Anorogenic

/ænərəˈdʒɛnɪk/ adjective

Definition

Not producing mountains; in geology, relating to regions or processes that don't create mountain-building activity.

Etymology

From Greek 'an-' (without) + 'orogenic' (from 'oros,' mountain + 'genic,' producing). The term creates an opposite for the geological process of orogeny (mountain formation).

Kelly Says

Geologists use 'anorogenic' to describe the vast stretches of Earth's crust where mountains simply won't form—these stable interior regions are just as important to understanding Earth's structure as the dramatic mountain-building zones, but they're literally defined by what they *don't* do.

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