paleomagnetism

[pey-lee-oh-mag-ni-tiz-uhm or, especially Brit., pal-ee-]

pa·le·o·mag·net·ism

[pey-lee-oh-mag-ni-tiz-uhm or, especially Brit., pal-ee-]
noun
Geology. magnetic polarization acquired by the minerals in a rock at the time the rock was deposited or solidified.


Origin:
1850–55; paleo- + magnetism

pa·le·o·mag·net·ic [pey-lee-oh-mag-net-ik or, especially Brit., pal-ee-] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To paleomagnetism

00:10

00:09

00:08

00:07

00:06

00:05

00:04

00:03

00:02

00:01

Paleomagnetism has a plethora of syllables.
So is cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine. Does it mean:
a white, crystalline, water-insoluble solid, C14H9Cl5, usually derived from chloral by reaction with chlorobenzene in the presence of fuming sulfuric acid: used as an insecticide and as a scabicide and pediculicide: agricultural use prohibited in the U.S.
a white, crystalline, water-insoluble, powerful high explosive, C3H6N6O6, used chiefly in bombs and shells.
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
paleomagnetism   (pā'lē-ō-māg'nĭ-tĭz'əm)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. The fixed orientation of a rock's magnetic minerals as originally aligned at the time of the rock's formation. Paleomagnetism is usually the result of thermoremanent magnetization (magnetization that occurs in igneous rocks as they cool). Examination of the paleomagnetism of the Earth's ocean floors revolutionized the field of geology by providing evidence for the existence and movement of tectonic plates. See Note at magnetic reversal.

  2. The scientific study of such magnetic remanence.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT