Terrane vs. Terrain

(geology) A block of the Earth's crust that differs from the surrounding material, and is separated from it by faults.

A group of rocks having a common age or origin; - nearly equivalent to formation, but used somewhat less comprehensively.

A region or limited area considered with reference to some special feature; as, the terrane of a river, that is, its drainage basin.

In geology, a terrane (in full, a tectonostratigraphic terrane) is a crust fragment formed on a tectonic plate (or broken off from it) and accreted or to crust lying on another plate. The crustal block or fragment preserves its own distinctive geologic history, which is different from that of the surrounding areas—hence the term terrane.

Example: ‘sutured’; ‘exotic’;

(geology) a single, distinctive rock formation; an area having a preponderance of a particular rock or group of rocks

an area of land or the particular features of it

Example: ‘The race will be run over a variety of terrain, including grass and sand.’;

a piece of ground having specific characteristics or military potential;

Example: ‘they decided to attack across the rocky terrain’;

Terrain or relief (also topographical relief) involves the vertical and horizontal dimensions of land surface. The term bathymetry is used to describe underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level.