This page gathers the 2,830 dictionary entries belonging to the domain “Geology”, as labelled by Wiktionary. Each word leads to its full entry: definitions, etymology, pronunciation, examples. Page 20 of 29: from “pezzottaite” to “powellite”.
- pezzottaite noun A cesium analog of beryl, a silicate of cesium, beryllium, lithium and aluminium that crystallizes in the trigonal system.
- phacoid noun (geology)
- phaneric adj Alternative form of phaneritic.
- phanerite noun An igneous rock composed of macroscopic mineral crystals (coarse grains large enough to be visible to the naked eye).
- phaneritic adj Pertaining to phanerites, igneous rocks composed of macroscopic mineral crystals (coarse grains large enough to be visible to the naked…
- pharmacosiderite noun A hydrated basic ferric arsenate, consisting of the elements arsenic, iron, hydrogen, potassium, sodium and oxygen.
- phengite noun Any of a series of dioctahedral micas of composition K(AlMg)₂(OH)₂(SiAl)₄O₁₀, similar to muscovite but with addition of magnesium.
- philipsburgite noun A monoclinic-prismatic emerald green mineral containing arsenic, copper, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and zinc.
- phillipsite noun A mineral of the zeolite group, a hydrated potassium, calcium and aluminium silicate with monoclinic crystals.
- philolithite noun A tetragonal-ditetragonal dipyramidal mineral with the chemical formula Pb₁₂O₆Mn₇(SO₄)(CO₃)₄Cl₄(OH)₁₂.
- phlogopite noun A mica mineral with the chemical formula KMg₃AlSi₃O₁₀(F,OH)₂, a basic potassium magnesium aluminosilicate, used as an insulator
- phosphoellenbergerite noun A hexagonal-dihexagonal pyramidal blue mineral containing calcium, carbon, hydrogen, iron, magnesium, oxygen, and phosphorus.
- phosphofibrite noun An orthorhombic-dipyramidal mineral containing copper, hydrogen, iron, oxygen, phosphorus, and potassium.
- phosphogartrellite noun A triclinic-pinacoidal bright green mineral containing copper, hydrogen, iron, lead, oxygen, and phosphorus.
- phosphovanadylite noun An isometric-hextetrahedral light greenish blue mineral containing aluminum, barium, calcium, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, potassium…
- phosphowalpurgite noun A triclinic-pinacoidal brownish gray mineral containing arsenic, bismuth, calcium, copper, hydrogen, iron, lead, oxygen, phosphorus…
- phosphuranylite noun An orthorhombic-dipyramidal mineral containing calcium, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, potassium, and uranium.
- phreatic adj Of or pertaining to ground water; (volcanology) involving explosively rapid heating of ground water by magma.
- phuralumite noun A monoclinic-prismatic lemon mineral containing aluminum, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and uranium.
- phurcalite noun An orthorhombic-dipyramidal yellow mineral containing calcium, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and uranium.
- phytoherm noun A calcareous 'freshwater reef', generally built up from autochthonous petrification of bryophytes, fungi, algae and cyanobacteria.
- Picasso marble noun A marble metamorphosed in limestone, and mainly composed of silica, calcium carbonate and magnesium.
- picromerite noun An evaporite, consisting of a mixed potassium and magnesium sulphate, with the chemical formula K₂Mg(SO₄)₂·6(H₂O).
- pillaite noun A monoclinic-prismatic black mineral containing antimony, chlorine, copper, lead, oxygen, and sulfur.
- pillar noun A vertical, often spire-shaped, natural rock formation.
- pillow noun A pillow lava.
- pillow lava noun The rock type, resembling pillows, typically formed when lava emerges from an underwater volcanic vent or a lava flow enters the ocean.
- pinch out noun A volume of rock or oil trapped or isolated between strata that have pinched it out.
- pineapple opal noun A large raw opal spheroidal gemstone with pineapple-like projection points
- pingo noun A conical mound of earth with an ice core caused by permafrost uplift, particularly if lasting more than a year.
- pinite noun A compact granular cryptocrystalline mineral of a dull grayish or greenish white color. It is a hydrous alkaline silicate, and is derived…
- pinnacle noun A tall, sharp and craggy rock or mountain.
- pipe noun A vertical conduit through the Earth's crust below a volcano through which magma has passed, often filled with volcanic breccia.
- pitch noun Pitchstone.
- plagioclase noun Any of a group of aluminum silicate feldspathic minerals ranging in their ratio of calcium to sodium.
- planation noun The formation of a flat surface by erosion and deposition
- plasma noun A variety of green quartz, used in ancient times for making engraved ornaments.
- plastic flow noun Any deformation caused by a sustained force.
- plate noun A tectonic plate.
- platform noun A flat expanse of rock, often the result of wave erosion.
- platiniridium noun A natural alloy of platinum and iridium occurring in grayish metallic rounded or cubical grains with platinum.
- platy adj Composed of thin plate-like pieces of rock or mineral.
- play of color noun An optical phenomenon that occurs when light interacts with a gemstone, causing it to appear to change color.
- playa noun A level area which habitually fills with water that evaporates entirely.
- Pleistocene adj Of a geologic epoch within the Quaternary period from about 2,588,000 to 11,700 years ago (earlier definition 1.7 million to 11,000 years…
- pleochroic adj Of, pertaining to, or having the property of pleochroism.
- pleochroic halo noun A microscopic spherical region in which there is a change in color from the surrounding mineral, due to radiation damage from alpha…
- plication noun An act of folding.
- Plinian eruption noun A type of volcanic eruption marked by the ejection of large columns of volcanic debris and gases into the stratosphere; particularly large…
- Pliocene adj Of a geologic epoch within the Neogene period from about 5.3 to 1.7 million years ago; marked by the appearance of humanity's first…
- plug noun A body of once molten rock that hardened in a volcanic vent. Usually round or oval in shape.
- plumbago noun Graphite.
- plumbobetafite noun An isometric-hexoctahedral mineral containing calcium, fluorine, hydrogen, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, lead…
- plumboferrite noun A hexagonal-dihexagonal dipyramidal black mineral containing iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, and oxygen.
- plumbogummite noun A trigonal-hexagonal scalenohedral mineral containing aluminum, hydrogen, lead, oxygen, and phosphorus.
- plumbomicrolite noun An isometric-hexoctahedral mineral containing calcium, hydrogen, lead, oxygen, tantalum, and uranium.
- plumbopyrochlore noun An isometric-hexoctahedral mineral containing calcium, hydrogen, iron, lead, niobium, oxygen, silicon, tantalum, uranium, and yttrium.
- plumbotectonics noun The formation of lead isotopes (and also those of uranium and thorium) by the recycling of rock between the crust and mantle
- plume noun Ellipsis of mantle plume (“an upwelling of abnormally hot molten material from the Earth's mantle which spreads sideways when it reaches…
- plume head noun The broad, flattened top of a mantle plume, the eruption of which is thought to create a large igneous province.
- plume tail noun The narrow, column-like structure of a mantle plume, thought to cause continued hot spot volcanism after the plume head dissipates.
- plutogenic adj originating from plutons
- Plutonian noun A proponent of plutonism; a plutonist.
- plutonic adj Of or pertaining to rocks formed deep in the Earth's crust, rather than by volcanoes at the surface of the Earth.
- pluvial noun a rainy period
- poecilitic adj Mottled with various colours; variegated; spotted.
- poikilitic adj Describing the texture of an igneous rock that has small crystals of one mineral scattered among larger crystals of another
- poikiloblastic adj Describing the texture of a metamorphic rock that has small idioblasts of one constituent lying within larger xenoblasts
- poikilotopic adj Describing a crystalline sedimentary rock having multisized crystals the larger of which enclose small ones, often of a different mineral
- polje noun An extensive depression having a flat floor and steep walls but no outflowing surface stream and found in a region having karst topography…
- pollucite noun A colorless transparent mineral of the zeolite family consisting of hydrous cesium aluminum silicate and occurring massive or crystallizing…
- polycrase noun A black or brown amorphous metallic complex uranium yttrium oxide mineral, found in granitic pegmatites.
- polydymite noun An isometric supergene sulfide mineral, dark violet gray to copper-red, associated with the weathering of primary pentlandite nickel…
- polygenetic adj One which is composite, or consists of two or more monogenetic ranges, each having had its own history of development.
- polyhalite noun A mineral usually occurring in fibrous masses, of a brick-red color, being tinged with iron, and consisting chiefly of the sulphates of…
- polyhumic adj With very brown water
- polymict adj Containing multiple types of rock.
- polymignyte noun A mineral consisting of columbate (a compound containing the element niobium) and oxides of the cerium group of elements with iron and…
- polymorph noun Any substance or mineral that forms different types of crystal.
- polyphite noun A mineral containing sodium, calcium, titanium, silicon, oxygen, phosphorus and fluorine, found in Russia.
- polysomatic adj Having grains or layers of multiple minerals
- polysynthetic adj Having layers of twin crystals
- polysynthetic twinning noun A type of contact twinning, typically observed in plagioclase, in which the composition surfaces are parallel to one another
- poppiite noun A greenish-brown monoclinic mineral that is a basic silicate of calcium, vanadium, iron, magnesium and aluminium
- porphyritic adj Containing large crystals in a fine mass of material.
- porphyry noun A hard igneous rock consisting of large crystals in a fine-grained matrix.
- portlandite noun A rare oxide mineral, the naturally-occurring form of calcium hydroxide.
- postcollisional adj Following the collision of plates (in plate tectonics).
- potassic-magnesio-fluoro-arfvedsonite noun A rare, bluish-gray vitreous mineral belonging to the sodic-potassic amphibole group, with the formula KNa₂(Mg₄Fe³⁺)Si₈O₂₂F₂.
- potassicleakeite noun A monoclinic-prismatic reddish brown mineral containing hydrogen, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, oxygen, potassium, silicon, sodium…
- potassicpargasite noun A monoclinic-prismatic black mineral containing calcium, fluorine, hydrogen, iron, magnesium, oxygen, potassium, silicon, and sodium.
- potassicsadanagaite noun A monoclinic mineral containing aluminum, calcium, hydrogen, iron, oxygen, potassium, silicon, and sodium.
- potassium-argon dating noun A method of estimating the age of igneous rocks or of archaeological objects by measuring the amount of argon that has built up through the…
- potch noun A type of rough opal without colour, and therefore not worth selling.
- pothole noun A vertical cave system, often found in limestone.
- pottsite noun A tetragonal-trapezohedral bright yellow mineral containing bismuth, hydrogen, lead, oxygen, and vanadium.
- poubaite noun A trigonal-hexagonal scalenohedral silver white mineral containing bismuth, lead, selenium, sulfur, and tellurium.
- poudretteite noun A hexagonal-dihexagonal dipyramidal mineral containing boron, oxygen, potassium, silicon, and sodium.
- povondraite noun A trigonal-ditrigonal pyramidal black mineral containing aluminum, boron, hydrogen, iron, magnesium, oxygen, potassium, silicon, and sodium.
- powellite noun A tetragonal-dipyramidal mineral containing calcium, molybdenum, and oxygen.