1. n. [Geology]

Wave-like or tooth-like, serrated, interlocking surfaces most commonly seen in carbonate and quartz-rich rocks that contain concentrated insoluble residue such as clay minerals and iron oxides. Stylolites are thought to form by pressure solution, a dissolution process that reduces pore space under pressure during diagenesis.

See related terms: carbonate,  clay,  diagenesis,  limestone,  pore