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Why was komatiite much more abundant during the early Precambrian than later in Earth history?
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Precambrian
The stratigraphic chart of geologic time.
Komatiite is a magnesium-rich, high-temperature volcanic rock that was extruded in abundance during the early Precambrian. Its prevalence during this period is attributed to the fact that Earth’s heat flow was significantly higher at that time than it is today, allowing for the derivation of such rocks from a much hotter mantle.1