Copy of `Goldbug Park - Mining terms`

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Goldbug Park - Mining terms Category: Agriculture and Industry > Gold mining Date & country: 07/03/2016, USA Words: 35

vein
a deposit of non-sedimentary origin, which may or may not contain valuable minerals; lode.

winze
a vertical or inclined shaft, driven downward from a drift into an ore body to another level. (see raise)

tunnel
an approximately horizontal underground passage open at both ends.

stope
any upward excavation made in a mine, esp. from a steeply inclined vein, to remove the ore that has been rendered accessible by the shafts and drifts.

stamp mill
a mill or machine in which ore is crushed to powder by means of heavy stamps or pestles.

stalactites
a deposit, usually of calcium carbonate, shaped like an icicle, hanging from the roof of a cave or the like, and formed by the dripping of calcareous (containing calcium) water.

tailings
refuse material resulting from the washing, concentration, or treatment of ore.

raise
a shaft excavated upward for connecting adjacent levels. The terms `raise” and `winze” are used interchangeably to describe a completed opening.

shaft
a vertical or sloping opening, giving access to the various levels of a mine.

portal
an entrance to a tunnel, drift or adit in a mine.

prospecting
the search for mineral deposits suitable for mining.

prospect
an excavation undertaken in a search for ore.

quartz
one of the most common of all rock-forming minerals and one of the most important constituents of the earth's crust. Quartz may be transparent, translucent, or opaque; it may be colorless to colored.

rake
a timber placed at an angle.

placer
alluvial deposit containing particles or larger pieces of gold or other minerals.

mercury
a liquid metal used by the miners to concentrate gold Symbol: Hg; atomic. weight: 200.59; atomic number: 80

miner
a person who works in a mine.

mine
to dig in the earth for the purpose of extracting ores or other valuable minerals.

Mother Lode
a belt of very rich gold-bearing quartz veins.

nugget
an random shaped piece of gold of medium to large size.

ore
a mineral-bearing rock, which may be rich enough to be mined at a profit.

headframe
a structure supporting the hoisting sheaves at the top of a mineshaft. Also called gallows frame.

lode
a deposit of gold or other minerals.

malleable
malleability, property of a metal describing the ease with which it can be hammered, forged, pressed, or rolled into thin sheets. Metals vary in this respect; pure gold is the most malleable.

coyote hole
a shallow excavation dug in the ground for mineral exploration or extraction.

drift
an approximately horizontal passageway in underground mining.

excavation
an area where rock or alluvium has been removed.

fools gold
FeS2 - iron pyrite, sometimes mistaken for gold.

gold
a precious yellow metallic element, highly malleable and ductile, and not subject to oxidation or corrosion. Symbol: Au; atomic. weight: 196.967; atomic number: 79

claim
something that is claimed, esp. a piece of public land for which formal request is made for mining or other purposes.

assay
to analyze (an ore, alloy, etc.) in order to determine the proportion of gold, silver, or other metal in it.

claim-jumper
a person who seizes another's claim of land, esp. for mineral rights.

alluvium
a deposit of sand, mud, etc., formed by flowing water.

alluvial
of or pertaining to alluvium; alluvial soil.

adit
a horizontal or nearly horizontal underground passage coming to the surface at one end of a mine.