stylolite (redirected from Stylolites)

sty·lo·lite  (stl-lt)

n.

A secondary structure found along contacting surfaces of adjacent calcareous rock layers, the contact zone appearing in cross section as a series of jagged interlocking up-and-down projections that resemble a suture or the tracing of a stylus.

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[Greek stlos, pillar; see stylite + -lite.]

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stylolite [ˈstaɪləˌlaɪt]

n

(Earth Sciences / Palaeontology) any of the small striated columnar or irregular structures within the strata of some limestones

[from Greek stulos pillar + -lite]

stylolitic  [ˌstaɪləˈlɪtɪk] adj

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stylolite  (stl-lt)

A contact surface usually found between two calcareous rock layers, marked by a series of jagged interlocking up-and-down projections that resemble a suture or the tracing of a stylus. Stylolites are found in rocks that have been subjected to pressure and are formed by a process, called pressure dissolution, whereby insoluble material, such as clay and hydrocarbons, becomes concentrated along a surface while other more soluble material, such as calcite, is carried away.