anatexis

anatexis, in geology, the differential, or partial, melting of rocks. Each mineral in a rock has its own melting temperature, which is decreased to varying degrees by its close association with other minerals. In addition to the melting temperature of each individual mineral, pressure, temperature, and the presence of volatiles all influence the melting temperature of a mineral assemblage; a rock has a melting range dependent upon these parameters. In the process of anatexis, it is assumed that rocks are buried to such great depths that an increase of pressure and temperature causes partial melting; as the temperature is increased, an increasing percentage of the rock becomes liquid. The rock fraction with the lowest melting range typically has a granitic composition, and the unmelted residuum is more mafic (silica-poor). The layers of granite in migmatites, and perhaps larger granitic bodies, may have formed through anatexis.