diapir

[dahy-uh-peer]

noun

Geology.

1. a dome, or anticline, the upper regions of which have been ruptured and penetrated by material squeezed up from below.

diapir

/ ˈdaɪəˌpɪə /

noun

1. geology an anticlinal fold in which the brittle overlying rock has been pierced by material, such as salt, from beneath

diapir

1. A fold or dome, such as an anticline, in which the upper strata of sediment or rock have been ruptured by the upward movement of more plastic rock, such as a body of salt, gypsum, or lava.

Other Word Forms

• diapiric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of diapir¹

1915–20; < French, said to be < Greek diapeírein to drive through, pierce; dia- dia- + peírein to pierce

Word History and Origins

Origin of diapir¹

C20: from Greek diapeirainein to make holes through, pierce

Example Sentences

Warm blobs of ice, or diapirs, could well up from the ocean-ice shell interface, eventually reaching the surface over thousands of years - carrying any evidence of microbial life with them.

From BBC