Definitions for calichekəˈli tʃi
This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word caliche
crust or layer of hard subsoil encrusted with calcium-carbonate occurring in arid or semiarid regions
nitrate-bearing rock or gravel of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru
a deposit of sand or clay on the surface containing crystallized salts such as sodium chloride or sodium nitrate; -- used especially of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru. RHUD
a stratum of calcium carbonate in the soil of an arid or semiarid region.
A crude form of sodium nitrate from South America; used as a fertilizer
A layer of hard clay subsoil; hardpan
Caliche is a sedimentary rock, a hardened deposit of calcium carbonate. This calcium carbonate cements together other materials, including gravel, sand, clay, and silt. It is found in aridisol and mollisol soil orders. Caliche occurs worldwide, generally in arid or semiarid regions, including in central and western Australia, in the Kalahari Desert, in the High Plains of the western USA, in the Sonoran Desert, and in Eastern Saudi Arabia Al-Hasa. Caliche is also known as hardpan, calcrete, kankar, or duricrust. The term caliche is Spanish and is originally from the Latin calx, meaning lime. Caliche is generally light-colored, but can range from white to light pink to reddish-brown, depending on the impurities present. It is generally found on or near the surface, but it can be found in deeper subsoil deposits, as well. The layers can vary from a few inches to feet thick, and multiple layers can exist in a single location. In northern Chile and Peru, caliche also refers to mineral deposits that include nitrate salts. Caliche can also refer to various claylike deposits in Mexico and Colombia. In addition, it has been used to describe some forms of quartzite, bauxite, kaolinite, laterite, chalcedony, opal, and soda niter.
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