Diapir

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Lava lamp - object of illustration for the phenomenon of diapirism

A diapir (from ancient Greek διαπείρειν diapeirein "penetrate") is an area in geology in which material has risen from deeper layers. This phenomenon is called diapirism . It occurs on a large scale in the Earth's mantle . About hotspots form Manteldiapire (Engl. Mantle plumes ). The drive for the ascent is a lower density of the lower layer. The resulting Rayleigh-Taylor instability causes bubbles of the underlying material to rise.

Rising melts can form intrusions , for example the granitic batholiths , large mushroom-shaped deep rock bodies , also called plutons .

Evaporitdiapire can salt domes and salt mounds form. Salt domes are conical, cylindrical or mushroom-shaped. They protrude from the layer from which they were created ( mother salt layer ) upwards, partly to the surface of the earth.