Crustation

/krʌˈsteɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The process or result of forming a crust on a surface; the layer of crust that has formed.

Etymology

From crustate (to form a crust) plus the suffix -ion (indicating a process or state). It describes both the action of crust formation and the crust itself.

Kelly Says

Planetary geologists study crustation on other worlds—Mars has a thicker, more rigid crust than Earth because it cooled faster and stopped generating new crust through plate tectonics billions of years ago.

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