Here you’ll find 27 Earth science words that start with K, organized from “Kaersutite” to “Kyanite”. They include minerals, rocks, landforms, processes and weather terms used across geology, meteorology and oceanography. Use them for identification, mapping, teaching, and communicating environmental science.
Earth science words that start with K are concise labels for features, materials, and processes studied across Earth sciences. For example, kyanite is a blue index mineral long used in geology and occasionally as a gem.
Below you’ll find the table with Term, Definition, Category, Example, and Link.
Term: The word itself, shown so you can quickly scan and locate the exact Earth-science name you need.
Definition: A short one- to two-sentence explanation of meaning and significance to help you understand and remember the term.
Category: Labels the field or subdiscipline (for example, mineralogy or meteorology) so you know context and likely uses.
Example: A brief real-world example or common occurrence that shows how the term appears in nature or applied work.
Link: A short curated link to deeper articles or glossary pages so you can follow up for more detail.
Earth science words that start with K
| Term | Category | Typical units/measures | Example/context | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karst | geomorphology | N/A | Limestone cave systems and sinkholes | Landscape formed by dissolution of soluble rocks (limestone, dolomite) producing caves, sinkholes and underground drainage. |
| Karstification | geomorphology | mm/year (dissolution rate) | Development of sinkholes in carbonate terrain | Process by which soluble rocks are chemically weathered and dissolved to form karst landscapes and caves. |
| Kame | glacial geomorphology | m (height) | Mound of sand and gravel near glacier margin | Irregular, steep-sided hill of glacial sediment deposited by meltwater on or within a glacier. |
| Kettle | glacial geomorphology | m (depth) | Small lake in formerly glaciated terrain | Depression left by melting ice blocks in glacial deposits that often fills with water to form a kettle lake. |
| Knickpoint | geomorphology | m; m/year (retreat) | Waterfall or sudden river step | Sharp change in a river’s profile where erosion creates a step, often migrating upstream over time. |
| Knoll | geomorphology | m | Small rounded hill on a landscape | A modest, rounded hill or eminence commonly mapped in geomorphology and field studies. |
| Kimberlite | geology | g/cm³; Ma (age) | Igneous pipes hosting diamonds | Volcanic, often carrot-shaped igneous rock that can transport diamonds from the mantle to the surface. |
| Komatiite | petrology | wt% MgO; Ma (age) | Ancient ultramafic lava flows | High-magnesium volcanic rock typical of the Archean, indicating very hot mantle-derived magmas. |
| Kaolinite | mineralogy | g/cm³ (density); µm (particle size) | Clay in soils and ceramics | A common clay mineral formed by weathering of feldspars, important in soils and industrial uses. |
| Kaolin | mineralogy/soil | % clay; g/cm³ | White clay used in pottery and paper | Weathered, fine-grained material dominated by kaolinite, used in ceramics, paper coatings and as soil material. |
| Kyanite | mineralogy | g/cm³ (density); Mohs hardness | Index mineral in high-pressure metamorphic rocks | Aluminosilicate mineral that indicates high-pressure metamorphism and is used as an index mineral in metamorphic petrology. |
| Kerogen | geochemistry | wt% TOC (organic carbon) | Source material for oil and gas in shales | Insoluble organic matter in sedimentary rocks that generates hydrocarbons when heated during burial. |
| Kinetics | geochemistry | s⁻¹ (rate constant) | Weathering reaction rates in soils | Study of rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions, important for weathering, mineral dissolution and geochemical modeling. |
| Kinematics | structural geology | mm/year (movement); ° (orientation) | Plate motions and fault displacement studies | Description of motion geometry (directions and magnitudes) of rocks and tectonic blocks without reference to forces. |
| Katabatic | meteorology | m/s (wind speed) | Cold, downslope winds off Antarctic plateau | Dense, cold air flowing downhill under gravity, common in polar and alpine regions and affecting local climate. |
| Kelvin | climatology | K (temperature) | Reporting absolute temperature in climate models | SI unit of thermodynamic temperature; used in meteorology and climatology for absolute temperature measures. |
| Kimmeridgian | stratigraphy | Ma (age) | Upper Jurassic rock stage and fossils | A formal stage of the Late Jurassic epoch used in stratigraphy to date rock layers and fossils. |
| Krotovina | soil science/paleopedology | N/A | Fossil animal burrows in paleosols | Voids or burrow structures produced by animals in soils, preserved in the geologic record and studied in paleopedology. |
| Kainite | mineralogy | g/cm³ (density); % (composition) | Evaporite mineral in salt basins | Potassium-magnesium sulfate and chloride mineral found in evaporite deposits and relevant to sedimentary geology. |
| Keratophyre | petrology | wt% SiO₂ (composition) | Altered volcanic lavas and tuffs | A silica-poor to intermediate volcanic rock type often formed by alteration of submarine volcanic material. |
| Knot | oceanography/meteorology | nmi/hr (nautical miles per hour) | Wind speed reported on marine forecasts | Unit of speed commonly used in oceanography and meteorology, equivalent to one nautical mile per hour. |
| Kilobar | petrology/geophysics | bar (1,000 bar) | Pressure estimates in metamorphic studies | Unit of pressure (1 kilobar = 1,000 bar) frequently used to express pressures in metamorphic petrology. |
| Kipuka | volcanology/ecology | m² (area) | Vegetated island surrounded by lava flows | Patch of older land or vegetation left isolated within younger lava flows, important for ecology and volcanology. |
| Kaersutite | mineralogy | g/cm³ (density) | Amphibole in alkaline volcanic rocks | A titanium-rich amphibole mineral occurring in some volcanic and plutonic rocks, used in petrologic interpretations. |
| Knob | geomorphology | m | Isolated, often steep-sided hill | Local term for an isolated, often rounded or steep hill common in plateau and dissected landscapes. |
| Keuper | stratigraphy | m (thickness) | Upper Triassic strata in parts of Europe | Lithostratigraphic term for a suite of late Triassic sediments used in European geology and mapping. |
| Krypton | geochemistry/atmospheric | ppb–ppm (abundance) | Trace atmospheric gas used in dating groundwater | Noble gas present in the atmosphere and used in geochronology and tracer studies because of its isotopes. |
Descriptions
Karst
Karstification
Kame
Kettle
Knickpoint
Knoll
Kimberlite
Komatiite
Kaolinite
Kaolin
Kyanite
Kerogen
Kinetics
Kinematics
Katabatic
Kelvin
Kimmeridgian
Krotovina
Kainite
Keratophyre
Knot
Kilobar
Kipuka
Kaersutite
Knob
Keuper
Krypton