Ophiolite
/ˌoʊ.fi.əˈlaɪt/noun
A rock assemblage from oceanic crust and upper mantle that has been tectonically exposed on land.
Did you know?The name was inspired by the snake-like appearance of serpentine-rich rocks, although modern ophiolites are scientifically important slices of ancient oceanic crust and mantle.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄφις (óphis)
“Snake or serpent”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λίθος (líthos)
“Stone”
1813
French
ophiolite
“A rock named for its snake-like appearance; the term is associated with Alexandre Brongniart”
19th Century
French
ophiolite
“A designation increasingly applied to serpentinite and related dark, greenish rocks”
20th Century
English
ophiolite
“A geological assemblage representing fragments of oceanic crust and upper mantle exposed on land”
Modern English
English
ophiolite
“An ancient oceanic-rock sequence, commonly including mantle peridotite, gabbro, sheeted dikes, and basalt”