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Glossary
Glossary
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Adit - A nearly horizontal passage from the surface by which a mine is entered. A blind horizontal opening into a mountain, with only one entrance.
Alteration Any physical or chemical change in a rock or mineral subsequent to its formation. More mild and local than metamorphism.
Anomaly/Anomalous Any departure from the norm that may indicate the presence of mineralization in the underlying bedrock. In geophysical and geochemical surveying, an area where the property has significantly higher or lower mineralization that the surrounding area.
Anticline - A fold of rock layers that is convex upwards. An antonym of syncline.
Argillite A sedimentary rock composed of compacted mud and clay particles.
Breccia A type of rock whose components are angular in shape, as distinguished from a conglomerate, whose components are worn in rounded shapes.
Crosscut A horizontal opening driven from a shaft or a decline and at right angles the strike of a vein.
Decline A descending ramp from one level of a mine to another or from the surface to the mineral deposit.
Epithermal fluid A hot aqueous mineralized solution containing gold and silver.
Fault - A slip-surface between two portions of the earth's surface that have moved relative to each other. A fault is a failure surface and is evidence of severe earth stresses.
Gossan A rusty iron oxide deposit found in the upper parts of veins or forming a cap overlying sulphide mineralization.
Hydrothermal fluid A hot, aqueous solution.
Induced Polarization (IP) A geophysical exploration method used to the locate the presence of mineralized zones.
Intrusive A volume of igneous rock that was injected, while still molten, into the earths crust of into other rocks.
Metamorphic rock Rock that has undergone a change in texture or composition as a result of heat and pressure.
Metasedimentary rocks Rocks derived from sedimentary rocks changed chemically, mineralogically or structurally as a result of pressure, temperature or shearing stress.
Oxide Mineral from which sulphur has been partially or completely removed by the action of surface water and oxygen.
Porphyry - Any igneous rock in which relatively large, conspicuous crystals (phenocrysts) are set in fine-grained groundmass.
Porphyry gold-copper A deposit hosted by a large body of igneous intrusive rock containing a common zoned distribution of disseminations, veinlets and veins composed of gold and copper bearing minerals.
PPB Parts per billion
PPM Parts per million.
Skarn A term used to describe the metamorphic rocks surrounding an igneous intrusive where it comes in contact with a limestone or dolomite rock formation.
Tectonic plates Rigid parts of the Earth's crust and part of the Earth's upper mantle that move and adjoin each other along zones of seismic activity.
Tertiary The period of geological time extending from 66 million to 2 million years ago.
Tonne A metric measure of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms or 2,204.6 pounds.
Sulphide Group of minerals consisting of metals combined with sulphur.
Syncline - A fold of rock layers that is convex downwards. An antonym of anticline.
Vein A fissure, fault or crack in a rock filled by minerals.
VMS Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide
Wallrock The rock forming the walls of a vein or other mineral deposit.
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