Diatomaceous earth | mineralogy | Britannica
Diatomaceous earth, also called Kieselguhr, light-coloured, porous, and friable sedimentary rock that is composed of the siliceous shells of diatoms, unicellular aquatic plants of microscopic size. It occurs in earthy beds that somewhat resemble chalk, but it is much lighter than chalk and will not effervesce in acid. Under a high-powered microscope the form of the diatoms can be distinguished.