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Glossary of terms
A
| aeromagnetic anomaly |
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An anomaly generated by an airborne magnetic survey.
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| Ag |
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Gold.
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| Au |
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Silver.
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B
| BHID |
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Borehole Identification Number.
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| blebby |
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Containing blebs, or characterized by blebs which are globular in shape.
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| breccia |
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A rock dominated with angular fragments within a finer grained matrix usually a
product of faulting.
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C
| chalcopyrite |
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Copper Iron Sulphide – CuFeS2 . The main ore of copper.
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| closure plan |
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An environmental plan covering the closure of a mining operation.
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| Co |
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Cobalt.
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| contact deposits |
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In the Sudbury Camp these are deposits occurring at the contact between Sudbury
Igneous Complex (SIC) and the footwall country rocks.
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| Cu |
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Copper.
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D
| deposit |
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A mineralized body which has been physically delineated by sufficient drilling,
trenching, and/or underground work, and found to contain sufficient average
grade of metal or metals to warrant further exploration and/or development
expenditures; such a deposit does not qualify commercially mineable ore body or
as containing ore reserves.
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| development |
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The preparation of a known commercially mineable deposit for mining.
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| development stage |
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A company is in the development stage when it is engaged in the preparation of
an established commercially mineable deposit (reserves) for its extraction which
is not in the production stage.
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| diorite |
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Fine grained basic igneous rock. Usually intruded as a dyke.
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| dip |
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The inclination of a geologic structure (bed, vein, fault, etc.) from
horizontal; dip is always measured downwards at right angles to the strike.
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| disseminations |
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Mineralization distributed between the grains in a rock.
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| down dip |
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Down the plane of the dip; Opposite to up dip.
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| dyke |
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A long mass of erruptive rock.
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| dyke swarm |
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A multitude of dykes in various directions.
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E
| embayment |
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A topographic irregularity in the footwall in which mineralizing solutions may
pond and give rise to orebodies.
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| exploration stage |
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A company is in the exploration stage when it is engaged in the search for
mineral deposits which are not in either the development or production stage.
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F
| felsic (norite) |
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An iron/silica rich rock.
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| footwall deposits |
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Mineralization in the footwall below the contact with the SIC. Primarily
fracture and vein type of mineralization.
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| fracture fillings |
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Material infilling fractures.
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G
| gabbro |
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A coarse grained calcic igneous rock.
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| geological survey |
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The exploration of an area through the use of physical properties relating to
geology i.e. mapping. Geophysical methods include seismic, magnetic, gravity,
induced polarization and other techniques.
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| gneiss |
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A metamorphic rock showing banding and resulting from regional metamorphism.
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| Gneissic |
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Term applied to the texture of gneiss.
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| grade |
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The amount of valuable metal in each tonne of ore, expressed as % for base
metals and as grams per tonne for precious metals.
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| granitic plutons |
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Large intrusions of acid igneous rocks.
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| granodiorite |
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A quartz rich diorite with >10% K feldspar.
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| gravity anomaly |
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A geophysical anomaly based on density differences.
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| greywacke sandstones |
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A green/grey, granular sedimentary rock.
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H
| haulage drift |
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An underground tunnel for hauling materials and rock.
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I
| in-fill drilling |
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More detailed drilling generally used to follow up a discovery hole.
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J
| joint fillings |
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The material infilling joints in rocks.
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M
| Ma |
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Time measure. Millions of Years ago.1825 Ma=1.825 billion years.
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| mafic intrusive |
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An intrusion rich in iron and magnesia and low in silica.
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| metagabbro |
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Metamorphosed gabbro.
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| metasedimentary |
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Metamorphosed sedimentary rock.
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| micropegmatite |
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A pegmatite (dyke rock) with small fragments and inclusions.
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| migmatites |
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A textural term describing rocks of mixed igneous and metamorphic origin, such
as bands, veins and pods of igneous rocks in a metamorphic host.
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| mineral reserves and mineral resources |
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Have the meaning ascribed to such terms by the Canadian Institute of Mining,
Metallurgy and Petroleum, as the CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves
Definitions and Guidelines adopted by CIM Council on August 20, 2000 as those
definitions may be amended from time to time by the Canadian Institute of
Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.
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| mineralization |
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A natural aggregate of one or more metallic minerals.
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| mineralized |
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Mineral-bearing; the minerals may have been either a part of the original rock
unit or injected at a later time.
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| mining claim/mineral claim |
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That portion of public or private mineral lands which a party has staked or
marked out in accordance with federal, provincial or state mining laws to
acquire the right to explore for and exploit the minerals under the surface.
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N
| net smelter return royalty/NSR |
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A phrase used to describe a royalty payment made by a producer of metals based
on gross metal production from the property, less deduction of certain limited
costs including smelting, refining, transportation and insurance costs.
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| Ni |
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Nickel.
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| Ni-Cu-PGM |
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Nickel-copper-platinum group metals.
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| norite |
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A dark coloured igneous rock with pyroxene.
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O
| ore |
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A metal or mineral or combination of these of sufficient value as to quality and
quantity to enable it to be mined at a profit.
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| ore body (ies) |
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A body(ies) of rock containing economically extractable ore minerals.
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P
| Pd |
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Palladium.
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| pentlandite |
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Iron-nickel-sulphide.
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| PGM |
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Platinum Group Metals.
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| pipe |
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A rod shaped ore shoot.
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| plunge |
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The angle between any inclined plane and the horizontal plane. The term is used
to designate the inclination of the axis of an oreshoot.
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| Pt |
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Platinum.
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| pyrrhotite |
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Magnetic iron sulphide.
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R
| reclamation |
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The process by which lands disturbed as a result of mining activity are
reclaimed back to a beneficial land use. Reclamation activity includes the
removal of buildings, equipment, machinery and other physical remnants of
mining, closure of tailings impoundments, leach pads and other mine features,
and contouring, covering and re-vegetation of waste rock piles and other
disturbed areas.
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| recovery |
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A term used in process metallurgy to indicate the proportion of valuable
material obtained in the processing of ore. It is generally stated as a
percentage of valuable metal in the ore that is recovered compared to the total
valuable metal present in the ore.
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| refining |
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The final stage of metal production in which impurities are removed from molten
metal.
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| rill |
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Irregular furrow-like physical feature.
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S
| schistoze |
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The cleavage in rocks that are sufficiently recrystallized to be termed schist
or gneiss. Usually in metamorphic rocks.
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| sedimentary rock |
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Rocks formed from material derived generally by erosion of other rocks and laid
down by a chemical or mechanical process i.e., limestone, shale and sandstone.
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| shaft |
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A vertical or steeply inclined passageway to an underground mine for moving
personnel, equipment, supplies and material including ore and waste rock.
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| strike |
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The direction of the line of intersection of a bed or vein with the horizontal
plane. The strike of a bed is the direction of a straight line that connects two
points of equal elevation on the bed.
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| stringers |
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Narrow veins indicating proximity to larger systems.
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T
| tailings |
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The material that remains after all metals considered economic have been removed
from ore during milling.
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| TPM |
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Total Precious Metals. In this case Platinum+ Palladium+Gold.
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| turbidite sequence |
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Sediment deposited as a result of an underwater slump or avalanche.
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U
| ultramafic |
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Rocks which are very basic (high in magnesia and iron)in composition as opposed
to acidic. Usually host to nickel deposits.
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X
| xenolith |
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A foreign piece of rock that became enclosed in igneous rock prior to its
solidification, thus forming an inclusion.
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