Caliche (Noun)
Meaning 1
Nitrate-bearing rock or gravel of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Crust or layer of hard subsoil encrusted with calcium-carbonate occurring in arid or semiarid regions.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- The caliche layer in the desert made it difficult to dig a hole for the fence post.
- Geologists studying the formation of the caliche in the region hypothesized that it was created through the evaporation of ancient lakes.
- After a few years of drought, a layer of caliche began to form on the surface of the usually fertile farmland.
- In arid regions, the formation of caliche can be a challenge for farmers, who struggle to grow crops through the hard, calcium-encrusted layer.
- The fossilized shells and snails trapped in the caliche were evidence of the area's history as a once-wetland region.