1.
adj. [Geology]
Pertaining to particles of
rock derived from the mechanical breakdown of preexisting rocks by
weathering and
erosion. Detrital fragments can be transported to recombine and, through the process of
lithification, become
sedimentary rocks. Detrital is usually used synonymously with clastic, although a few authors differentiate between weathering of particles, which forms detrital sediments, and mechanical breakage, which produces clastic sediments.