rille
1
9.9
- noun
- /rɪl/
- Specialized
- A pair of dead hydraulic volcanoes, looking like half-melted, monochromatic sundaes, stood before them, a large rille snaking between the two cones.
- rilles in the crater
- sinuous rilles
- rilles and domes
Examples
-
"This rille runs parallel to the shoreline of the Humboldt Sea, which lies about forty klicks to the east.
Fiction book (1996) -
The rover captured stunning images of the rille, revealing its sinuous shape.
-
"The basalt forming this rille is called kimberlite.
Fiction book (1996) -
The black obsidian walls of the surface rille were iridescent with trace minerals.
Fiction book (1996) -
"W-w-we don't recommend d-diamond hunting inside the rille, however.
Fiction book (1996) -
If you run a perpendicular line from the rille to the sea, you'll hit the volcano twenty klicks out.
Fiction book (1996) -
"The shuttle rail is housed inside a volcanic rille formed by a jet of hot gases ejected from underneath the lava flow.
Fiction book (1996) -
In a few places, the lava shell covering the rille remained intact, but for most of the ride, if she stayed very close to the edge, she could catch the glint of the shuttle rail in the darkness below.
Fiction book (1996) -
Astronomers study the rille on the Moon to understand its formation and structure.
-
Scientists believe that the rille could provide insights into the geological history of the planet.
Synonyms
11
4.4
A long narrow groove made by water or tools
How Deep
246
2.5
- Specialized
1
9.9
Surface Forms
Etymology
Rille comes from the German word Rille, which means 'groove' or 'furrow', like a long, narrow cut you might see in wood or rock. So a lunar rille is simply a long, narrow channel or groove on a planet's surface.