B

back reef (n), back-reef (adj.) back-reef environment

backscattered-electron imaging (BSE imaging)

backshore, backslope, backwash, backwater

badlands

ball-and-pillow (adj.) As in ball-and-pillow structures.

bankfull discharge

basal Never use basal as part of an informal name that has other modifiers. For example, the basal silty member means 'the basal part of the silty member', even if the writer meant to name the unit informally as the basal silty member. The same arguments apply to the use of lower, middle, and upper in this context. See also EARLY, LATE; EARLY, LOWER; LOWER, UPPER; MIDDLE.

base camp, base level, base line, base map, base metal as nouns, but as adjectives base-camp activities, base-level studies, base-metal deposit, etc.

based on, on the basis of Based on is a past-tense participal phrase, so it is adjectival; on the basis of is an adverbial phrase:

basin Capitalized as in Michigan Basin.

basin-and-range (adj.) As in basin-and-range province.

basis (pl. bases)

b axis, b direction, b horizon

bay head, bay ice (n.) but bay-mouth bar, bay-ice studies (adj.)

because of See DUE TO.

bed, bedding

bedding plane (n.) but bedding-plane fault (adj.).

bed load (n.), bed-load (adj.) bed-load material

bedrock

begin, commence Begin is preferable to commence, except in legal usage.

behaviour (not behavior)

believe, consider, feel These verbs attract criticism when used incorrectly. Believe means 'having faith or trust in', and is commonly applied to the acceptance of a theology or deity. Consider means 'to regard as, or think of a being as', and is also used in the sense of believe, conclude, decide, and judge, which are all synonyms. Feel connotates 'sensation or emotion'.

bell-like

bell-shaped distribution

below, under Below is concerned with 'relative position', whereas under implies 'superposition or subjection'.

bench mark

benefit, benefited, benefiting

Bernoulli effect

Berriasian

beside, besides Both of these words are used as prepositions. Beside means 'at the side of'; besides means 'in addition to'.

best preserved specimen

better drained soil

between See AMONG.

bevelled

biannual, biennial Biannual means 'every half year, twice a year, semiannual'. Biennial means 'lasting two years or happening every second year'. It is applied to a plant that springs from seed one year, and flowers and dies the next (cf. annuals, biennials, and perennials). Biweekly and bimonthly can mean either 'once in two weeks/months' or 'twice a week/month'.

Use twice-weekly, fortnightly, every two months, half-yearly, every two years, etc. to be clear. Bicentennial, however, means 'every two hundred years'.

bilateral

billion In North American usage, this word signifies a thousand million (10⁹); in most other countries it signifies a million million (10¹²). Because of this ambiguity do not use the terms billion, trillion, or quadrillion. Use of phrases such as thousand million or expressing the term in figures such as 10¹² avoids all ambiguity. See also QUADRILLION; TRILLION.

bio- Most words with this prefix are unhyphenated (e.g. bioclast, bioclastic, biocoenosis, biodegradable, bioerosion, and biofacies).

biological (not biologic)

bioturbation mottling, bioturbated mottling Bioturbation mottling means 'mottling resulting from bioturbation'. Do not use bioturbated mottling in this sense, as it refers to an existing mottling that has been modified by bioturbation.

bird's-eye

Blackriveran (not Blackriverian)

block Capitalized as in Peace River Block.

block fault

blowout

borderland

boreal (adj.) Boreal means 'pertaining to, or located in, northern regions; northern': boreal region. But, in paleontological usage: Boreal Realm, Boreal Bathonian, Boreal Upper Bathonian, etc. Compare ARCTIC.

borehole

botanic

both Follow both by 'and', (not as well as).

bottomset

boudin, boudinage

Bouguer anomaly

box fold

BP This means 'before present' (specifically 1950) and is used for radiocarbon ages. BP should always be placed after the numerals: an age of 13 660 ± 370 BP (WAT-951); dated 22 260 ± 1000 BP; (WAT-95, Smith and Jones, 1989). It is not necessary to add 'ago' or 'years' to the age.

braided river (n.), but a sandy, braided-river system (adj.)

braidplain

break of slope, break in slope

breakup (n.), but break up (vb.), break-up (adj.) as in break-up season

breakwater

broad, wide These words have similar meanings, as is shown by the fact that they have the same opposite: narrow. Wide refers to 'the distance that separates the limits', and broad to 'the extent or size of something in a direction measured across'. Backs, shoulders, and expanses can be broad, but mouths and rivers are wide.

BSE imaging Abbreviation for backscattered-electron imaging

B-tectonite

buildup (n.), but build up (vb.) For example: Carbonate buildups build up gradually.

built-up area

burned over

but But can be used as the first word in a sentence such as: But for the weather, the field crew might have made it on time.

by 20 by 60 m (in text), 20 x 60 m (in parentheses, tables, etc.)

bypass, byproduct