Definition
illites
noun
- Plural of illite; a group of clay minerals composed of hydrated potassium aluminum silicates, commonly found in sedimentary rocks and soils.
Usage: technical; geology; mineralogy
Examples
- Illites are among the most abundant clay minerals in the Earth's crust.
- The soil sample contained significant quantities of illites mixed with other clay minerals.
- Geologists identified illites in the sedimentary layers using X-ray diffraction analysis.
- Illites form under conditions of moderate weathering and diagenesis.
- The presence of illites in the rock formation helped date the geological period.