A hard, cemented layer of soil or sediment formed near the Earth's surface through weathering and chemical precipitation, common in tropical regions.
From Latin durus meaning hard, combined with English crust. Geologists created this term to describe the hardened surface layers they observed in tropical soil profiles.
Duricrusts are like Earth's protective shell—they form over millennia as tropical rains dissolve minerals and then redeposit them, creating rock-hard layers that can be several meters thick and shape entire landscapes.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.