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Glite Dictionary
🧩 Can be taken apart 🪨 Made of fragments
clastic

clastic

9.9
A rock made of broken pieces of older rocks moved and left by water or wind
  • adjective
  • /ˈklæstɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : clástico
  • Researchers studied the clastic deposits to understand the ancient river systems that shaped the landscape.

Examples

  • The geologist explained that the river was transporting clastic sediments from the mountains to the valley below.

  • Many oil reservoirs are found in clastic rocks that were formed from ancient river deposits.

  • Researchers identified the rock as clastic based on its composition and texture.

  • The formation contains a significant amount of clastic material such as sandstone and siltstone.

  • The clastic rocks in this area are fascinating.

  • Is this layer of sediment clastic?

  • The clastic rocks found in the area are made up of fragments from older rock formations.

Compounds

clastic rock
  • Specialized
7.2

A rock that forms when small pieces of older rocks press and stick together

Surface Forms

clastic positive

Morphology

clastic = clast (transparent) = clast + ic

The adjective is a direct adjectival formation from 'clast' meaning 'fragment', so 'clastic' straightforwardly means 'composed of fragments'.

Etymology

Clastic comes from a Greek root clast- meaning 'broken into pieces'. So clastic rocks are literally made of many 'broken' bits of older rock that were moved and left in new places.