The research, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, suggests that the thick crust of Mars' southern highlands formed billions of years ago generated granitic magmas and sustained vast ...

The zircon crystals found in the Finnish river sand originally crystallized in granitic magmas deep within the crust. These granites were then lifted to the surface and eroded to eventually form sand.

If magma erupts on the surface as lava ... so the mineral crystals are small. Granite hardens within the earth’s crust, where temperatures are higher, so it cools much more slowly, allowing ...

The depths, longevity, and potential to generate silicic compositions of magma chambers are linked to crustal temperature, which varies across Mars and over its geological history.