Glossary

Welcome to the glossary at GeologyRocks. We've put together some of the common terms used in the Earth Sciences to help you if you come across a term you've never seen before. To navigate, click a letter or a category from the list on the left to see all the words starting with that letter or in that category. Alternatively, you can search for a word using the search box to the left. If you search for a word that isn't in our database, we will try and put in a definition as soon as we can.

If you come across a word we don't have in our glossary, please add it and gain yourself some points!

Here is an example word:

Garnet

A cubic mineral of the general form of:

A32+B23+Si3O12

A can be magnesium, iron, manganese or calcium, B is iron or aluminium (occasionally chromium). Commonly found in metamorphic and occasionally igneous rocks.

Garnets in a mic schist

The above garnets (red) are in a mica schist. More infoformation can be found here.

Garnets on a granite

These Almandine garnets clearly show the form that garnets can take.