Definitions for "caliche"
a deposit of sand or clay on the surface containing crystallized salts such as sodium chloride or sodium nitrate; -- used especially of the sodium nitrate deposits of Chile and Peru.
a stratum of calcium carbonate in the soil of an arid or semiarid region.
one of Tucson's hidden monsters. Found beneath the soil the mineral build up forms a layer of rock that's almost like a slab of concrete. The caliche can prevent root growth and water drainage. Varying in thickness, it's possible to dig a chimney through the concrete to allow for drainage. A pick, steel bar, or jackhammer along with perfunctory cursing may be needed to dig through the stuff.
Caliche or Salvadoreño is a collection of slang words unique to Salvadoran Spanish. Linguist Pedro Geoffroy Rivas claimed Salvadoreño had evolved so far away from Spanish as to warrant the status of a separate language. Salvadoreño employs techniques of Nawat word construction, such as combining parts of two words to form a new one.
Keywords:  caprock
caprock