unconformity

[ uhn-kuh n-fawr-mi-tee ]
/ ˌʌn kənˈfɔr mɪ ti /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR unconformity ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural un·con·form·i·ties.

lack of conformity; incongruity; inconsistency.
Geology.
  1. a discontinuity in rock sequence indicating interruption of sedimentation, commonly accompanied by erosion of rocks below the break.
  2. the interface between such strata.

Origin of unconformity

First recorded in 1590–1600; un-1 + conformity

Words nearby unconformity

unconditioned response, unconditioned stimulus, unconfined, unconfirmed, unconformable, unconformity, uncongenial, unconnected, unconscionable, unconscious, unconsciousness

Words related to unconformity

deviation, abnormality, diversity, variety, fluctuation, innovation, divergence, alteration, discrepancy, disparity, mutation, shift, modification, change, malfunction, anomaly, characteristic, variation, contrast, inequality

Example sentences from the Web for unconformity

British Dictionary definitions for unconformity

unconformity
/ (ˌʌnkənˈfɔːmɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

lack of conformity
the contact surface between younger and older rocks representing a discontinuity in the geological record. Most commonly it represents an erosional surface

Scientific definitions for unconformity

unconformity
[ ŭn′kən-fôr′mĭ-tē ]

A surface between successive strata representing a missing interval in the geologic record of time, produced either by an interruption in deposition or by the erosion of depositionally continuous strata followed by renewed deposition. An unconformity is a type of discontinuity.