erratics
Ice-transported stones
Erratics are boulders or rock fragments transported by glaciers and deposited far from their geological origin.
A granite boulder sitting in a limestone field is an erratic—evidence of ancient ice movement.
The term comes from the same root as errant, emphasizing displacement.
In looser usage, erratics can describe anything that wanders or behaves unpredictably.
Large rounded stones
- moraineGlacier-deposited debris pile
- tillRegister drawer for money
- driftGradual movement, no direction
- depositsMaterial settled or stored
outwash · drumlin · esker · glacier · stratigraphy · glaciology · paleoclimate · cirque
Igneous rock, quartz-rich
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- gneissFoliated metamorphic rock
- quartziteMetamorphic silica-rich stone
- schistPlaty-mineral metamorphic rock
bedrock · outcrop · igneous · metamorphic · sedimentary · limestone · mineralogy · silicate
Separated from others
- strandedLeft without means to leave
- perchedResting in place
- solitaryExisting alone, apart
- depositedPlaced for safekeeping
displaced · transported · foreign · out-of-place · anomalous · incongruous · remnant · relic
Huge solitary standing stone
- megalithLarge prehistoric monument stone
- waymarkerSign indicating route direction
- sacredWorthy of reverence
- ceremonialRelating to formal rites
tourist · photographed · named · famous
boulders
Large rounded stones
- moraineGlacier-deposited debris pile
- tillRegister drawer for money
- driftGradual movement, no direction
deposits · outwash · drumlin · esker · glacier · stratigraphy · glaciology · paleoclimate · cirque · fjord
granite
Igneous rock, quartz-rich
- basaltFine-grained volcanic stone
- gneissFoliated metamorphic rock
- quartziteMetamorphic silica-rich stone
schist · bedrock · outcrop · igneous · metamorphic · sedimentary · limestone · mineralogy · silicate · crystalline
isolated
Separated from others
deposited · displaced · transported · foreign · out-of-place · anomalous · incongruous · remnant · relic · marooned
monolith
Huge solitary standing stone
- megalithLarge prehistoric monument stone
- waymarkerSign indicating route direction
- sacredWorthy of reverence
ceremonial · tourist · photographed · named · famous
erraticslocal stone
Stone from the area
bedrock · country rock · outcrop · regolith
erraticsregulars
Habitual visitors
constants · fixtures · steadies · invariables · stabilities
- erratic behaviorUnpredictable, inconsistent conduct
- glacial erraticIce-carried misplaced rock