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stylolite
[stahy-luh-lahyt]
noun
an irregular columnar structure in certain limestones, the columns being approximately at right angles to the bedding planes.
stylolite
/ ˈstaɪləˌlaɪt, ˌstaɪləˈlɪtɪk /
noun
any of the small striated columnar or irregular structures within the strata of some limestones
stylolite
A contact surface usually found between two calcareous rock layers, marked by a series of jagged interlocking up-and-down projections that resemble a suture or the tracing of a stylus. Stylolites are found in rocks that have been subjected to pressure and are formed by a process, called pressure dissolution, whereby insoluble material, such as clay and hydrocarbons, becomes concentrated along a surface while other more soluble material, such as calcite, is carried away.
Other Word Forms
- stylolitic adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of stylolite1
Word History and Origins
Origin of stylolite1
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