unconformity
Americannoun
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lack of conformity; incongruity; inconsistency.
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Geology.
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a discontinuity in rock sequence indicating interruption of sedimentation, commonly accompanied by erosion of rocks below the break.
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the interface between such strata.
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noun
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lack of conformity
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the contact surface between younger and older rocks representing a discontinuity in the geological record. Most commonly it represents an erosional surface
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unconformity
First recorded in 1590–1600; un- 1 + conformity
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It echoes James Playfair’s description of the “abyss of time” he glimpsed while viewing a strata unconformity at Siccar Point in 1788, when geology was first emerging as a science.
From The Guardian • Apr. 20, 2019
This unconformity represents a time where erosive processes took over after millions of years when the lake had finally dried up - to form a new land surface.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2018
She’s revising a manuscript describing an unconformity in the sedimentary layers of Mount Sharp, within the Gale crater, a record of the alternating wet-dry cycles on the planet.
From Science Magazine • Jun. 29, 2017
Here are three graphical illustrations of the three types of unconformity.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2017
As shown in Figure 207, a strong unconformity parts the schists and the Algonkian.
From The Elements of Geology by Norton, William Harmon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
