Glossary

A definition will show up in this window whenever you select a key term from an Overview page. You can also find a key term manually by scrolling through the glossary or choosing a letter from the alphabetized menu below.

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Scroll down to see the "Q" terms

quarry

A site at which stone is extracted from the ground.

quartzite

A metamorphic rock composed of quartz and transformed from a protolith of quartz sandstone.

quenching

A sudden cooling of molten material to form a solid.

quick clay

Clay that behaves like a solid when still (because of surface tension holding the water-coated clay flakes together), but that flows like a liquid when shaken.