Helderbergian

/ˌhɛldərˈbɜːrdʒən/ adjective

Definition

Relating to the Helderberg Group, a geological formation from the Devonian period, or to the region and era it represents.

Etymology

Derived from the Helderberg Mountains in New York, named using the Dutch word 'helder' (clear) plus 'berg' (mountain). In geology, this term classifies rocks and formations from a specific geological time period and location.

Kelly Says

Geologists basically froze a 17th-century Dutch place name into the geological timescale—now 'Helderbergian' rocks are 400 million years old, and schoolkids everywhere learn what Dutch settlers saw in that 'clear mountain'!

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