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dike science definition
- A body of igneous rock that cuts across the structure of adjoining rock, usually as a result of the intrusion of magma. Dikes are often of a different composition from the rock they cut across. They are usually on the order of centimeters to meters across and up to tens of kilometers long. See illustration at batholith.
- An embankment of earth and rock built to prevent floods or to hold irrigation water in for agricultural purposes.
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