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Geology & Earth Sciences vocabulary · Maps & Fieldwork

Outcrop

Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples

/ˈaʊtkrɑːp/nounCore term

In geology & earth sciences, outcrop means: A place where bedrock appears at the surface, not covered by soil or plants, so that geologists can see and study it directly.

In Turkish: mostra, yüzlek

How it is used

A key fieldwork word. Geologists visit, describe, sketch, photograph and sample outcrops; road cuts and quarries often provide good ones. It is also a verb: 'limestone outcrops along the coast'.

Example sentences

  1. The best outcrop of the formation is in the road cut north of the village.

  2. Describe the outcrop carefully before you take any samples.

Common collocations

  • describe an outcrop
  • outcrop scale
  • a fresh outcrop
  • road-cut outcrop
  • poor outcrop
  • fieldworkWork done outdoors at real sites, such as observing, measuring, mapping and sampling rocks, soils or rivers, rather than in a laboratory or office.
  • sampleA small amount of rock, soil, water or sediment collected so that it can be described, tested or analysed in a laboratory.
  • geological mapA map that shows which rock units occur at or just below the surface, together with their ages, boundaries, faults, folds and strike and dip measurements.
  • strike and dipTwo measurements that describe the orientation of a rock layer or fault: strike is the compass direction of a horizontal line on it, and dip is its angle of tilt.

More terms: Maps & Fieldwork

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