Which of the following is NOT a mechanism by which rocks melt?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a mechanism by which rocks melt?

Explanation:
Rocks melt when their temperature reaches the solidus, and both pressure and volatiles influence how easily that melting happens. Increasing temperature provides the energy needed to break bonds and form melt, so it directly causes melting. Decreasing pressure lowers the solidus temperature, allowing melt to form with less heat (decompression melting). Adding volatiles like water or CO2 lowers the melting temperature, enabling melting at conditions where a rock would otherwise stay solid. Cooling, on the other hand, lowers temperature and promotes solidification rather than melting, so it is not a mechanism that produces melt.

Rocks melt when their temperature reaches the solidus, and both pressure and volatiles influence how easily that melting happens. Increasing temperature provides the energy needed to break bonds and form melt, so it directly causes melting. Decreasing pressure lowers the solidus temperature, allowing melt to form with less heat (decompression melting). Adding volatiles like water or CO2 lowers the melting temperature, enabling melting at conditions where a rock would otherwise stay solid. Cooling, on the other hand, lowers temperature and promotes solidification rather than melting, so it is not a mechanism that produces melt.

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