Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Report PDF
Report PDF
by
Keith R. Long
1991
Preface
In recent years, almost all countries in Latin America have adopted democratic political
systems and liberal economic policies. The resulting favorable investment climate has
spurred a new wave of North American investment in Latin American mineral resources
and has improved cooperation between geoscience organizations on both continents.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has responded to the new situation through
cooperative mineral resource investigations with a number of countries in Latin America.
These activities are now being coordinated by the USGS's Center for Inter-American
Mineral Resource Investigations (CIMRI), recently established in Tucson, Arizona.
In the course of CIMRI's work, we have found a need for a compilation of Spanish
geological and mining terminology that goes beyond the few Spanish-English geological
dictionaries available. Even geologists who are fluent in Spanish often encounter local
terminology oijerga that is unfamiliar. These terms, which have grown out of five
centuries of mining tradition in Latin America, and frequently draw on native languages,
usually cannot be found in standard dictionaries.
There are, of course, many geological terms which can be recognized even by geologists
who speak little or no Spanish. These cognates have largely been excluded from this
glossary. An exception is made for cognates that are pronounced similarly in English
and Spanish, but whose spelling may render them unfamiliar to persons not familiar with
the rules of Spanish pronunciation.
The glossary is alphabetized in the traditional Spanish pattern, thus c/z, //, and n are
treated as separate letters. A list of abbreviations, a section on weights and measures,
and a list of sources consulted are given in the prefatory material.
Lo siguente es una compilacion de pesos y medidas no metricos c\ue se emplea en los poises Hispanos. Se
pueda encontrar una tabla de pesos y medidas metricas en cualquier diccionario de ingles o espanol.
Area
Area
A number of local measures of area are used in Spain and Latin America:
Assay Values
Medidas de Tenor
The traditional measure of silver grade in the Viceroyalty of Peru was marcos par cajon. In
modern day Bolivia and Peru the cajon is defined as 5,000 and 6,000 libras respectively, hence:
In Ecuador the cuarta is known as cuarto or palma. In Guatemala a mecate is 24 paras. In Spain a
oWo is 1 /12 of a palma and 1 /28 of a uara.
A legua is the distance covered by 5,000 footsteps or pies, equivalent to 5,000 to 5,572 meters
depending on the legal definition of the para. The legua is sometimes defined as 8,000 footsteps
VI
or pies. The legua is also sometimes reckoned as the distance covered by horseback in one hour
over level terrain. A day's ride on horseback is considered to cover 6 leguas. Legal definitions of
the legua vary from country to country:
Volume
Volumen
A cajon (cargo in Spain) is a cubic vara. In Mexico a braza de piedra is defined as a block of rock 2
by 4 by 1 varas in dimensions equivalent to 4.7078 cubic meters.
Vll
Weight
Peso
In Bolivia the /ifcra is also known as the arratel. In Colombia a tonelada granadina is 1,000
kilograms. In Ecuador the quintal is also known as the media and ihefanega as the mu/a. In El
Salvador a medio is 18 to 30 libras, a carretada or tonelada corta is a tonelada of 20 quintales, and the
carretada is 3 camionadas (toneladas). In Mexico a forea is 4 montones of 100 quintales. In Paraguay
the arroba is called arobe. In Spain a tonelada grande is 2,240 libras. In some areas of Spain there
were 12, 17, or 20 onzos to a /ifcra. The weight of a /ifcra varies from country to country:
man 2 arrobas
rawhide oresack 2-4 arrobas
fiber oresack 5-6 arrobas
mule 8-14 arrobas
wagon 120 arrobas
IX
Coinage - Gold
Moneda - Oro
Coinage -Silver
Moneda - Plata
____, 1979, Glosario de terminos utilizados en mineria - Parte 3. Terminos utilizados en laboreo
minero: Ministerio de Industria Comercio y Turismo (Bolivia) Norma Boliviana 284/3-79,18p.
___, 1980, Diccionario Rioduero: Geologia y mineralogia, 2cd. ed: Madrid, Rioduero, 238p.
____, 1980, The world measurement guide: London, The Economist, 240p.
Calderon, Abdon, 1920, Diccionario y vocabulario minero: La Paz, Editores Gonzalez y Medina, 23p.
Chaballe, L.Y., Masuy, L., Vandenberghe, J.-P., and Salem, Shawkey, 1980, Elsevier's oil and gas field
dictionary in six languages: English/American, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German:
Amsterdam, Elsevier, 672p.
Clason, W.E., 1964, Elsevier's lexicon of international and naitonal units: Amsterdam, Elsevier, 75p.
Dwight, Arthur S., 1903, A glossary of Spanish-American mining and metallurgical terms: American
Institute of Mining Engineers Transactions, v. 32, p. 575-603.
Ergueta Arana, Armando, 1976, La riqueza minera en Bolivia: La Paz, Bolivia, 117p. (section titled
Terminos Geologicos Mineros and following, p. 100-107)
Font-Altaba, M., 1979, Atlas de mineralogia, 19th ed.: Barcelona, Ediciones Jover, 85p.
Fueyo Cuesta, Laureno, 1973, Diccionario termino!6gico de minas, canteras y mineralurgia: Madrid,
Rocas y Minerales, 272p.
Garcia-Pelayo y Gross, Ram6n and Durand, Micheline, 1983, Gran diccionario moderno espanol/ingles
Larousse: Paris, Editions Larousse, 1542p.
Halse, E., 1926, A dictionary of Spanish, Spanish-American, Protuguese and Portuguese-American
mining, metallurgical and allied terms: London, Charles Griffith
Harland, W.B., Armstrong, R.L., Cox, A.V., Craig, L.E., Smith, A.G., and Smith, D.G., 1990, A geologic
time scale 1989: Cambridge, England, Cambridge University Press, 263p.
de Llanos, Garcia, 1983, Diccionario y maneras de hablar que se usan en las minas y sus labores en los
ingenios y beneficios de los metales (1609): La Paz, Museo Nacional de Etnografia y Folklore
Serie Fuentes Promarios 1,135p.
McCann, Ferdinand, 1910, Guia minera para ingenieros y practices: Mexico City, Bouligny and
Schmidt, 512p.
McKinstry, H.E., 1948, Mining Geology: Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall, 680p. (Appendix V:
Weights and Measures, p. 616-623)
Medina, Alvin Leroy, 1988, An English-Spanish glossary of terminology used in forestry, range, wildlife,
fishery, soils, and botany: U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report RM-152,54p.
Mendez, Agustin, 1981, Diccionario basico de la industria del petroleo: Madrid, Paraninfo, 588p.
Mitchell, Richard Scott, 1985, Dictionary of rocks: New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 228p.
Moliner, Maria, 1977, Diccionario del uso del espanol, 4th ed.: Madrid, Editorial Credos, 2 vols., 3036p.
Munoz, Nicholas G., 1988, Dunham's carbonate rock classification: a Spanish terminology: Carbonates
and Evaporites, v. 3, n. 1, p. 65-66.
Nieto, Felix, 1891, Apuntes de mineria en forma de diccionario por el minero practice: Zacatecas,
Mexico, Juan Lujan, 523p.
Nogales, Luis A., and Ordonez, Alfonso, 1937, Vocabulario espanol-ingles de tecnismos de mineria,
geologia y metalurgicos: Oruro, Bolivia, Imprenta Universe, 63p.
Novitzky, Alejandro, 1951, Diccionario minero, metalurgico, geologico, mineralogico, petrografico y de
petroleo; ingles, espanol, frances, aleman, ruso, 2 vols.: Buenos Aires, La Imprenta Chile,
369+217p.
de Novo, Pedro, and Chicarro, F., 1957, Diccionario de geologia y ciencias afines: Barcelona, Editorial
Labor, 2 vols., 1685p.
Orellana Silva, Ernesto, 1967, Diccionario ingles-espanol de ciencias de la tierra: Madrid, Interciencia,
335p.
Read, P.G., 1982, Dictionary of gemmology: London, Butterworth, 240p.
XI
Robb, Louis Av 1949, Engineer's dictionary; Spanish-English and English-Spanish, 2cd ed.: New York,
John Wiley and Sons, 664p.
Roberts, Willard Lincon, Campbell, Thomas J., and Rapp, George Robert, Jr., 1990, Encyclopedia of
minerals, 2cd. ed.: New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 979p.
Rodruguez, Eduardo A., 1986, English-Spanish/Spanish-English glossary of geologic terms and
common phrases; as used in the translation of text, figures, and maps for the Costa Rica Mineral
Resource Assessment Project: unpublished M.S., U.S. Geological Survey, 45p.
Seiglie, George A., and Weaver, John D., 1968, Glosario de terminos geologicos inglis-espanol: edicion
preliminar: Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Colegio de Agricuitura y
Artes Mecanicos, 84p.
Tomkeieff, S.I., 1983, Dictionary of petrology: New York, John Wiley, 680p.
Wyllie, R.J.M., and Argall, George O., Jr., eds., 1975, World Mining glossary of mining, processing, and
geological terms; English, Svenska, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Rev. ed.: San Francisco, Miller
Freeman, 432p.
A-l
or any other steel grey silver mineral | [Potosi, acodalar vtr to shore, brace
Bol] jamesonite | a. blanco [Potosi, Bol] white acodamiento nm break | shoring, trench
jamesonite | a. lejizo [Potosi, Bol] slaty bracing
jamesonite | a. zebroso [Potosi, Bol] fibrous acodar vtr to shore, brace | [surv] to offset
jamesonite acometer zrfr to branch
acerado,-da adj steely, color of steel, steel grey acomodana nf [Pe] ore deposit
acerar vtr to chill, harden aconcharse vpr [Ch] to deposit sediment
acerdesa nf wad or bog manganese acondrito nm achondrite
aceria nf steel works or mill acontita nf [Ch] mixture of pyrite and
acerillo nm [Pe] small, granular crystals of arsenopyrite
galena (considered to be rich in silver) acopado,-da adj hollowed out, cupped, cup-
acero nm steel shaped
acetato nm acetate acopio nm waste heap, tailings dump
acetico,-ca adj acetic acordamiento nm concordance of strata
acicularod'; acicular acordancia nf conformity, concordance
aciculita nf aikinite acordanza nf artificial concordance caused by
acidez adj acid ness | nf acidity tectonic movements
acidificacidn nf acidification acostado,-da adj recumbent
acidificar vtr to acidify | to acidize | vpr to acostar vtr to take a vertical dip
acidify acostarse vpr to change dip or direction
acidimetro nm acidmeter acotacidn nf boundary marker or monument |
acido,-da adj acidic | nm acid | a acetico acetic elevation marked on a map or plan | [Cu]
acid | a borico boric acid | a carbolico carbolic elevation
acid | a clorhidrico hydrochloric acid | afenico acotamiento nm setting of boundary markers
carbolic acid | a hidroclorico hydrochloric acid acotar vtr to delimit, mark the boundaries of |
| a hidriodico hydroiodic acid | a lodoso [pet] to mark elevations | [surv] to mark out, set
sludge acid | a muriatico hydrochloric acid | a monuments
nitrico nitric acid | a nitrohidroclorico nitric acid acotilla nm sledge hammer
| a nitromuridtico nitric acid | a sulfurico acrecencia nf accretion
sulfuric acid acrecimiento nm accretion
acidula nf mineral water rich in carbonic acid acrecidn nf accretion
acidular vtr to acidulate | to acidize acrepie nm acre-foot
aciete nm oil | a. bruto crude oil | oil in bulk | a. acribar vtr to sift, sieve, screen
combustible fuel oil | a. crudo crude oil | a. de acrisolar vtr to refine, assay or purify metals in a
alcjuitran tar oil | a. de alumbrado kerosene | a. crucible (crisol)
de azufre sulfuric acid | a. de carbon coal oil, acrisolado,-da adj refined, purified in a crucibJu
kerosene | a. de esquisto shale oil | a. de horno acrobatolitico,-ca adj acrobatholitic
fuel oil | a. de lampara [Mex] kerosene | a. de acroita nf achroite
taladrar drilling oil | a. de vitriolo sufuric acid | acromatico,-ca adj achromatic
«. lampante [Sp] kerosene | a. mineral petroleum actmico,-ca adj actinic
acije nm vitriol, metal sulfate | a. amarillo actinic nm actinium
copiapite | a. blanco goslarite | «. de hierro iron actinota nf actinolite
vitriol actinoto nm actinolite
acis nm volcanic vent | diapiric fold activado,-da adj activated
aclinico,-ca adj aclinic actividad nf [chem] activity
aclividad nf acclivity Actual nm Holocene
acimut nm azimuth acuatico,-ca adj aquatic
acimutal adj azimuthal acueo,-ea adj aqueous
acobrado,-da adj copper colored dcueoglacial adj glacioaqueous
acocadera nf stone cutter's chisel dcueo-igneo,-nea adj hydroplutonic
acodalamiento nm shoring, trench bracing acuicierre nm aquiclude
A-4
fondo ground water | bottom water (in a well) agualotal nm [Arg, Cu] bog, swamp
| a. deformation connate water | a. degravedad aguallita nf shallow water
meteoric water | a. de grieta fissure water | a. agualluvia nf rain water
de hidratation water of hydration | a. de aguamarina nf aquamarine
imbibition absorption water | a. de infiltration aguar vtr to water, dilute
percolation water | a. de lluvia or llovediza rain aguarse vpr to be flooded or inundated by water
water | a. de madre water from which minerals aguas nfpl mineral waters in general | a. abajo
have precipitated, mother liquor | a. de downstream | a. altos high water | a.
manantial spring water | a. de mar seawater | a. aprovechables water resources | a. arriba up
de mina mine water | a. de noria [Mex] well stream | a. artesianas artesian water | a. bajas
water | a. de percolation percolation water | a. low water | a. broncos [Mex] flood waters | a.
de pie spring water | a. de retention pore water cloacales de infiltration ground water | aguas de
| a. de saturation saturation water | a. de afloramiento upwelling | a. de cabecera [PR]
sobresaturation dilation water | a. de tratantiento headwaters | a. estiales low water | a. inmundas
process water | a. del suelo soil water | a. waste water | a. juveniles juvenile waters | a.
delgada soft water | a. dormida stagnant water | madres mother solution | a. meteoricas meteoric
a. dulce soft or fresh water | a. dura hard water water | a. minimas low water | a. pluviales rain
| a. estancada standing or stagnant water | a. water | a. residuales waste water | a. someras
ferruginosa iron-rich mineral water | a. fosil [Arg] surface water | a. teluricas [Arg] ground
connate water | a. fredtica ground water, water | a. termales thermal waters | a. vertientes
phreatic water | a. fuerte nitric acid | a. gorda runoff | a. vivas flowing water
hard water | a. infiltrada percolation water | a. aguatal nm [Ec] pool, swamp
juvenil juvenile water | a. limitada bound water aguazal nm swamp, bog, marsh
| a. magmdtica magmatic water | a. marginal agudo,-da adj acute, sharp
edge water | a. metamorfica metamorphic water agiiilla nf water, fluid
| a. meteorica meteoric water | a. mineral aguja nf pointed peak of a mountian | compass
mineral water | a. natural spring water (lacking needle | [surv] marking pin, arrow | [Sp]
minerals) | a. oxigenada oxygenated water | a. small vein | [Col] small branch vein or stringer
pelicular pellicular water | a. pluvial rain water | a. de marear compass
| a. potable potable water | a. regia aqua regia | agujerar vtr to perforate
a. rejuvenetida rejuvenated water | a. salada salt agujero nm drill hole | fissure | mouth of a well
or saline water | a. salobre brackish or briny agujilla nf [Hualgayoc, Pe] fibrous stromeyerite
water | a. singenetica connate water | a. somera aguosidad nf water, fluid
shallow water | a. subdlvea water in a stream aguoso,-sa adj watery
bed | a. subterrdnea (underground water | a. aguzado,-da adj tapering
subterrdnea endicada perched ground water | a. ahebrado,-da adj fibrous
subterrdnea fija fixed ground water | a. ahechar vtr to sift or sieve
subterrdnea fijada attached ground water | a. aherrumbrarse vpr to be stained by iron oxide |
subyacente bottom or edge water | a. sucia to aquire the color of rust
unpotable water | a. surgente artesian water | ahitar vtr [surv] to set monuments
a. surgidor artesian water | a. surtidora artesian ahocinarse vpr to run through a narrow canyon
water | a. telurica groundwater | a. termal (rivers) | to cut a gorge
thermal water | a. vadosa vadose water | a. ahogado,-da adj flooded, inundated, drowned |
vadosiana vadose water | a. viva spring water [Mex] embedded
aguacero nm waterfall ahogar vtr to submerge, drown
aguachento,-ta adj watery, full of water, ahogarse vpr to be submerged | a. el oro [Col]
saturated to lose gold by being carried off by water
aguachinar vtr to saturate ahondadura nf sinking, excavation, digging
aguada nf flood | saturation | inundation of a ahondamiento nm sinking, excavation, digging
mine by water | [Ch] spring ahondar vtr to sink a shaft | to deepen a well
aguaducho nm conduit | flood ahonde nm sinking, excavation, digging |
A-7
calorifico,-ca adj calorific cancha nf ore bin | [Pe, Ch] mine dump | place
calorimetria nf calorimetry near the entrance of a mine where ore was
calorime'trico/-ca adj calorimetric, calorimetrical sorted by hand
calorimetro nm heat probe, calorimeter canchal nm rocky or stony place | [Me*x]
caloviano,-na adj Callovian moraine
caloviense adj Callovian canchamina n/[Ch] work area around a shaft or
caluma nf [Andes] pass, gap, gorge adit
calvo,-va adj barren, desert canchaminero nm [Ch] surface worker in a mine
callana nf[Pe] government refinery or mint cancho nm large rock, boulder
calloviano,-na adj Callovian candencia nf incadescence
calloviense adj Callovian candente adj incadescent, red-hot
cama nf layer, bed, stratum | c. de roca bedrock candil de minero nm miner's lamp
camada nf bed, stratum, layer canel nm [Sp] cannel coal
ca'mara nf chamber, room j ore shoot, chamber caney nm small bay | [Col] river bend
deposit | c. de minus chamber of mines | c. canga nf any red lateritic soil | iron-bearing
magmdtica magma reservoir laterite | [Arg, Bol] iron-bearing soil
cambio nm change, variation | c. de fades facies cangagua n/[Col] clay suitable for adobe bricks
change | c. de naturaleza variation in cangahua nf [Ec] hardpan
sedimentary material | c. de nombre renaming | cangalla nf tailings | [Ch] stolen ore
c. de potenda variation in thickness cangalli nm [Tipuani, Bol] false bedrock of
cambriano,-na adj Cambrian ferruginous quartz arenite that overlies gold-
c£mbrico,-ca adj Cambrian bearing sand
caminamiento nm [Ec] traversing cangildn nm bucket | [Ec] mud hole | [PR]
camino nm [Bol] gallery, drift small waterfall | c. de arrastre dragline bucket
camidn nf truck | c. de disparo shooting truck | cangrejero nm [Col] pockets of gold occuring in
c. de registro recording truck | c. de taladro smaller veins or venillas
drilling truck canguildn nm [Ch] bucket
campamento nm camp, campground | c. minero candn nm royalty, tax | rate | c. bruto gross
mining camp royalty | c. de adidon overriding royalty | c. de
campana nf level country derre shut-in royalty | c. de compensadon
campaniano/-na adj Campanain compensation royalty | c. del propietario fee
campaniense adj Campanian royalty | c. de partidpadon royalty interest | c.
campanil nm [Bilbao, Sp] hematite | [Sierra exento de cargos non-participating royalty | c.
Nevada, Sp] siderite fijo fixed royalty | c. no venddo unaccrued
campilita nf campylite royalty | c. sin gustos free ride
campista nf tributor, lessor cantal nm stone or pebble | spall | stony
campamiento minero nm mining camp ground
campo nm field | mining camp | c. aurifero gold cantara nf a liquid measure equivalent to 13.16
field | c. coerdtivo coercive field | c. de cumbres liters | [Durango, Me"x] white, decomposed
| c. de kames kame field | c. de nieves firn field | clay
c. de un microscopic field of view (microscope) | ca'ntaro nm [Guadalcazar, Pe] retort for reducing
c. del petroleo oil field | c. gasffero gas field | c. mercury ores
magnetico magnetic field | c. minero mining cantearirtr to cut stone
camp | c. petrolero oil field | c. productor cantera nf quarry | quarry stone, hewn stone,
producing field | c. raso flat, open country ashlar, freestone | [Vz] small veinlets of quartz
canal nm channel j flume, race, ground sluice | detached from veins | c. de arena sand pit | c.
c. de erupdon chimney, pipe de grava gravel pit | c. de prestamo borrow pit
canalado,-da adj grooved, fluted, corrugated canteria nf quarry | quarrying, hewing of stone
canalizacidn nf channelization | freestone, ashlar, hewn stone | [Mex] tuff
canaldn nm ground sluice cantero nm stonemason | sum
cancagua nf [Ch] a stiff, sandy soil cantidad nf quantity, amount | c. de rotadon
C-4
menudo small coal | c. mineral coal | [Pe] peat | | c. suspendida suspended load
c. no aglutinante non-coking coal | c. para cargado,-da adj loaded | heavy, dense
calderas steam coal | c. pardo lignite | c. pezoso cargamento nm load, shipment | cargo
pitch coal | c. seco non-coking coal | c. cargar vtr to load | to charge (a furnace) | v intr
semigraso semibituminous coal | c. tal como sale to load up
run-of-mine coal | c. vegetal charcoal cargo nm burden, loading | load of stone of
carbonaceo,-cea adj carbonaceous about one third of a cubic meter | [Granada,
carbonada nf load of coal Sp] one cubic vara
carbonado nm black diamond, carbonado carhua nf [Pe] pyrite
carbonar vtr to turn into charcoal, carbonize can adj lead grey
carbonate nm carbonate | [Sp] lead ore | c. cariado,-da adj rotten
calcico calcium carbonate | c. de hierro siderite | carmesi oJ;' crimson | nm crimson
c. de sodio soda | c. de sodio anhidrico soda ash | cannin adj carmine, crimson | nm crimson |
c. magnesico magnesite | c. plomizo cerussite [Col] limonite
carboncillo nm small coal, fine coal, slack | coal carmineo,-nea adj carmine, crimson
dust carnacidn nf flesh color
carbonear vtr to turn into charcoal, carbonize | came de vaca nm [Bol, Pe] coarse galena ore
to load coal (considered to be relatively poor in silver) |
carboneo nm charcoal making [Hualgayoc, Pe] red amorphous sphalerite,
carbonera nf coal bin or bunker | coal mine phosphorescent on fracture
carboneria nf coal mine | coal shed or yard carneola nf variety of chalcedony
carbonero,-ra adj coal | nm coal mine | coal carniense nm Karnian
merchant, coalman carrancho nm [Col] altered granite carrying
carbdnico,-ca adj carbonic auriferous pyrite and free gold | shaley host
carbonifero,-ra adj carboniferous | coal-bearing rock in which gold veins are unproductive
carbonilla nf coal dust, fine coal, pulverized carranchoso,-sa adj [Col] rough, scaley, harsh
coal | cinder carrascal nm [Mex] honeycombed quartz,
carbonizacidn nf carbonization usually barren
carbonizar vtr to carbonize | to burn | vpr to carrera nf run | c. de la marea tidal range
carbonize carretada nf cart or wagon load of 120 arrobas
carbono nm carbon | c. organico organic carbon carretal nm [Sp] roughly dressed ashlar or
| carbono 14 carbon-14 rubble-stone
carbonoso,-sa adj carbonaceous carro nm car | c. calichero [Ch] nitrate car | c.
carborundo nm corundum carbonero coal car | c. de extraction mine car | c.
carburo nm carbide salitrero [Ch] nitrate car
carcamo nm drain (of a mine) | flume carst nm karst
carcava nf gully, ditch carstenita nf karstenite, anhydrite
carcavdn nm gorge carstico,-ca adj karstic
carcomar vtr to erode, undermine | vpr to be carstificacidn nf karstification
undermined carta nf map | chart | c. planialtimetrica [Arg]
cardenilla nf [Batopilas, Mex] proustite topographic map
cardenillo nm verdigris cartografia nf cartography | c. aerea aerial
carear vtr to face (stone) photosurveying
carga nf load | loading | [hyd] head | [met] cartografiar vtr to survey, make maps
heat, charge | mule-load of 8 to 14 arrobas \ cartografico,-ca adj cartographic
man load of about 2 arrobas \ duty, tax, charge cartografo nm cartographer
| [Bol] ah red rock useful as a guide to ore cartoteca »/[Vz] map file
[Col] pebbles and cobbles found in placers | casa nf house | c. del apartado parting
[Sandia, Pe] overburden on placers | c. de mula establishment
load of about 8 to 14 arrobas \ c. del lecho bed casar metales vtr [Pe] to mix ores for
load | c. disuelta dissolved load | c. mineral ore amalgamation or smelting
C-6
D demarcation
demarcar vtr to demarcate, delimit, mark out
demasias nfpl [Bol] land falling outside of
dacitico,-ca nf dacitic existing mining claims
danense adj Danian dendriforme adj dendroid
danesadj Danian dendrita nf dendrite
daniano,-na adj Danian dendritico,-ca adj dendritic
daniense adj Danian dendioideadj dendroid
darcy nm darcy dendroideo,-dea adj dendroid
data nf date densidad nf density | d. API API gravity | d. de
datacidn nf dating, age determination probabilidad probability density | d. natural
datar vtr to date, put a date on | vintr to date natural (rock) density | d. relativa relative
dato nm fact, datum, record, piece of density, specific gravity
information | ntnpl data, facts, information densimetro nm densimeter
debil adj weak dentado,-da adj jagged, serrated, toothed |
debilidad nf weakness dentate
decaedro nm decahedron dentellado,-da adj jagged, serrated, toothed |
decano nm decane dentate
decantacidn nf decantation | d. selectiva denticulado,-da adj toothed
selective decantation denudacidn nf erosion, denudation
decapitacidn nf stream capture denudar vtr to erode, denude
decila nf decile denuncia nf petition for a mining claim
declinacidn nf declination | d. de la aguja or denunciar vtr to obtain legal possession to a
magnetica deviation from magnetic north mining claim
declive nm inclination, slope, incline, declivity, deplecidn nf depletion
dip, pitch | en d. sloping, on a slope deposicidn nf deposition
declividad nf slope depositor ufr to deposit | vpr to settle
dedo nm twelth part of a palmo, twenty-eigth depdsito nm deposit, sediment | deposition |
part of a vara reservoir, tank | d. aluvial alluvial deposit | d.
defecto nm defect | d. de estructura crystal defect de contacto contact metamorphic deposit | d. de
| d. de masa mass defect minerales mineral deposit | d. de metal ore
deflacidn nf deflation deposit | d. estratoligase stratiform deposit | d.
deflexion nf deflection | d. de la aguja magnetic glaciar glacial deposit | d. mural mural deposit
deviation | d. par deslizamiento slump | d. vetiforme
deformacidn nf deformation | strain vetiform deposit
deformar vtr to deform | to strain depositicidn nf deposition
degradacidn nf degradation, erosion depresidn nf depression, hollow | gap, pass | d.
degradar vtr to degrade literal longshore trough
dejar respaldo vtr [Pe] to leave ore in the wall- depuracidn nf purification (of water)
rock of a mine depurar vtr to purify
deleznable adj brittle, friable, crumbly derecho,-cha adj straight | nm grant,
deleznamiento nm slakings concession | d. de captura rule of capture | d. de
deleznar vtr to crumble mina mineral rights
delineado,-da adj blocked-out (ore) derechos nmpl tax on ore | d. de mineraje royalty
delinear vtr to block out (ore) | d. de senoraje duty formerly paid to the king
delta nm delta | d. continental inland delta | d. of Spain on coining gold or silver
glaciarico kame delta | d. marine marine delta deriva nf drift | d. de (los) continentes continental
deltaico,-ca adj deltaic drift
demantoide adj demantoid, uralian emerald derivar vtr to calculate | vintr to incline, drift,
demarcacidn nf demarcation trend
demarcador,-dora nf demarcating, of derivacidn nf offset
D-2
granalla nf small grains of metal, generally gold gravel | g. de mina pit gravel | g. de playa beach
granate adj garnet (color) | nf garnet | gravel | g. en bruto pit-run gravel | g. fluvial
[Guadalcazar, Mex] crystalline cinnabar | g. river gravel | g. graduada graded gravel | g.
almandino almandinite provechosa pay gravel | g. sin cribar unscreened
granatffero,-ra adj garnetiferous, garnet-bearing gravel | g. tal como sale unscreened gravel
grancilla n/[Sevilla, Sp] screened coal (15-30 gravedad nf gravity | g. espedfica specific
mm) | [Asturias, Sp] screened coal (5-12 mm) gravity
granip<5rfido,-da adj [Vz] granophyre gravadora nf [Sp] gravel screen
granitico,-ca adj granitic gravera nf gravel pit
granitizacidn nf granitization gravilla nf fine gravel
granito nm granite | small grain | hair, streak gravilladora nf [Sp] gravel screen
or point that diminishes the quality of a gravimetria nf gravimetry
diamond | g. anfibolico amphibole granite | g. gravimetrico,-ca adj gravimetric
biotitico biotite granite | g. micaceo mica granite gravimetro nm gravimeter
| g. potasico potash granite gravitacidn nf gravitation, gravity
granitoide nm granitoid gravitacional adj gravitational
granitoideo,-dea adj granitoid gravoso,-sa adj [Mex] gravelly
grano nm grain | grain, a weight | de g. fino fine greca nf irregular workings
grained | de g. grueso coarse grained | de g. greda nf marl | chalk | fuller's earth | [Bol]
media medium grained barren gravel above pay-dirt in placers | [Guy]
granoblastico,-ca adj granoblastic highly alterered schist bedrock to placers | [Vz]
granofirico,-ca adj granophyric pay-dirt | g. dura [Col] carboniferous, iron-
granofiro nm granophyre bearing schist
granosidad nf granularity gredal nm clay pit
granoso,-sa adj granular gredoso,-sa adj chalky, marly, clayey
granudo,-da adj granular, granulate, granulated grenoquita nf greenockite
granulacidn nf granulation gremio nm society, guild, corporation | trade
granulado,-da adj granulated | nm granulation union | g. de azogueros [Potosi, Bol] association
granular adj granular, granulate, granulated of miners | g. de cumuris association of ore
granule nm granule transporters | g. de duenos association of
granulometria nf granulometry (mostly absentee) mine owners | g. de mineros
granuloso,-sa adj granulose, granular miner's association
granza nf [Arg] crushed stone | [New Almaden, gres nm sandstone | potter's clay
Calif] coarse mercury ore | [Cu] gravel | greta nf fuller's earth | [Mex] litharge
[Mex] fragments of ore from about the size of gretoso nm [Chico, Mex] silver sulfide-bearing
rice to that of an egg | [Guanajuato, Mex] gossan
fourth class of ore, about 80 ounce silver to the grieta nf narrow fissure, crack, crevice | joint |
ton | g. de yunque [San Dimas, Mex] smalls | g. autoclastica autoclastic fissure | g. capilar
[Huitzuco, Mex] middlings of mercury ore | hairline crack | g. de contraction frost crack | g.
[Asturias, Sp] screened coal (10-25mm) de desecacion mud crack | g. de enfriamiento
granzita nf[Almade'n, Sp] coarse-grained ores cooling joint | g. de erupcion fissure vent | g. de
granzdnnm gravel glaciar crevasse | g. glaciar crevasse | g.
graptolito nm graptolite marginal marginal crevasse
grasero nm slag pile grietarse vpr to crack
grasoso,-sa adj greasy grieteado,-da adj cracked
grauvaca nf greywacke | g. feldespdtica arkosic grieteo nm formation of fissures
wacke grietoso,-sa adj cracked
grauwaca nf greywacke gris adj grey | nm grey | g. perla pearl grey
grava nf gravel j [Cartagena, Sp] ore of 6 to 8 grisaceo,-cea adj greyish
percent lead | g. de boleos boulder gravel | g. de grosornm thickness
cantera pit gravel | g. de guijas [Vz] granule grosularia nf grossularite
G-4
horizonte nm bed, layer, stratum | seam | huayre nm [Potosi, Bol] clay reduction furnace
horizon | h. del suelo soil horizon | h. guia once used by Indians
datum | h. petrolifero oil-bearing formation huecarrera nf cavern filled with ore in the form
hornablenda nf hornblende | h. esquistosa of stalagmites and stalagtites
hornblende schist hueco,-caod/ hollow | loose | nm vug
hornable*ndico,-ca adj hornblende huellanf track, trace | [Mex] trace of gold
hornablendeifero,-ra adj hornblende-bearing recovered in assaying | h. defision fission track
hornacho nm excavation hueso nm [Ch] yellowish, compact sodium
hornada nf [met] a melt nitrate
hornaguear vtr to work or extract hard coal huevo nm [Col] belly or swollen piece of ore in
hornaguera nf hard coal | h apizarrada slate coal a beaded vein | large boulder in alluvium or
| terreno de h. coal measures soil
hornagueror-ra adj bearing hard coal huincha nf [Bol, Ch] measuring tape
hornaza nf small furnace huinche nm winch
hornfelsa nf hornfels huincho nm [Pe] magnetite | hematite
hornfelsitico,-ca adj hornfelsic hulla nf black bituminous coal | h. apizarrada
homillo nm small furnace slate coal | h. blanca white coal | h. brillante
homo nm kiln | furnace | h. de cal lime kiln | h. anthracite | h. cannel cannel coal | h. de llama
de ensayar assay furnace | h. defoso pit furnace bituminous coal | h. grasa soft coal | h. magra
| h. defundicion smelting furnace | [Mex] blast non-coking anthracite | h. para gas gas coal | h.
furnace | h. de reverbero reverberatory furnace picaforme jet | h. seca coking coal
horrura nf scoria, dross hullero,-ra adj coal | nf coal mine | coal bed |
horsteno nm chert nm coal miner
hoya nf any deep excavation | pit, ditch, hole | hullifero,-ra adj coal-bearing
basin, trough | sink | pothole in a river bed | hullita nf anthracite
valley, dale | [Pe] river bed | h. de drenaje humedecer vtr to moisten, humidify
watershed | h. de explosion shot hole | h. glacial humedad nf humidity | h. de cantera quarry
kettle hole water | h. del suelo soil moisture
hoyada nf depression, hollow, dip hiimedo,-da adj humid, wet, damp
hoyar vtr to dig holes in, make holes humilde metal nm [Pe] silver ore that readily
hoyo nm hole, pit | h. de disparo shot hole amalgamates
hoz nf gorge, ravine humita nf humite
huachaca n/[Cerro de Pasco, Pe] ore paid to humo nm smoke | los humos [Cerro de Pasco,
workers or lessors Pe] 'the smoke1, a controversy brought about
huaico nm [Arg, Pe] debris flow, mud flow by the installation of a copper smelter without
huaillaripear vtr [Pe] to steal ore | to extract even so much as a bag house for pollution
gold from tailings by means of running water control
and sheepskins humor nm [BC, Mex] trace
huairona nf [Pe] lime kiln hundido,-da adj caved | nm dip
huairuna nf [Pe] small, earthen retort used to hundimiento nm subsidence | caving | dip of a
recover mercury from amalgam bed | pitch of a fold axis | h. en caldero caldron
huambi nm [Pe] realgar subsidence
huarina nf [Potosi, Bol] member of a cuadrillo or hundirse vpr to dip | to subside | to cave
gang of weekend Creole miners who worked the huroniano,-na adj Huronian
mines for their own benefit from Saturday
night to Monday morning and on feast days
1-1
by weathering
laguna nf lagoon | small lake | reservoir used
to store water to supply water-powered stamp
labfl adj unstable | labile | friable mills | /. costera coastal lagoon | /. de
labio nm lip, edge | /. defalla fault limb decantacion tailings pond
labor nf miner working or work | working lagunato nm [Cu] pool, pond
place or face | a measure of area (177.14 acres) lagunero nm person in charge of the upkeep of
| /. a cielo overhand working | /. a cielo abierto lagunas
open pit working | 1. a traves cross cut | /. lagunoso,-sa adj full of lagoons
abandonada abandoned working | /. alia [Col] laja nf thin, flat stone | bed, layer or sheet |
placer working above water level | /. auxiliar stone slab | /. chavera [Cartagena, Sp] highly
development work | /. baja [Col] placer decomposed slate
working below water level | /. de buncos lajeado,-da adj [Mex, Ur] laminated
underhand stoping | /. de beneficio mill, milling lajillan/[Vz] shale
| /. de cantera stone quarry, open pit work | /. lajoso,-sa adj [Ur] laminated
de hacienda all workings in a mine not leased | lama nf slime, mud, silt | tailings | ore in the
/. de realce overhand stoping | /. de form of dust or fine powder within veins |
reconocimiento exploratory workings | /. de [Tipuani, Bol] gravel beds forming false
testeros overhand stoping | /. en rebajo bedrock to gold placers
underhand stoping | /. par lajas slabbing, lamelaradj laminated
slashing | /. preparativas development work lamelifonne adj lamelliform
laboreo nm mining, exploitation, working | art lamina nf lamella (pi lamellae) | slab | thin
of mining | /. a cielo abierto open pit mining | /. plate or sheet | scale | /. de pirita scare | /. de
de crestones surface workings | /. de grada pizarra slab of slate, slate
stoping | /. de subniveles sublevel stoping | /. en laminacidn nf lamination
avance advancing system | /. en retirada laminado,-da adj laminated | tabular
retreating system | /. minero mining, laminilla nf lamella (pi lamellae) | thin sheet |
exploitation | /. par cuadras panel working | /. flake
par socavon adit cut mining lamoso,-da adj slimey | [Aguascalientes, Mex]
labra nf working, cutting, carving, or dressing copper ores in a steatite matrix
of stone lamprdfiro nm lamprophyre
labrado,-da adj worked, wrought, cut, carved | lancanstriano,-na adj Lancastrian
nm cutting, carving lancastriense nm Lancastrian
labrar vtr to work a mine | to work metals | to lancha nf thin, flat stone | stone slab
dress, cut or carve stone | /. enfacetas to facet lanchar nm quarry yielding lanchas
lacolito nm laccolith landeniano,-na adj Landenian
lacunario,-ria adj lacustrine landeniense nm Landenian
lacustre adj lacustrine, lake lantano nm lanthanum
ladera nf declivity, slope, side, hillside | highly lapa«/[Pe] footwall
inclined flanks of a saddle or anticline | flank lapiez nm karren
ladiniano,-na adj Ladinian lapili nf lapilli | /. de acrecion accretion lapilli
ladiniense adj Ladinian lapislazuli nf lapis lazuli
lago nm lake | /. alcalino alkaline lake | /. de agua lapiz nm graphite, black lead, plumbargo |
dulce fresh water lake | /. de agua salada salt black chalk | /. encarnado or rojo red chalk or
lake | /. de circo tarn | /. de crater crater lake | /. ochre
de erosion erosion lake ! /. de erosion glaciar \ I. lapizarnm graphite mine
defractura tectonic lak i | 1. de glaciar glacier laque nm druse
lake | /. en herradura oxbow lake | /. endicado la sea nf small, thin fragment of stone | chip,
barrier lake | /. salado salt lake, saline lake | /. spall
semilunar oxbow lake lascarufr to spall
laguena nf decomposition of argillaceous schist lastra nf flat stone, stone slab, flagstone |
L-2
[Serrata de Lorca, Sp] bed of native sulphur, of legitima n/[Real del Monte, Mex] vein having
which there are several: /. de arriba the upper an east-west trend
bed, /. de abajo or defuego middle bed, and /. de legua nf league, a measure of distance of 5000
agua the lowermost which was not worked footsteps (about 5572 meters) (a day's ride on
lastre nm weathered stone of poor quality found horseback is about six leagues)
at the surface of quarries leguaje nm an advance for travel expenses that
lastronnm large flagstone should have but was rarely paid to mitayos by
lateritico,-ca adj lateritic mine owners when they left their communities
laterizacidn nf laterization for the mines
latilla nf lath lenar nm karren, lapiaz
latitud nf latitude | breadth, width | total lengua del glaciar nf glacial tongue
extent of a region, belt, province, district, etc | lengiiebuey nm [Antioqua, Col] a trachyte so
a 30° latitud sur 30° south named because its texture resembles that of an
lattorfiano,-na adj LattorBan ox's tongue
lattorfiense adj Lattorfian lente nm lense | magnifying glass | lenticular
lauegrama nm lauegram mass of rock | /. ocular eyepiece
laurencio nm lawrencium lenteja nf lenticular mass of rock, ore or mineral
lava nf lava | washing of ore | /. cordada pillow lentejon nm lense (of sedimentary rock)
lava | /. de blocjue block lava | /. en alhomada lenoso,-sa adj woody, ligneous
pillow lava | /. escoriacea aa lava | /. pahoehoe lepidoblastico,-ca adj lepidoblastic
pahoehoe leucito nm leucite
lavada nf washing of placers or ore leucocratico,-ca adj leucocratic
lavadero nm site for washing placers or ore | leucopirita nf leucopyrite
[Ch, Pe] placer deposit | act of washing placers leucozafiro nm leucosapphire
or ore levantada nf orogeny
lavado nm washing | /. de surcos \ I. superficial levantamiento nm elevation | uplift | survey |
lavador nm gold pan | washer surveying | creep (soil) | /. aerofotogrametrico
lavadora nf gold pan | /. de carbon coal washer aerial survey | /. stsmico siesmic survey
lavadura nf washing of placers or ore | nfpl levantar vtr to survey | to uplift, elevate
washings levee nf levee | /. natural natural levee
lavaje nm washing of placers or ore levigacidn nf levigation
lavar vtr to wash placers or ore levogiro,-ra adj sinistral
lazada nf bow, knot | en lazada loop ley nf law | grade of ore | legal standard of
lazo nm bow, knot | en forma de L loop quality or fineness | statistical distribution
lazurita nf lapis lazuli, lazurite function | /. beta beta distribution | /. binomial
lechada nf mixture of lime and gypsum or of binomial distribution | /. binomial negativa
lime and sand | slurry, paste negative binomial distribution | /. de Boyle
leche de luna nm calcareous clay Boyle's law | /. de Charles Charles's law | /. de F
leche de tierra nm magnesia F distribution | /. de Henry Henry's law | /. de
leche fosil de luna nm mineral agaric minas mining law | /. de metal grade | /. de
lechecilla nf [Tasco, Mex] a var of limestone Pareto Pareto distribution | /. de Poisson
lechedor nm [Pe] huantajaite | [Atacama, Ch] Poisson distribution | /. de student student t-
oxidized ore or gossan rich in silver chlorides distribution | /. de Weibull Weibull distribution
lecho nm river bed | thin layer, bed or stratum | /. discreta uniforme uniform distribution | /.
| /. de cantera bed of stone | /. de creciente flood exponential exponential distribution | /. gamma
plain | /. de rio stream bed | /. de roca bedrock gamma distribution | /. geometrica geometric
| /. mayor flood plain distribution | /. hipergeometrica hypergeometric
lediano,-na adj Ledian distribution | /. ji cuadrado chi-squared
lediense adj Ledian distribution j /. lognormal lognormal
legamo nm slime, mud, ooze | loam distribution | /. media average grade | /.
legamoso,-sa adj slimey, oozey, loamy mineral mining law | /. mulitinomial
L-3
llinqui w/[Sandia, Pe] clayey, sterile beds within lluvia nf rain | //. de lodo mud flow | ll.fosil rain
auriferous glacial deposits print
llipita nf [Bol] brown, ashy silver ore lluvial adj pluvial
llosa n/[Galicia, Sp] flat stone or slab lluvioso,-sa adj rainy
lluscka nf [Bol] vein selvage, salband |
slickenside
M-l
containing 50 to 60 ounce per ton silver | m. argentite | m. regular average grade ore | m.
amarillo calaverite | m. antimonioso [Huitzuco, verde embolite | [Mex] silver ore with copper
M£x] livingstonite | m. azul galena | m. azul de carbonates, oxides and sulfides | m. virgen
plata silver-bearing galena | [Almade"n, Sp] rich native metal
mercury ore | m. azulado selbite | m. barreteado metalada «/[Mex] a discovery of ore in a
ore freshly cut from a working face and yet to previously unproductive working
be sorted and crushed | m. blanco cerargyrite | metalico,-ca adj metallic
m. calichoso [Me"x] feldspathic ore | m. calido metalifero,-ra adj metalliferous
[Ch] silver ore suitable for amalgamation by metalizacion nf metallization
the tina process | m. caracal [M£x] spiraly wire metaloge'nesis nf metalligenesis
silver | m. cenizo silver chloride | m. colgado metalogenetico,-ca adj metallogenic
[Ch] ore-in-sight, ore reserves | m. comun third metaloide nm metaloide
class or ordinary ore | m. corrida placer ore | metalurgia nf metallurgy
m. de acarreo secondary ore | m. de ayuda flux | metalurgico,-ca adj metallurgical | nm
m. de azogue ore amenable to amalgamation metallurgist
with mercury | m. de cazo [M£x] silver chloride metamictico,-ca adj metamict
ore | m. de cebo [Me"x] very rich, direct metamorfico,-ca adj metamorphic
reducing silver ore | m. de crudo [Pe] oxidized metamorflsmo nm metamorphism | m. caustico
ore | m. de color [Cerro de Pasco, Pe] oxidized regional metamorphism | m. de cargo y descarga
copper ore | m. de correa [San Luis Potosi, Mex] burial metamorphism | m. de contacto contact
ore of nearly pure cassiterite | m. defuego metamorphism | m. de dislocacion dynamic
smelting ore | m. defundicion smelting ore | m. metamorphism | m. de presion burial
de labores smalls from mine workings | m. de pie metamorphism | m. dinamico dynamic
[Mex] ore amenable to benificiation by the patio metamorphism | m. general regional
process of amalgamation | m. de pinta silver- metamorphism | m. geotermico thermal
bearing ore | m. de primera (close) first-class ore metamorphism j m. regional regional
| m. de (\uema [Pe] sulphide ore | m. de segunda metamorphism
(close) second class ore | m. de tonel pyritic ore metamorfosear vtr to metamorphose
with little silver | m. despoblado [Me"x] ore with metano nm methane
much gangue, low-grade ore | m. en barra metasedimento nm metasediment
bullion | m. en bruto ore | m. en piedra crude, metasomatico,-ca adj metasomatic
uncrushed ore | m. flor surface ore | m. gabarro metasomatismo nm metasomitism
large, coarse ore | first-class ore | large piece metasomatosis nf metasomatism
of slag | m. grafico sylvanite | m. granza smalls metavulcanita nf metavolcanic
| m. hierroso [Peras, M£x] masses of iron ore in meteorite nm meteorite
cubical fragments | m. hecho selected ore, prill meteorizacidn nf weathering | m. diferencial
| m. hojoso nagyagite | m. humiento differential weathering | m. fisica mechanical
[Guadalcazar, Mex] complex silver ore | m. weathering | m. mecanica mechanical
jugoso [Mex] lead ore | m. machacado native weathering | m. (juimica chemical weathering
gold and silver leaf | m. mogino [Guadalcazar, meteorizado,-da adj weathered
M£x] mixture of argentiferous galena, argentite meteorizar vtr to weather
and silver telluride | m. mosqueado [Taviches, metodo nm method, process | m. de encasdillado
Mex] pyrargyrite disseminated in quartz
square setting | m. de los momentos method of
matrix | m. nativo native metal | m. negro
moments | m. de monte carlo monte carlo
sphalerite [Cerro de Pasco, Pe] sulfuretted
method
copper ore | m. negro argentifero tetrahedrite |
meteoro nm meteor
m. noble free-milling ore | m. ordinario low-
metro nm meter | m. cuadrado cubic meter | m.
grade ore | m. pastoso argentiferous galena |
cubico cubic meter
[M^x] bournonite | m. pepena rich ore | m.
mezcla nf mixture, admixture, blend | mixing |
plateado [Pe] ore of copper assaying about 60%
melange
copper | m. plomoso lead ore | m. plomoso
mezclable adj miscible
reluciente silver-bearing lead ore | m. polvorilla
M-5
minal adj pertaining to a mine employed to pay off debts owed to their
minar vtr to mine, undermine employers or were obliged to work on behalf
minera nf mine of their kurakas with their pay being used by
mineraje nm mining the kuraka to make payments in lieu of sending
mineral adj mineral, ore mitayos to the mines) | m. repasiri Indian hired
mineral nm mineral, ore | spring | mine | to mix, ladle and trod ore in the patio process
mining district | m. ala vista ore in sight | m. of amalgamation of silver ores
accesorio accessory mineral | [Mex] minimo nm cut-off
independent rural town whose principal minio nm minium, red lead
activity was mining | m. arrancado broken ore minutas nfpl survey notes
| m. bajo de ley low grade ore | m. beneficiable mioceno,-na adj Miocene | nm Miocene
pay ore | m. calido [Ch] silver ore suitable for mioce'nico,-ca adj Miocene
amalgamation by the tina process | m. de miogeosinclinal nm miogeosyncline
acarreo secondary ore | m. de alia ley high grade mira nf rod | m. de nivelacion levelling rod | m.
ore | m. de azogue ore amenable to taquimetrica stadia rod
amalgamation with mercury | m. de contacto misisipiano,-na adj Mississippian
contact mineral | m. de coral cinnabar misisipico,-ca adj Mississippian
contaminated by organic matter | m. de maquila mispiquel nm mispickel, arsenopyrite
custom ore | m. de montana ore disseminated in mita nm Quechua word for "turn" which in the
country rock (generally uneconomic) | m. time of the Incas referred to a period of
desmenuzado fine-grained ore | m. en rueda mandatory public service; under the Spanish
bournonite | m. filoniano gangue mineral | m. this evolved into the mita minera, a system of
gongorado [Col] vuggy ore | m. graso rich ore | forced labor in the mines of Potosi, Cerro de
m. guia type mineral | m. indice index mineral | Pasco and elsewhere in what is now Bolivia
m. intacto ore in place | m. neumatolitico and Peru | [Bol] a day's work | m. mortiri
pneumatolytic mineral | m. pesado heavy service tending stamp mills used to crush
mineral | m. piritoso pyritic ore | m. pobre low silver ore | m. nueva a new system of forced
grade ore | m. poroso honeycombed ore | m. labor set up by the Codigo Carolina in 1792
recurrente \ m. tipomorfo typomorphic mineral | under regulations intended to improve the
m. verde de plomo pyromorphite conditions under which mitayos served
mineralizacidn nf mineralization mitayo nm Indian serving his mita
mineralizador,-dora adj mineralizing mixtura nf mixture, blend
mineralizar vtr to mineralize moco nm iron scoria, slag | m. de hierro [El
mineralogia nf mineralogy Caratal, Vz] brown iron ore, occuring as
mineraldgico,-ca adj mineralogical ferruginous conglomerate, sandstone, breccia
mineralogista nm or/ mineralogist or pisolitic iron ore and is considered to be an
mineraloide nm mineraloid indicator of gold mineralization
mineria nf art and science of mining | mining | mocoruna nm Indian serving his first mita in a
m. chica small mines | m. hidrdulica hydraulic mine, i.e. a "greenhorn"
mining, hydraulicking | m. mediana medium- mocheta blanca nf [Pachuca, Mex] rhyolitic tuff
size mines | m. pequena small mines | gran m. used as building stone
large mines mocheta morada w/[Pachuca, Mex] dacite used
minero,-ra adj mineral | mining, pertaining to as building stone
mining | economia minera mineral economics moda nf mode
minero nm miner | mine | mineral deposit | modelo nm model | m. aleatorio random model
[Bol, Pe] mine owner | [Potosi, Bol] mine | m. de crecimiento growth model | m.
foreman determinista deterministic model | m. estocastico
mineta nf little mine | minette stochastic model
minga nm [Bol, Pe] hired Indian labor (this modo nm mode, manner | m. deyacer mode of
should not be construed as indication that occurrence
mingas were free laborers since most were modulo nm modulus | m. de precion modulus of
M-7
proustite north
nddulo nm nodule | [Col] ore shoot | n. northfieldita nf esmeraldite
ferruginoso ferruginous nodule | n. ferrtfero ball noseanolito nm noseanolith
ironstone nosena nf nosean, noselite
noduloso,-sa adj nodular Notosilopeano nm [Patagonia, Arg] a local age
no estratificado,-da adj unstratified at the base of the Miocene
no explorado,-da adj unexplored novaculitico,-ca adj novaculitic
no explotado,-da adj unexploited, unworked novato nf worker with no experience in drilling
no ferroso,-sa adj nonferrous wells, "boll weevil"
no indurado,-da adj not indurated nube nm cloud | n. ardiente ash flow | n. de
noli nm [Col] antimony oxysulphide derived by cenizas ash cloud
oxidation of stibnite nucleo nm nucleus | core | [Rio Tinto, Sp]
no metalico nm nonmetallic nodule of copper ore | n. antiguo shield | n.
nomogramo nm nomograph atomico atomic nucleus | n. de la tierra earth's
no polar adj non-polar core | n. de pliegue arch core | «. del sinclinal
noque nm [Ch] large stone receptacle for trough core | n. mineralizado ore shoot | n.
calicining ores | stone through which amalgam terrestre earth's core | n. testigo drill core
is washed in the patio process | [Pe] canvas nucleogenesis nf nucleogenesis
sack used to recover mercury from amalgam nudo nm kink | knot of ore, etc. | junction of
nordfieldita nf esmeraldite two mountain ranges
no renewable adj nonrenewable nudoso,-sa adj knotty, bunchy
norfolkense adj Norfolk | nm Norfolk nuevita nf samarskite
noriano,-na adj Norain nuevoleoniense adj Nuevoleonian
norienseo^y Norian numerico,-ca adj numerical
norilsquita nf norilskite numero nm number | n. al azar random number
norma nf norm | pattern | n. atomico atomic number | n. de octano
normalization nf normalization octane number
normalizar vtr to normalize (math) numulitico,-ca adj Paleogene
normativo,-va adj normative nusco nm [Amazonas, Pe] gold-bearing iron and
norte nm north | n. de brujula compass north | n manganese oxide-talc-quartz ore
magnetico magnetic north | «. verdadero true
O-l
paleoambiente nm paleoenvironment
paleoautoctono nm paleoautochthon
paleobatimetrico,-ca adj paleobathymetric
pabelldn nm pavilion (of a precious stone) paleobotanica nf paleobotany
paco nm [Bol, Pe] gossan, oxidized or partly paleocanal nm paleochannel
oxidized ore of a reddish color | [Ch] silver paleocarstnm paleokarst
chloride ore paleocenico,-ca adj Paleocene
pacoso,-sa adj [Pe] oxidized, gossany paleoceno,-na adj Paleocene | nm Paleocene
pack nm pack ice paleoclima nm paleoclimate
pachamanca nf [Pe] a small reverboratory paleoclimatko,-ca adj paleoclimatic
furnace paleoclimatoldico/-ca adj paleoclimatologic
pachapampa nf [Pe] ore cobbed from waste paleoclimatologia nf paleoclimatology
pachas nfpl [Pe] gypsum paleodrenaje nm paleodrainage
padrastal nm sterile vein cutting a mineralized paleoecuador nm paleoequator
vein paleofiro nm paleophyre (obs, andesite)
padre del sal nm crystalline selenite paleofitico,-ca adj paleophytological
padrdn nm register of a denounced (filed) claim paleofitologia nf paleophytology
pago nm payment | p en production production paledgeno,-na adj Paleogene | nm Paleogene
payment loan paleogeografia adj paleogeography
paigeita nf vonsenite paleogeografico,-ca adj paleogeographic
paila nf large pan | p. de amalgamation paleogeoldgico,-ca adj paleogeologic
amalgamating pan paleogeomorfologia nf paleogeomorphology
pais nm country | p. bajo flatland | p. marginal paleohidrologia nf paleohydrology
borderland paleolatitudino nm paleolatitude
paisaje nm landscape paleolimnologia nf paleolimnology
paja quemada nf [Potosi, Bol] plumosite which paleolitoldgico,-ca adj paleolithologic
resembles burnt straw paleomagnetico,-ca adj paleomagnetic
pajaro minero nm [Vz] a species of bird which paleomagnetismo nm paleomagnetism
was thought to be a sure indicator of placer
paleorelieve nm paleorelief
gold
paleontologia nf paleontology
pajuela nf ore that glitters | pajuela de oro grains
paleontoldgico,-ca adj paleontological
of gold
paleontdlogo,-ga nm and nf paleontologist
pala nf shovel | [Mex] treading oftorta by foot
paleosalinidad nf paleosalinity
in the patio process of amalgamation of silver
paleosol nm paleosol | hard ground
ores | p. de turbero peat cutter
paleotectdnico,-ca adj paleotectonic
palacra or palacrana nf nugget of native gold |
paleotermal adj paleothermal
gold ingot
paleotermometria nf paleothermometry
paladio nm palladium
paladioarseniuro nm palladioarsenide paleotopofraffa nf paleotopography
paleoviento nm paleowind
paladiobismutoarseniuro nm
palladiobismutharsenide paleovolcanico,-ca adj paleovolcanic, pre-
palagonizacidn nf palagonization Tertiary
paleovulcanologia nf paleovolcanology
palaita nf hureaulite
paleozoico,-ca adj Paleozoic | nm Paleozoic
palasita nf pallasite
palasomo nm palasome palero nm shoveller
palatiense adj Palatinian, Pfalzian paleta nf small shovel | [Alicante, Sp] tool for
breaking up and lifting thin layers of
paleador nm shoveller
precipitated salt
paleaduro nm shovelling
paleta pa nf palstage
paleaje nm shovelling
palevento nm palevent
palear vtr to shovel
paligorskita nf palygorskite
paleoacuifero nm paleoaquifer
palingenico,-ca adj palingenic
P-2
prieto,-ta adj blackish, black, very dark | an irregular deposit or mass | p. fangoso mud-
rebellious, refractory (ores) lump
prima nf bonus | p. de petroleo oil bonus propano nm propane
primario,-ria adj primary | nm Paleozoic propilita nf propylite (obs porpylitized andesite)
primordial adj primordial, essential propilitizacidn nf propylitization
prisma nm prism proporci<5n nf proportion | ratio
prism£tico,-ca adj prismatic proporcional adj proportional
prismoide afj prismoidal | nm prismoid prorrateo nm proration
probabilidad nf probability | p. compuesto prospeccidn nf prospecting | p. geofisica
compound probability | p. conditional geophysical prospecting | p. geoquimica
conditional probability | p. total total geochemical prospecting
probability proterozoico,-ca adj Proterozoic | nm
probado,-da adj proven, proved Proterozoic
procedimiento nm process (industrial or protocl4stico,-ca adj protoclastic
chemical) protocuarzita nf protoquartzite
proceso nm process | processing | p. aleatorio protog£nico,-ca adj protogenic
random process | p. armonico random process protomatriz nf protomatrix
| p. autoregressivo autoregressive process | p. de protomena nf protore
Markov Markov process | p. discrete discrete protomilonita nf protomylonite
process | p. estacionario stationary process | p. protrusivo,-va adj protrusive
homogeneo homogenous process | p. numerico provincia nf province | p. metalogenica
numeric process metallogenic province | p. petrografica
proclorita nf ripidolite petrographic province
produccidn nf production | p. anual annual provitriano nm provitrian
production | p. de un pozo yield of a well | p. proximo,-ma adj near, close | nearby, proximal
del yacimiento field or pool potential | p. diario | next
daily production | p. mensual monthly proyeccidn nf projection | p. cristalina crystal
production | p. permisible allowable production projection | p. Lambert Lambert projection | p.
| p. permitida allowable production | p. Mercator Mercator projection | p. policonica
potential draw down potential | p. rdpida polyconic projection
gutting of a well | p. real actual production | p. proyectar vtr to project
regulada ratable take | p. suplementaria bonus proyectil nm projectile | p. volcdnico volcanic
allowable bomb, volcanic ejecta
producirufr to produce proyecto nm project | plan, design | draft
productivo,-va adj productive | producing prueba nf test | preprint | p. bilateral two-sided
producto nm product, return, yield | material | test | p. de asfalto tar test | p. de catda shatter
product (result of an industrial or chemical test | p. de calcination char test | p. de cheque
process) | p. blanco white hydrocarbon izod test | p. de elutration elutriation test | p. de
products (gasoline, kerosene etc) | p. de goma gum test | p. de hipotesis hypothesis test |
eruption eruptive material | p. negro black p. de homegeidad test of homogeneity | p. de
hydrocarbon product (diesel, etc) independentia test of independence | p.deji
productor nm producer | p. independiente cuadrado chi-squared test | p. de Kolmogorov-
independent producer Smirnov Kolmogorov-Smirnoff test | p. de razon
profundidad nf depth | footage (of a well) | de versimilitud likelihood ratio test | p. de
[Almaden, Sp] winze resistentia drop test | p. de signification test of
pro fund izar vtr to sink or deepen significance | p. de student student t test | p.
profundu,-da adj deep | poco p. shallow robusto robust test | p. sin sesgo unbiased test |
progradacidn nf progradation p. unilateral one-sided test
promedio nm average | middle psamita nf psammite
prometeo,-tea adj promethium psaturosa nf stephanite | [Pe] polybasite
promontorio nm promontory, headland | [Me"x] psefita nf rudite, psephite
P-14
quetzalztli nm [Mex] transluscent green vareity quincita nf quincite (pink sepiolite) | quinzite
of jade (rose-colored common opal)
quevellita nf kvellite (obs, ultrabasite) quine nm Kinne diabase (obs, olivine diabase)
quiastolita nf chiastolite quintal nm hundredweight | a weight
quiebra nf fault fracture, break, fissure | equivalent to 4 arrobas \ fifth part of 100 |
breaking or crushing of ore | bankruptcy, [ Almaden, Sp] weight of ore found in an
failure ordinary espuerta terrera \ q. metrico 100
quieselgurnm kieselguhr kilograms
quijo nm gangue or matrix, generally quartzose quintalaje nm [Ch] weight in quintals
| gold- or silver-bearing quartz | q. azucarado. quintear vtr [Bol] to sort or cob ore by hand
[Hualgayoc, Pe] very finely crystalline, sugary quiroguita nf [Sierra Almagrera, Sp] antimonial
quartz | q. de hierro gossan | q. podrido [Pe] galena
porous quartz often containing gold quirunavaarita nf magnetinite
quilatador nm assayer (of gold or silver) quiselgurnm kieselguhr
quilatar vtr to assay (gold or silver) quisqueita nf [Quisque, Pe] quisqueite (var
quilate nm carat | a weight of 4 granos, the third asphalti te)
part of a tomin \ orodelS quilates 18 carat gold quitar vtr to remove | to take away | to extract,
quilaveita nf kilaueite (obs, olivine-magnetite separate | q. el mineral remove or extract ore |
basalt) cj. las impurezas a un mineral separate waste
quilita nf kylite (obs, olivine theralite) from ore, concentrate ore
quilo nm kilo, kilogram quitarse vpr to be removed, taken away,
quilogramo nm kilogram extracted, separated
quilolino nm kiloline quinto nm fifth | [Linares, Sp] one lead-
quildmetro nm kilometer smelting operation of a boliche furnace
quillo nm [Pe] pyrite quinto real nm old Spanish colonial tax on
quimbalete nm [Pe] large stone used in hand mines originally set at a fifth or 20 percent, but
grinding of ore later reduced
quimberlita nf kimberlite quitina nf chitin
quimica nf chemistry | chemist | q. geologica quitinoso,-sa adj chitinous
geochemistry | q. inorgdnica inorganic quitdnnm chiton
chemistry | q. mineral inorganic chemistry | q. quitzalitztli nm [Mex] a green, transluscent jade
orgdnica organic chemistry quivita nf kivite (obs, olivine-leucite basanite)
quimico,~ca adj chemical | nm chemical | q.
geologico geochemist
quimismo nm chemism
R-l
fuming (reduction of zinc oxide in lead slag) aceptacion acceptance region | r. de hundimiento
reducir vtr [chem] to reduce graben | r. de rechazo rejection region
reductor,-tora adj reducing | nm reducing registracidn nf [maps] registration
agent reducer registrar vtr to file, to register (a mining claim)
reempiazamiento nm replacement registro nm record | log | logging | r. acustico
reemplazar vtr to replace acoustic log | r. de pozo well log | well logging
reempiazo nm replacement | r. electrico electric log
reentrante adj reentrant | nm reentrant regla nf rule | pattern | [surv] rod used in
refinado,da adj refined | r. alfuego fire refined measuring base of triangulation | r. de calculo
reflnadura nf refining slide rule
refinar vtr to refine regldn nm [surv] vertical measuring rod
refineria nf refinery | r. petrolifera oil refinery regmatico,-ca adj regmatic
refino nm refinery | refining regola nf undercut
reflectancia nf reflectance regolita nf regolith
reflejado,-ja adj reflected regradacidn nf regradation
reflejo,-ja adj reflected | nm fluorescence of regresionn/fstrat, stats] regression | r. lineal
petroleum, "bloom" linear regression | r. polinomica polynomial
reflexion nf reflection | r. fantasma ghost regression
reflection regresivo,-va adj regressive
reflujo nm ebb tide | reflux reguero nm undercut
refoga nf [Pe] retort used for vaporizing regular adj average, usual, normal
mercury from amalgam rehabilitacidn nf rehabilitation, reopening (of
refogar vtr [Pe] to retort amalgram mines, workings, etc.)
refoliacidn nf refoliation rejalgarnm realgar
reformacidn nf reformation (petroleum rejilla nf ripple
products) rejuvenado,-da adj rejuvenated
reformar vtr to reform (petroleum products) rejuvenecimiento nm rejuvenation
refraccidn nf refraction | r. de clivaje cleavage relacidn nf ratio, proportion | rate | r. de
refraction | r. del crucero cleavage refraction | actividad activity ratio | r. gas/petroleo gas oil
r. de la esqiustocidad cleavage refraction | r. ratio
doble double refraction relacionado,-da adj allied
refractar vtr to refract relajacidn nf relaxation
refractario,-ria adj refractory | nm refraction relativo,-va adj relative
refractivo,-va nm refractive relaves nmpl residues remaining after washing
refractometria nf refractometry of placer ores | second washing of ore | tails
refractdmetro nm refractometer relece nm [Col] ore left behind in former
refringencia nf refractivity, refringence workings as unprofitable
refringente adj refringent relevamiento nm topographic survey
refringir vtr to refract relevar vtr to take topography
refugiense adj Refugian relicto,-ta adj relict
regadura nf undercutting, undermining, holing relieve nm relief | r. de erosion erosional relief |
| undercut r. estructural structural relief | en r. in relief
regato nm pool | stream reliquia nf relict
regatdn nm [Col] kind of chopper used in reliz nm [Mex] wall-rock separating branches of
washing gold a vein | bounding plane between wall rock and
regelacidn nf regelation ore
regenerado,-da adj regenerated reluciente adj clear | [Mex] finely crystalline
regente nm [Bol] mine foreman (said of galena)
region nf region | r. abisal abyssal area | r. relumbroso,-sa adj shining, glistening
adiabatica adiabatic region | r. asismica aseismic relleno nm filling | filler | backfill (in a mine) |
region | r. de ablation ablation area | r. de rellena defisura fracture filling
R-4
restita nf restite rezago nm ore left in a mine | [Bol, Pe] fee paid
resto nm residue to avoid the mlta or to avoid having to replace
restringido,-da adj restricted mitayos or mingas under one's charge who have
restringir vtr to restrict, limit fled
resumennm abstract rezumir vtr to ooze, exude | to percolate | vintr
resumidero nm [Guerrero, Mex] limestone cave to seep, ooze
or cavern rezumirse vpr to ooze, seep
resurgencia nf resurgence rhodaniense adj Rhodanian
resurgente adj resurgent ria nf ria, creek | mouth of a river | estuary
retardacidnn/[cryst] retardation riacolita nf sanidine
retencidn nf retention riachuelo nm rivlet
retenido,-da adj retained riazaniense adj Ryazanian
reticulado,-da adj reticulate, reticulated, riatillo nm rivlet
resembling a network | en reticulado. ribazo nm mound, hillock, sloping bank
stockwork ribera nf river bank (usually steep) | seashore |
reticular ad;' net-like r. alta high bank | undercut stope j r. playa flat
reticulo nm lattice bank, slip-off slope
retiano,-na adj Rhaetian TLCOf-CAadj rich
retiense adj Rhaetian riego nm [Col] float derived from a mineral
retinasfalto nm retinasphalt deposit
retinita nf retinite | pitchstone riel nm small ingot or bar of metal
retorta nf retort rielado,-da adj reduced to ingots
retroceso nm recession rielera nf ingot mold
retrodiagenesis nf hypergenesis riesgo nm risk
retrogradacidn nf retrogradation rifle nm riffle
retrogrades-da adj retrograde rigidez nf rigidity
retrogresidn nf retrogression rimaya nf bergschrund, crevasse
retrogresivo,-va adj retrogressive rimero nm heap, pile | string of gads
retrometamorfismo nm retrogressive rimpilita nf rimpylite
metamorphism rincdn nm inside corner | nook | open-ended
retroplaya nf backshore basin on a mountain | square-cut recess or
retuerta nf bend in a river hollow in a cliff or reentrant in the borders of a
retziano nm Retzian palteau or mesa | small secluded valley |
revenidero nm rock altered by infiltration of inside bend of a stream
surface or underground water rinkita nf mosandrite
revenimiento nm subsidence | cave-in rinkolita nf mosandrite
reventadero nm rough, uneven ground | rinon nm kidney-shaped mass of ore, nodular
outcrop ore | wood tin | point at which the ore in a
reventazdn nm [Me"x] outcrop mine becomes abundant
reventdn nm mass of fine native silver | outcrop rio nm river | r. ancho stream | r. inadaptado
reverberacidn nf calcination or roasting in a misfit river
reverberatory furnace rioandesita nf rhyoandesite
reverberante adj reverberatory riocristal nm rhyocrystal
reverberar vtr to roast (ore) riodacita nf rhyodacite
revisador nm worker who examines ore riodiabasico,-ca adj rhyodiabasic
separated by miners riolita nf rhyolite
revolcar vtr [Bol] to rework (old dumps, etc.) riotaxftico,-ca adj rhyotaxitic
revoltura nf [Mex] mixing ore with flux for ripio nm rubble | spalled rock or ore | small
smelting ores or fines | drill cutting | residue | gravel |
rezaga nf ore left in a mine [Col] spalled ore | [Ch] residue left from
rezagado,-da adj [M£x] piled up, heaped evaporating caliche
R-6
rosiclernm bright rosy color | ruby silver bearing partings in iron ore
(proustite-pyrargyrite) | r. claro proustite | r. rubidio nm rubidium | r.-estroncio rubidium-
de cobre cuprite | r. negro stephanite | r. oscuro strontium
pyrargyrite rubinblenda nf rubinblende
rosolita nf landerite rubio nm limonite | brown hematite
rosterita nf vorobyevite rubornm bright red
rotacidn nf rotation rugosidad nf rugosity
rotacional adj rotational rugoso,-sa adj rugose, wrinkled
rotativo,-va adj rotary rumbadero nm ore shoot
rotatorio,-ria adj rotary rumbeador nm [Me"x] prospector
rotoinversidn nf rotoinversion rumbo nm strike | direction | r. del buzamiento
rotoreflexidn nf rotoreflection dip direction
rdtulo nm tag rumbdn nm weathering
roza nf undercutting | [Cu] land measure of runita nf graphic granite
about 1.2 acres rupeliano,-na adj Rupelian
rozadora nf coal cutting machine rupeliense adj Rupelian
rozadura nf undercut ruptura nf rupture | r, de pendiente break in
rozar vtr to undercut, cut away slope
rubelita nf rubellite (variety of tourmaline) rusciniense adj Ruscinian.
rubeo,-bea adj reddish rutenarsenita nf ruthenarsenite
rubi nm (pi rubies) ruby | r.balaje balas ruby | r. ruteniridosmina nf rutheniridosmine
de bohemia rose quartz | r. de estano red rutenio nm ruthenium
crystalline variety of cassiterite | r. del brasil rutenosmiridio nm ruthenosmiridium
red topaz | r. del cabo Cape ruby | r. espinela rutilado,-da adj rutilated
spinel ruby | r. estrellado star ruby | r, oriental rutilo nm rutile
corundum. | r. rosado balas ruby
rubial nm [Cartagena, Sp] siliceous, magnesium
S-l
nm driller
taladradora nf drill
taladrarufr to drill or bore | to perforate
tabaire nm a variety of soft limestone used for taladro nm drill or auger | drill or borehole |
masonry drill bit | t. anular core drill | t. de alma core
tabianiense adj Tabianian. drill | t. de diamantes diamond drill | t. de
tabique nm [Me"x] 'horse' of rock in a vein, rotacion rotary drill | t. de tierra earth auger | t.
unmineralized rock separating bands of ore explorador prospecting drill | t. testigo [PR] core
tabla nf slab (of rock) | table, list | side of a drill
vein | t. de alto hanging wall | t. de bajo talasocracia nf period in which the earth's
footwall oceans covered most of the continents
tablazo nm mesa | flat stretch of a river talasocratico,-ca adj charactarized by ocean high
tablero nm [Sp] slab | t. digitalizador digitizing stand
tablet talasogenesis nf epirogenic processes that form
tablero de comprobacidn nm map showing ocean basins
allocation of exploration permits talcita nf talcite | damourite
tacana nf silver ore | [Pe] argentite talco nm talc
tacano nm ore rich in silver talcoide nm talcoid
tac6nico,-ca adj Taconic talcoso,-sa adj talcose, talcous
taconiense adj Taconian talio nm thallium
tacos nmpl [Me"x] stones at the bottom of an talmesita nf arsenate-belovite
arrastre talpetate nm talpatate, caliche | [CAm]
tafrogenesis nf taphrogenesis limestone
tafrogenia nf taphrogeny. talquita nm talc schist
tafrogenico,-ca adj taphrogenic talud nm talus, slope | t. continental continental
tafrogeosinclinal nm taphrogeosyncline slope | t. de derrubios de ladera talus pile | t. de
tafrolito nm taphrolith reposo natural slope, slope of repose | t. de
taghanicano/-na adj Taghanican ribera flood plain | t. detritico talus | t. litoral
tagilita nf pseudomalachite literal plain | t. redfal reef talus
tahona nf [Mex] variety of arrastre driven by a taludarufr to slope
water wheel, spoon arrastre talweg nm thalweg
tahonero nm [M£x] worker in charge of a tahona talla nf cutting of precious stones | cutting or
tahulla nf land measure used in southeast Spain dressing of stone | working face where rock is
(1 tahulla = 11.18 ares = 0.28 acres) being cut
tajadera nf cold chisel | [Arag6n, Sp] sluice-gate tallado,-da adj cut, dressed (stones)
tajado nm slicing (in mining) tallado nm cutting, dressing (stone, gems, etc.)
tajamar nm [Arg] basin tallar vtr to cut precious stones | to quarry | t.
tajear vtr [Pe] to stope en facetas to facet
tajeo nm [Pe] stoping taller nm workshop of the kind where things are
tajerias nfpl [Isla San Fernando, Sp] salt-water actually made and /or repaired. | Mill.
evaporation ponds tamano nm size | dimensions | volume,
tajo nm cut, opening, excavation, trench | capacity
working face or cut | t. abierto open cut, open tambeo nm [Bol] large open stope
pit | t. ascendente ascending cut | t. descendente tamiz nm sieve, sifter, usually mechanical |
descending cut | t. descubierto open cut | t. pasar por el t. to screen, sift
recto cut perpendicular to a gallery | a t. abierto tamizar vtr to sift, sieve, or screen
open-cutting or open-pitting tampon nm [chem] buffer
tajdn nm [Andalusia, Sp] calcareous vein from tanda nf layer | series | work-shift | amount of
which lime is extracted work done (i.e. ore mined, distance drifted)
talacha nf [Mex] pickaxe, pick, mattock during a work-shift | tour of duty in the mita \
taladrador,-ora adj drilling, boring or piercing | work gang | [pet] run
T-2
terrero nm heap or pile of dirt | waste rock | and spherical stones found in alluvial placers
dump, tailings pile | alluvium once thought to be favorable indicators for
terrestre adj terrestrial, earthly gold placers
terrigeno,-na adj terrigenous tiempo nm time | t. absolute absolute time | t.
terrojo nm red earth continental continental time | t. de intercepcion
terroso,-sa adj earthy | brown, earth-colored | intercept time | t. de propagadon travel time | t.
n/[Me"x] vein of clay de retraso delay time | t. relative relative time
terruno nm piece of land tienta nf earth auger
tertel nm [Ch] hardpan tierra nf earth, land, soil, ground | region,
tesis nf thesis | theory, idea | t. de grado thesis native country | any rock or mineral | fine-
written for a five-year degree | t. doctoral grained or finely crystalline ore | gangue or
doctoral dissertation matrix | hacer tierras to work a placer | t.
testa nf [Mex] test adentro inland. | t. alcalina alkaline earth | t.
testero nm overhand stope, back stope | t. aluvial alluvium | t. amarilla yellow earth,
abovedado domed stope, pyramid stope | t. de yellow ochre | t. apovillada ore suitable for
techo piano flat-backed stope | t. escalonado rill amalgamation in the patio process | t. arcillosa
stope clayey ground. | t. azul blue earth, blue ground
testificacion nf log | t. acustica acoustic log | t. blanca micaceous clay; calcareous tufa | t.
testigo nm core | sample, specimen | barren comun earthy ores somewhat amenable to
rock | [surv] reference point | t. de erosion amalgamation | t. de aluvion alluvium. | t. de
outlier | t. de perforacion drill core asentar or de afinar [Tamaulipas, Me"x]
Tetis nm Tethys weathered marl | t. de asiento [BC, M£x] a fine,
tetradimita nf tetradymite auriferous sand | t. de batan fuller's earth | t.
tetraedrita nf tetrahedrite de caparossa red ochre. | t. de diatomeas
tetraedro nm tetrahedron diatomaceous earth. | t. de fuller fuller's earth.
tetramorfo nm tetramorph | t.deflor [El Caratal, Vz] hematitic, gold-
tetramdrfico,-ca adj tetramorphous bearing soil developed on gold veins | t. de
tetramorfismo nm tetramorphism ladrillos brick clay | t. de porcelana kaolin | t. de
tetratoedro nm tetratohedron tinta red ochre | t. diatomacea diatomaceous
tetzontle nm [Mex] a scoracious basaltic rock earth | t. endurecida hardpan | t. firme
used as a building stone continent | t. franca top soil | t. grasa pipe clay
textura nf texture | t. aplitica aplitic texture | t. | t. gredosa clayey marl | t. de labor smalls
fluida fluid texture | t. fluidal flow structure | t. resulting from hand sorting of ore | t. ordinaria
granuda granular texture | t. microgranuda [Guanajuato, Mex] an inferior grade of ore
microgranular texture | t. microlitica microlitic yielding about 80 ounces of silver to a ton | t.
texture | t. pegmatitica pegmatitic texture | t. parda iron oxide rich soil | t. pesada barite | t.
porfidica porphyritic texture | t. vitea glassy de porcelana china clay | t. quemada balls of
texture residue from mercury reduction furnaces
mixed with clayey smalls that are reduced
tezontle nm [Me"x] a scoracious basaltic rock
again in a smaller furnace | t. rara rare earth |
used as a building stone
t. refractaria fire clay | t. roja iron rich clay often
thalana nf [Bol] small sieve used in hand sorting
staining limestone | t. verde greenstone,
of pulverized ores
chloritically altered rock | t. de yunque smalls
thanetiano,-na adj Thanetian
resulting from sorting of ore | tierras bajas
thanetiense adj Thanetian
lowland | tierras inundables tidelands | tierras
thojeo nm [Bol] act of estimation by a miner of
malas badlands | tierras raras rare earths
the extent of pay ore prior to drilling and
tierras nfpl [New Almaden, Calif] fine mercury
blasting
ore
thuringiense adj Thuringian
tiffaniense adj Tiffanian
tiatales nmpl [Tasco, M£x] local variety of
tigliense adj Tiglian
limestone
tibe nm [Col] corundum | smooth, flat, elliptical tilita nf tillite
T-5
tumbado nm [Bol] vein or ore in the upper part t. sumergida low-level bog
of a working | false ceiling in a gallery or stope turbidez nf turbidity
tumbaga nf [Col] an alloy of equal parts of gold, turbiedad nf turbidity
silver and copper turbio,-bia adj turbid
tumbago nm [Col] impure gold turboglifo nm scour cast | t. intersepto furrow
tumbamiento nm recumbance flute cast
tumbar vtr [M^x] to break ground, win or get turbulento,-ta adj turbulent
ore | t. la mina [Col] to carelessly work a mine turingiano,-na adj Thuringian
such that it caves turingiense adj Thuringian
tumbe nm [M^x] breaking ground, winning or turingita nf thuringite
getting ore turmalina nf tourmaline | t. azul. indicolite | t.
tumor «m dome roja. rubellite
tunel nm tunnel, gallery turmalinizacidn nf tourmalinization
tungomelano nm tungomelane turmalita nf tourmalite
tungstato nm tungstate turno nm shift | tour of duty
tungsteno nm tungsten turoliense adj Turolian
tungst£cor-ca adj tungstic turoniano,-na adj Turonian
tuoriense adj Tuorian turoniense adj Turonian
tupia«/[Col] dam turquesa nf turquoise
tupiar vtr [Col] to dam a stream or river tyrrheniense adj Tyrrhenian
turba nf peat tysonita nf fluocerite
turbacidn nf turbation tzinapu nm [Mex] obsidian
turbal nm peat bog
turbera nf peat bog | t. emergida upland moor |
U-l
xenomorfo nm xenomorph
xenon nm xenon | x.-x. xenon-xenon
xenoporfiritico,-ca adj xenoporphyritic
xairo,-ra adj [Col] skew, oblique xenotermal adj xenothermal
xalostocita nf landerite (par grossularite) xenotima nf xenotime
xanotoxeno nm xanthoxenite xenotina nf xenotime
xanthokon nm a variety of diamond xenotipala nf cenotypal
xantiosita nf xanthiosite xenotoba nf xenotuff
xantita nf xanthite (par vesuvianite) xenotopico,-ca adj xenotopic
xantoarsenita nf sarkinite xerico,-ca adj xeric
xantoconita nf xanthoconite xerotennico,-ca adj xerothermic | nm
xantocroita nf greenockite xerothermic
xantofilita nf clintonite xihuitl nm [Me"x.] turquoise
xantopirita nf pyrite xilantita nf fossil wood
xantorita nf xanthorthite (altered allanite) xiloide nm xyloide
xantosiderita nf goethite xilito/-ta adj xyloid | nm xyloide
xantoxenita nf xanthoxenite xilopalo nm wood opal, opalized wood
xantiosita nf xanthiosite xilotilo nf xylotile
xantotitano nm xanthitane (alteration product of xylantita nf xylanthite
sphene) xylenita nf xylenite, xylinite
xenoblastico,-ca adj xenoblastic xylinita nf xylenite, xylinite
xenoblasto nm xenoblast xylinoide nm xylinoid
xenobloque nm xenolith | erratic block xylita nf xylith, xylite | Fe-palygorskite
xenocristal nm xenocryst xylito nm xylith, xylite
xenocristo nm xenocryst xylochloro nm green apophyllite
xenofiro nm xenophyre (obs, dike) xylocriptita nf xylokryptite (par schererite)
xenogenito,-ta adj epigenetic xyloide adj xyloid
xenogenuoso,-sa adj epigenetic xylolitha nf petrified wood
xenoiquico,-ca adj xenoikic (obs, poikilitic) xylopal nm wood opal
xenolita nf xenolite | xenolith xylotilo nm xylotile (probably an altered
xenolitico,-ca adj xenolithic chrysotile asbestos) | fibrous serpentine
xenolito nm xenolith xylovitrian nm euvitrian
xenom6rfico,-ca adj xenomorphic xylovitriano nm euvitrian
xenomorfico-granular adj xenomorphic
xenomorfismo nm xenomorphism
Y-l
tiega [seis] blind zone | z. comprobada proven building occures | z. internida internal zone (in
zone | z. contaminada contaminated zone | z. alpine folding) | z. inundada flooded zone | z.
contigua contiguous zone | z. cortical upper Umite limiting zone | z. litoral coastal zone | z.
crust | z. costera coastal zone (to 200 m depth) medianida zone of folding | z. medida zone of
| z. de ablation ablation area | z. de acumuladon folding | z. mesida zone of folding | z.
accumulation zone | z. de aeration zone of metamorfido zone of maximum metamorphism
suspended water | z. de agotamiento zone of | z. miogeosinclinal miogeosyncline | z.
depletion | z. de alteration alteration zone. | z. miomagmdtica miogeosyncline | z. muerta dead
de anamorfismo anamorphic zone | z. de zone | z. no comprobada unproven zone,
arrancjtte root zone | z. de Benioff Benioff zone untested area | z. petrolifera oil zone | z.
| z. de capos plegadas folded zone | z. de plegada folded zone | z. po/or polar zone | z.
capilaridad capillary fringe | z. de cementation por escalones stoping ground | z. por escalones
zone of cementation | z. de cizalladura shear en escalon stoping level | z. positiva positive
zone | z. de cizallamiento shear zone | z. de segment [of earth's crust] | z. productora
contacto contact zone | z. de deposition zone of productive zone, producing zone | z. rigida
deposition | z. de derrumbamiento zone of stable zone | z. stsmica seismic zone or area |
caving (in a well) | z. de desarollo development z. de sombra [gephys] shadow zone | z.
zone, pay zone | z. de descargo zone of templada temperate zone | z. torrida torrid
discharge | z. de dislocation fault zone | z. de zone | en z. [cryst] zoned
drenaje drainage area | z. de erosion zone of zonacion nf zonation. | z. metasomatica
erosion | z. de explotadon producing zone | z. metasomatic zoning
defalias fault zone, zone of faulting | z. deflujo zonado,-da adj zoned
zone of flow or plastic flow | z. de zonal adj zonal
fracturamiento or fracturation fracture zone | z. zonalidad nf zonality, zoning
de hundamiento zone of subsidence | z. de zonamiento nm zoning
iluviacion zone of illuviation | z. de infiltration zonar adj zoned compositionally (as for a
zone of infiltration | z. de inundation flood magma)
area | z. de invasion invasion zone | z. de zonga nf [Col] rubble stone
inyection injection zone | z. de las coratnas (30- zonificacidn nf zoning
90 m water depth) | z. de las laminarias (0-30 m zonita nf [Ariz] local term for multicolored
water depth) z. de fos corales (100-500 m water chert and jasper
depth) | z. de meteorization zone of weathering zonizacidn nf [Arg] zoning
| z. de mobilidad asthenosphere | z. de perdida zonoclorita nf zonochlorite (par pumpellyite)
de circulation de lodo lost circulation zone | z. zonulo nm zonule
de saturation saturation zone | z. de saturation zoof£smico,-ca adj zoophasmic
intermitente zone of intermittent saturation | z. zo6geno,-na adj of organic origin
de sedimentation zone of deposition | z. de zoolita nf sedimentary rock formed exclusively
transformation metamorfica metamorphic or predominantly from animal remains |
transformation zone | z. de transition biolith | zoolith
transition zone | z. de trituracion crush zone | zoolito nm fossilized animal
z. de turbulentia zone of turbulence | z. de zopetero nm embankment, slope
vortices whirl-zone | z. defe»7 weak zones in the zorgita nf mixture of claustalite, tiemannite,
crust that form geosynclines | z. disfotica and umangite
dysphotic zone | z. eufotica euphotic zone | z. zorra nm [Bol] flatcar used in a mine to carry
explotada stope | z. externida external zone (in equipment | [Mex] assistant who carried a
alpine folding) j z. fallada fault zone | z. /irme light for the chief miner when the latter went
terra firma | z./fwida lower crust | z. underground
fracturada fracture zone | upper crust | z. zubia nf channel, pool, swamp
glacial glacial zone | z. infiltrada infiltration zuloagense nm/adj Zuloagan
zone | z. intermedia intermediate belt | that zunyita nf zunyite
part of a geosyncline where mountain- zurdo nm a shaft sunk opposite the dipping
Z-4