Home > Term: oolith
oolith
One of the small round or ovate accretionary bodies in a sedimentary rock, resembling the roe of fish, and having diameters of 0.25 to 2 mm (commonly 0.5 to 1 mm). It is usually formed of calcium carbonate, but may be of dolomite, silica, or other minerals, in successive concentric layers, commonly around a nucleus such as a shell fragment, an algal pellet, or a quartz-sand grain, in shallow, wave-agitated water; it often shows an internal radiating fibrous structure indicating outward growth or enlargement at the site of deposition. Compare: pisolith ovulite.
- Part of Speech: noun
- Industry/Domain: Mining
- Category: General mining; Mineral mining
- Government Agency: USBM
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Creator
- ed.young
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(Milwaukee, United States)