Relating to or caused by the breaking and fragmentation of rock through intense pressure and movement in the Earth's crust.
From Greek 'kata' (down) + 'klastos' (broken), first used in geology in the 19th century to describe the shattering of minerals during mountain-building processes.
Geologists use this term to describe what happens deep underground when tectonic plates collide—rocks don't melt, they shatter into powder under the crushing force, which is how some gems get their sparkle!
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