Introductory geology textbooks report that granite is the most abundant rock in the continental crust. At the surface, granite is exposed in the cores of many mountain ranges, within large areas known as “batholiths,” and in the core areas of continents known as “shields.”

The large mineral crystals in granite are evidence that it cooled slowly from molten rock material. That slow cooling had to have occurred beneath Earth’s surface and required a long period of time to occur. If these granites are exposed at the surface today, the only way that could have happened is if the granite rocks were uplifted and the overlying rocks were eroded.

Most parts of Earth’s continents are covered with sediments or sedimentary rocks. The rocks below are usually granites, metamorphosed granites, or closely related rocks. These deep granites are often referred to as “basement rocks.”