Allochthonous vs autochthonous

Arthur V. Chadwick (chadwicka@swac.edu)
Fri, 24 Jan 1997 13:41:19 -0800

I was asked politely to define my terms. Sorry. Autochthonous and
allochthonous refer respectively to whether a given element (formation,
fossil or rock mass) originated in situ, or was transported by whatever
mechanism from somewhere else to the site it now occupies. The terms are
used in sedimentology (autochthonous limestone) and in tectonics (allochthon).
Art
http://chadwicka.swau.edu