Which factor would most strongly determine whether the buried rock begins to respond unevenly across its interior?

Uneven changes within a rock are most likely when conditions vary from one part of it to another. If heat reaches one side more readily than the other, different parts can warm and respond at different rates; equal pressure or the rock’s total burial depth would not by themselves create that uneven heating. Therefore, the best choice is differences in how far heat can reach across the rock from one side.

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