (at sea level)