noun
- Plural of calcrete; hard, consolidated deposits of calcium carbonate found in soil or sediment, typically formed in arid and semi-arid climates.
Usage: geology; soil science
Examples
- The geologist identified several layers of calcretes in the excavation site.
- Calcretes form when calcium carbonate accumulates near the soil surface in dry regions.
- Ancient calcretes in the desert landscape indicate periods of past climate change.
- Farmers sometimes break through calcretes to improve water drainage in their fields.
- The hardness of calcretes makes them useful as a building material in some regions.