crustal

American  

[kruhs-tl] / ˈkrʌs tl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a crust, as of the earth.

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crustal British  

/ ˈkrʌstəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the earth's crust

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Etymology

Origin of crustal

1855–60; < Latin crūst ( a ) shell, crust + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Over the past decade, growing evidence has convinced many researchers that rare earthquakes do originate in the mantle, though they may occur about 100 times less frequently than crustal earthquakes.

From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2026

They focused on crustal delamination, a process in which sections of Earth's crust become compressed, chemically altered, and dense enough to detach and sink into the mantle below.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

Researchers used computer simulations inspired by a geological process on Earth called crustal delamination.

From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2026

The temperature along the plate boundary and the amount of strain built up is well studied there, and the results of their model match crustal movements based on satellite observations, the scientists said.

From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2024

At first people called them "crustal blocks" or sometimes "paving stones."

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson