cyclostratigraphic
SY-kloh-strat-ih-GRAF-ik
Definition
Relating to the study of cyclic changes in rock layers, often used to determine geological time scales based on astronomical patterns.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'kyklos' (circle or cycle) and the Latin/Greek 'stratum' (layer) plus 'graphic' (pertaining to writing or recording). It emerged in modern geology to describe the analytical study of rhythmic sedimentary patterns.
In the news
In the article, the term describes the methods used to interpret rock layers for evidence of historical tidal patterns, distinguishing these interpretations from direct measurements.
For roughly a billion years of Earth’s deep past, the Moon’s ocean tides may have slowed the planet while a Sun-driven atmospheric tide sped it up, holding the day near 19 hours — but the rocks preserve a hypothesis, not a stopwatch
Read the full article ↗Space Daily