glacioclastic
|gla-ci-o-cla-stic|
🇺🇸
/ˌɡleɪsiəˈklæstɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌɡleɪsiəʊˈklæstɪk/
broken by ice
Etymology
'glacioclastic' originates from modern geological coinage combining the combining form 'glacio-' (from Latin 'glacies', meaning 'ice') and 'clastic' (from Greek 'klastos', meaning 'broken').
'glacioclastic' formed in scientific usage in the late 19th to early 20th century by joining the Latin-derived 'glacio-' with the Greek-derived 'clastic' (related to terms like 'clastic' used in sedimentary geology).
Initially it carried the literal sense 'broken by ice'; over time it has been used consistently in geology to mean 'relating to or consisting of fragments produced by glacial action.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural noun (usually used as 'glacioclastics'): rock fragments or sediments produced by glacial breakage and abrasion.
Glacioclastics in the valley record multiple episodes of ice-driven erosion and deposition.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to or composed of fragments produced by the action of glaciers (i.e., rock or sediment broken up by glacial erosion or crushing).
The outcrop consists of glacioclastic layers formed during repeated glacial advances.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/27 07:57