Association of British Scrabble Players

Science & Tech > Earth > Geology


Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


aclinic applied to a line passing through all points where there is no magnetic inclination.
aggrade to raise the level of a surface through depositing detritus.
antimetabolite a substance that replaces or inhibits an organism's utilization of a metabolite.
asthenosphere the upper layer of the earth's mantle, below the lithosphere, characterized by a relatively low resistance to plastic flow.
asthenospheric relating to asthenosphere.
barysphere the area of earth underlying the lithosphere.
bioturbation the restructuring of sedimentary deposits (as in a lake bottom or seabed) by moving organisms (as worms and burrowing clams).
bradyseism a slow up-and-down movement of the earth's crust.
cataclasis the deformation of rocks by crushing and shearing.
cataclastic of metamorphism, taking place in an environment where intense pressure
cataclinal of streams, valleys, etc., running in the direction of the dip of the surrounding rock strata.
cementation the act of cementing.
centrosphere the central part of the earth below the crust, aka barysphere.
climatologic relating to climatology.
climatological relating to climatology.
climatologist one who studies climatology.
climatology the study of the climates of the earth.
climature (Shakesp.) a region.
clime climate.
compaction the act of compacting.
cosmogenic produced by interaction of cosmic rays with earth's surface.
desquamate to scale or flake off.
diastrophic relating to diastrophism.
diastrophically (Adv.) DIASTROPHIC, relating to diastrophism.
diastrophism the process by which continents, mountains, ocean beds, folds and faults are formed.
disconformity an unconformity in which the beds above the unconformity are parallel to the beds below the unconformity.
endogenic formed or occurring inside the earth.
enhydrous of or like an enhydros, containing water.
epeirogenesis the building of continents by movements of earth's crust.
epeirogenetic relating to epeirogenesis, the geological formation of continents, oceans, etc.
epeirogenic relating to epeirogeny, the geological formation of continents, oceans, etc.
epeirogenically (Adv.) EPEIROGENIC, relating to epeirogeny, the geological formation of continents, oceans, etc.
epeirogeny the geological formation of continents, oceans, etc.
epigene forming or taking place at the earth's surface, as opposed to hypogene.
epigenic acting or taking place at the earth's surface.
epirogenetic relating to epirogeny, the geological formation of continents, oceans, etc.
epirogenic relating to epirogeny, the geological formation of continents, oceans, etc.
epirogeny the geological formation of continents, oceans, etc.
equator a great circle of spherical celestial bodies.
eustatic of changes in world shoreline level, probably caused by rise or fall of the sea-level and not by subsidence or elevation of the land.
eustatically (Adv.) EUSTATIC, of changes in world shoreline level, probably caused by rise or fall of the sea-level and not by subsidence or elevation of the land.
exogenic formed or occurring on the surface of the earth.
flocculant clothed with small flocks or flakes; (noun) a flocculant mass.
flocculent clothed with small flocks or flakes; woolly.
flocculently (Adv.) FLOCCULENT, clothed with small flocks or flakes; woolly.
geocentric having the earth for centre.
geochemical relating to geochemistry.
geochemically (Adv.) GEOCHEMICAL, relating to geochemistry.
geochemist one who studies the chemistry of the earth's crust.
geochemistry the study of the chemistry of the earth's crust.
geodesic allowing for the earth's curvature; (noun) a geodesic line.
geodesist one versed in geodesy, the branch of mathematics that deals with the shape and area of the earth.
geodynamic related to geodynamics, the study of the dynamic processes and forces within the earth.
geodynamical related to geodynamics, the study of the dynamic processes and forces within the earth.
geodynamicist a student of geodynamics, the study of the dynamic processes and forces within the earth.
geodynamics the study of the dynamic processes and forces within the earth.
geogeny the science of the formation of the earth's crust.
geognosis knowledge of the earth.
geognost one versed in geognosy, knowledge of the general structure of the earth.
geognostic relating to geognosy, knowledge of the structure of the earth.
geognostical relating to geognosy, knowledge of the structure of the earth.
geognostically (Adv.) GEOGNOSTICAL, relating to geognosy, knowledge of the structure of the earth.
geognosy knowledge of the general structure of the earth.
geogonic relating to geogony, the study of formation of the earth.
geogony the science of the formation of the earth's crust.
geography the study of the earth's physical and human features.
geoid the figure of the earth's mean sea-level surface assumed to be continued under the land.
geoidal relating to a geoid, the figure of the earth's mean sea-level surface assumed to be continued under the land.
geologer a geologist.
geologian a geologist.
geologic relating to geology.
geological relating to geology.
geology the study of the earth's crust.
geomagnetic of or relating to terrestrial magnetism.
geomagnetically (Adv.) GEOMAGNETIC, of or relating to terrestrial magnetism.
geomorphogenic related to geomorphogeny, the study of the origins of land forms.
geomorphogenist a student of geomorphogeny, the study of the origins of land forms.
geomorphogeny the study of the origins of land forms.
geomorphologic related to geomorphology, the study of the landscapes of the earth and their development.
geomorphology the study of the landscapes of the earth and their development.
geophysical relating to geophysics.
geophysically (Adv.) GEOPHYSICAL, relating to geophysics.
geophysics the study of the earth's physical properties.
geoscience a science, such as geology, which deals with some aspect of the earth.
geoscientific related to geoscience.
geosphere the solid part of the earth, as opposed to atmosphere and hydrosphere.
geostatic relating to the pressure exerted by earth or similar substance.
geostatics the statics of rigid bodies.
geostrophic relating to deflection due to effects of Earth's rotation.
geostrophically (Adv.) GEOSTROPHIC, relating to deflection due to effects of Earth's rotation.
geotechnic relating to geotechnics, the application of scientific and engineering principles to the solution of problems related to the nature and constitution of the earth's crust.
geotechnical relating to geotechnics, the application of scientific and engineering principles to the solution of problems related to the nature and constitution of the earth's crust.
geotechnics the application of scientific and engineering principles to the solution of problems related to the nature and constitution of the earth's crust.
geotectonic relating to the structure of rock masses of the earth's crust resulting from folding or faulting.
geotectonically (Adv.) GEOTECTONIC, relating to the structure of rock masses of the earth's crust resulting from folding or faulting,
geothermal relating to the internal heat of the earth.
geothermally (Adv.) GEOTHERMAL, relating to the internal heat of the earth.
geothermic related to the internal heat of the earth.
glaciologic relating to glaciology.
glaciological relating to glaciology.
glaciology the study of ice ages and glaciation.
horizonal of the horizon.
hypabyssal in petrology, moderately deep-seated, not quite abyssal.
hypabyssally (Adv.) HYPABYSSAL, in petrology, moderately deep-seated, not quite abyssal.
hypocentral relating to a hypocenter.
hypocentre the point on the earth directly below the centre of a nuclear explosion.
hypogene formed or occurring beneath the surface of the earth, as opposed to epigene.
hypogenic formed or occurring beneath the surface of the earth.
interlacustrine situated between lakes.
isobase a line connecting points of equal land upheaval.
isoclinal a line connecting points of same magnetic dip.
isocline a cline with strata so tightly folded that they have the same dip.
isoclinic a line on a map connecting points of same magnetic dip.
isodose a point that receives an equal dose of radiation.
isodynamic a line on a map connecting points of equal magnetic intensity.
isogeotherm a line connecting points of equal subterranean temperature.
isogeothermal a line connecting points of equal subterranean temperature.
isogeothermic a line on a map connecting points of equal subterranean temperature.
isogonal a line on a map connecting points of equal magnetic declination.
isogone a line on a map connecting points of equal magnetic declination.
isogonic a line on a map connecting points of equal magnetic declination.
isogram a line connecting points on a map having some similar feature.
isogriv a line linking points of equal grid variance.
isoline a line connecting points on a map having some similar feature.
isomagnetic a line on a map connecting points of equal magnetic induction.
isopach a line connecting points of equal thickness of geological strata.
isopachyte a line connecting points of equal thickness of geological strata.
isoplethic of or like an isopleth, a line connecting points of equal aspect of climate.
isostacy a condition of equilibrium in the earth's crust.
isostasy a condition of equilibrium in the earth's crust.
isostatic in a state of isostasy, hydrostatic equilibrium from equality of pressure.
isostatically (Adv.) ISOSTATIC, in a state of isostasy; in a state of hydrostatic equilibrium from equality of pressure.
lithosphere the solid outer portion of the Earth consisting of the crust and upper mantle, approximately 100 km (62 miles) thick.
lithospheric relating to the lithosphere.
longitude the angular distance of any place on the earth's surface, east or west of a standard meridian (eg that of Greenwich).
loxodrome a line on the globe equally oblique to all meridians.
mainland a principal land mass.
mappemond a map of the world.
meridian a line of longitude.
meridional of or pertaining to the meridian, a line of longitude (noun) a southerner
meridionality the state of being meridional, a southerner.
meridionally (Adv.) MERIDIONAL, of or pertaining to the meridian, a line of longitude.
mesosphere a zone in the Earth between 400 and 670 km below the surface separating the upper mantle from the lower mantle.
mesospheric relating to the mesosphere.
metamorphism the processes of recrystallization, textural and mineralogical change that take place in the solid state under conditions beyond those normally encountered during diagenesis.
microclimate the climate of a very small area.
microclimatic relating to microclimate, the climate of a very small area.
midlatitude a latitude in the temperate regions.
mire deep mud (verb) to bog down
moho a boundary separating the earth's crust and the mantle.
monocline a simple fold, described as a local steepening in strata with an otherwise uniform dip.
monogenetic asexual; arising from a common formation process (mountain range).
nife the earth's hypothetical core of nickel and iron.
nutational relating to nutation, a fluctuation or nodding in movement of earth's pole.
oreographic relating to oreography, the science of mountains.
oreographical relating to oreography, the science of mountains.
oreographically (Adv.) OREOGRAPHIC, relating to oreography, the science of mountains.
oreography the science of mountains.
oreological relating to oreology.
oreologist one versed in oreology, the study of mountains.
oreology the study of mountains.
orogen an orogenic belt, a mountain-forming area.
orogenesis mountain-building.
orogenetic relating to orogenesis, mountain-building.
orogenetically (Adv.) OROGENETIC, relating to orogenesis, mountain-building.
orogenic relating to the formation of mountains.
orogenically (Adv.) OROGENIC, relating to the formation of mountains.
orogeny the process of mountain making, esp by folding of the earth's crust.
orographer one who practises orography, the science of mountains.
orographic relating to orography, the description of mountains.
orographical relating to orography, the description of mountains.
orography the branch of physical geography which deals with the formation and features of mountains.
orologically (Adv.) OROLOGICAL, of or pertaining to orology.
orologist one versed in orology, the study of mountains.
orology the study of mountains.
outgas to release occluded gas.
permeability the capacity of material to transmit water or other fluids.
plutonism the theory that the earth's crust was formed by volcanoes.
porosity the percentage of material occupied by pore space.
sial the upper layer of the continental crust, so called because it is rich in silica and aluminum oxide.
sima the oceanic crust, also the lower layer of the continental crust, so called because it is enriched in silica and magnesium oxide.
simatic relating to sima, the oceanic crust.
stade a single period of colder climate or advancing ice, as a subdivision of a longer glacial period.
stadial a single period of colder climate or advancing ice, as a subdivision of a longer glacial period.
stratigrapher a practitioner of stratigraphy.
stratigraphic relating to stratigraphy, the study of geological layers or strata.
stratigraphical relating to stratigraphy, the study of geological layers or strata.
stratigraphy the study of geological layers or strata.
subcontinental pertaining to a large land mass, that is separate to some degree but still part of a continent.
subcrust the part of the earth below the crust.
subcrustal relating to the subcrust, the part of the earth below the crust.
subduction the process of one plate descending beneath another.
subtorrid nearly torrid.
subtropic relating to the area lying between the Tropic of Cancer and 40 degrees N, and the Tropic of Capricorn and 40 degrees south (noun) a subtropical region
surficial superficial, found on the surface.
taphrogenesis vertical movement of the earth's crust.
tectonic relating to structural changes in the earth's crust caused by upheavals and other movements within it.
tectonically (Adv.) TECTONIC, relating to structural changes in the earth's crust caused by upheavals and other movements within it.
tectonics the science of structure of objects, buildings and landforms.
tectonism tectonics.
tellural of or pertaining to the earth.
telluric of or pertaining to the earth.
tellus (Lat.) the earth, esp personified as a goddess.
terra (Lat.) the earth.
terrane a rock formation, or series of connected formations.
terrella a magnetic model of the earth.
terrene earthly (noun) the world, a region
terrenely (Adv.) TERRENE, of the earth.
thermocline in lakes, a region of rapidly changing temperature, found between the epilimnion and the hypolimnion.
tropic of the tropics (noun) either of two circles of the celestial sphere on each side of the equator
uniformitarian one who believes that geological changes etc. can be explained by gradual processes rather than catastrophic events.
vicariance fragmentation of the environment, eg by plate tectonic splitting, as opposed to dispersal as a mechanism for biological evolution.