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Proactive disclosure Print version   | |  GSC Guide to Authors C: Alphabetical Listing
Spelling, Usage and GSC Recommendations
CAI See COLOUR ALTERATION INDEX. calc Most words with the prefix calc, meaning 'lime-' or 'calcareous', are hyphenated: calc-alkali, calc-alkalic, calc-arenite, calc-dolomite, calc-flinta, calc-schist, calc-silicate, and calc-tufa. calcilutite calcium carbonate powder caldera Cambrian System, but Cambrian time camera-ready copy cannot Cape Breton Highlands caprock carbonated See CARBONIZED. carbonates Do not use carbonates when you mean 'carbonate rocks'. See also INTRUSIVES. carbonatized See CARBONIZED. carbonized, carbonated, carbonatized It has become customary in our reports to distinguish between these terms. Carbonized means 'changed to carbon'; carbonated, 'charged with carbonic acid'; and carbonatized, 'replaced by carbonate mineral(s)'. cardinal numerals, ordinal numerals The numbers 'one, two, three', etc., as opposed to the ordinal numerals, 'first, second, third', etc. Caribbean case The word case is all too commonly used as a trouble-saver or 'filler', and results in flabby writing. The word has its use, but, before using case or its elegant variation, instance, consider rewriting the sentence. cataclastic catalyze catastrophic cauldron cave in (vb.), but cave-in (n.) cede Celsius centi The prefix centi (symbol c) indicates the multiple 10-2. centimetre (not centimeter) See METRE. centre, centre point, central, centring (not center) centred on (not centred around) cf., see, see also Abbreviation of the Latin confer, meaning 'compare' or 'to be compared to'. Authors should keep in mind the distinction between see or see also and cf. See makes reference to something else for the information, for example, 'aeolian See EOLIAN.' is termed a 'blind entry' as it is composed only of a heading and a see reference. The explanation is found under the entry 'eolian', the accepted spelling. See also makes reference to additional information under another heading, for example, 'I, we' states that 'first person pronouns are acceptable' and ends with 'See also VOICE.' indicating that there is more information under the entry 'voice'. The abbreviation cf. is set in vertical (roman) type. changeable channel, channelling, channelled (not channeling, channeled) channel flow, but channel-fill, channel-mouth bar characteristic, distinctive, typical The characteristic quality of something is 'the quality that distinguishes and identifies that thing'. Distinctive denotes 'an individuality that sets something apart from its type or group'. Typical, which is the opposite of individual, denotes 'that the thing or person in question has the characteristics peculiar to the type, class, species, or group to which it belongs'. Characteristic is to be preferred to character when describing the traits of fossils. characterize chemical symbols When the text deals with analytical work or reports analytical measurements, the chemical elements are indicated by symbols:
The Cu, Pb, and Zn values were statistically analyzed.
Current estimated reserves are 1 000 000 t grading 9% Zn. The element names are written out when they occur in other contexts in the text:
The fault was active after gold emplacement.
Symbols should also be used in figures, tables, and equations. Rewrite sentences so that they do not begin with a chemical symbol:
Gold, silver, and mercury not Au, Ag, and Hg
Isotopes are indicated by writing the mass number as a left superscript to the symbol:
40Ar
14C 18O 238U 207Pb/206Pb 40Ar/39Ar but K-Ar age Chemical symbols are used for chemical compounds:
Four analyses indicate 5% to 10% MnO and 10% to 28% FeO. Valences are written as follows:
chemistry, geochemistry Chemistry and geochemistry are disciplines. Authors often entitle a section of their manuscript 'Whole-rock chemistry' when they mean 'Whole-rock chemical compositions' or 'Whole-rock major (trace)-element relations (variations)'. As a discipline, geochemistry encompasses isotopic as well as chemical relationships. Commonly manuscripts have one section called 'Geochemistry', devoted entirely to whole-rock chemical variations, and another entitled 'Isotopic relationships'. china clay chronological (not chronologic) chronostratigraphic units Position within chronostratigraphic units (system, series, stage, etc.) is best indicated by basal, lower, lowest, middle, upper, and uppermost. Cincinnatian circumlocution Avoid circumlocution — 'roundabout language; the use of several or many words instead of one or a few words'. See also 'Jargon and contrived or redundant words' in 'Grammar'. circum-Pacific circumstances Under the circumstances and in the circumstances are both acceptable. cirque claim Claim as a noun in not capitalized: claims A 61239 to A 61244; Nancy claim. Other similar terms are deposit, property, prospect, mine, and showing. clastics Do not use clastics when 'clastic rocks' are meant. See also INTRUSIVES; VOLCANICS, METAMORPHICS, CLASTICS. clay belt, clay boil (n.), but clay-rich, clay-sized (adj.) particles clean, cleanness cliff forming, but cliff-forming limestone cliffline cloudburst co- Many compound words with the prefix co- are written as one word. A hyphen is used when two similar vowels occur together, or when the appearance of the word is confusing without the hyphen: coaxial, coexist, coproduct, co-author, co-operate, co-ordinate, and co-worker.
coal bearing (n.), but coal-bearing strata (adj.) coalfield, but the Peace River Coalfield coal measures coalspar coarse grained Hyphens are used with compound adjectives before a noun, but not after it:
A coarse-grained granite
The granite is coarse grained coarsening-upward sequences (not upward-coarsening sequences) coarse sands coast Pacific coast coastal plain coastlands coastline Coast Mountains, but eastern Coast Mountains coeval coldspring, hotspring collaborate collinear (not co-linear or colinear) colour, coloured (not color), but coloration, colorimeter Colour Alteration Index (CAI) There are Colour Alteration and Thermal Alteration indices, but do not use 'Colour Alteration Indices' when referring to a series of values or measurements. The latter should be written as Colour Alteration Index values, or CAI values. colour filter, but red colour-filter colours Hyphenate combination colour terms that are placed before or after the noun:
a blue-green mineral
the mineral is blue-green orange-red shear zones the shear zones are orange-red Compounds with the suffix -ish are hyphenated only when they precede the noun:
bluish-green amphibole
but the amphibole is bluish green Adjectives indicating a specific shade, such as light, pale, bright, dark are not hyphenated whether they are placed before or after the noun:
light grey gneiss
the gneiss is light grey sky blue kyanite pale yellow zone the zone is pale yellow olive green shale commence See BEGIN. commit, commitment, committal, committed common, to be common, commonly These words are much abused. Where appropriate, select synonyms such as prevalent, usual, and general. Do not use adverbs of time such as often or frequently for 'prevalence' or 'abundance': Limestones are commonly fossiliferous (not often fossiliferous). See also TIME TERMS. comparatively, relatively Do not use these words unless the degree of comparison or relativity is clearly stated. These words are commonly used as substitutes for fairly and somewhat. Use relatively only when a comparison is made. Extremely should be used in the sense of 'to the uttermost degree.' compare to, compare with These two expressions are distinct and different but are commonly misused. If one rock specimen is compared to another, the object is to indicate their similarity; but, if one is compared with another, both their differences and similarities are considered. Any poet could be compared with Shakespeare, but few could be compared to him. compass points See DIRECTION. competition, competitive complement, compliment Complement as noun, verb, and adjective (complementary) relates to 'the quantity or amount that completes'. Compliment as noun, verb, and adjective (complimentary) relates to 'praise, flattery, and something obtained free'. complete, completeness compose Compose means 'make up, constitute, or form' and is most frequently used in the passive: be composed of. See also COMPRISE. comprise The word comprise means 'consists of'. A formation is not 'comprised of' sandstone and shale; it comprises, or consists of, or is composed of sandstone and shale. A whole comprises two halves, but two halves constitute (not comprise) a whole. Comprise implies 'inclusion of all parts of a whole' as opposed to include, which implies that 'there may be other parts not mentioned': The sandstone comprises quartz, feldspar, chert, and calcite, but The sandstone includes quartz and feldspar in its mineral composition. Never use is comprised of: use is composed of. computerize concede concrete See ABSTRACT. cone-in-cone confer, conference conform to (not conform with) conodont Colour Alteration Index (CAI) See COLOUR ALTERATION INDEX. consensus Consensus means 'shared opinion', or 'unanimity of opinion'. 'Consensus of opinion' contains a redundant element. The consensus is that the strata are Devonian is correct. consider See BELIEVE. consistent, consistency consists of, consists in Consists of denotes 'the substance of which the material is made', and is a synonym for is composed of. Consists in defines the subject: The work consists in writing reports, and is a synonym for has its being in. Use consists of for materials, and consists in for a definition or statement of identity. conspecific (not cospecific) contact As a verb, to contact is now acceptable in the sense of 'get in touch with, look up, find, or meet'. The noun contact is also used in the modern sense of 'an acquaintance who might be of use': I made several useful contacts at the Current Activities Forum. contact-metamorphosed sedimentary rocks, but the sedimentary rocks are contact metamorphosed continual, continuous Whereas continual means 'repeated' or 'going on at regular intervals', continuous means 'unbroken' or 'going on without pause'. contractions of verbs An apostrophe is used to represent the missing letter(s): she's, shouldn't, couldn't, can't, etc. Although contractions are used in speech or informal writing, such as personal letters, they should not be used in scientific reports or papers. contrast with, contrast to When contrast is used as a verb, it is followed by with. Either to or with may be used when contrast is used as a noun. corehole Coriolis effect corollary corrasion, corrosion. Corrasion refers to 'mechanical erosion of rocks and soil by the sediment load in air, water, or ice'. Corrosion refers to 'erosion by chemical processes'. correlate The word correlate is used to demonstrate the equivalence of two or more geological phenomena in different areas, although they may be different in lithology. A limestone formation in the Yukon Territory may, for example, be correlated with a sandstone formation in Alberta. The term should not be applied to separate bodies of the same formation or group, nor to what are mapped tentatively as parts of the same lithological units. Correlations may be based on lithological, paleontological, chronological, or other physical evidence. Correlate with is the correct expression; 'correlate to' is incorrect. correspondence corroborate counsel, counselled county Capitalized as in Pictou County. crag-and-tail (n. and adj.) craton Capitalized as in Slave Craton, but North American craton. creek Capitalized as in Lost Creek. crevasse splay crisis (pl. crises) criterion (pl. criteria) cross- Compound words starting with cross- may be one word: crossbed, crossbedded, crossbedding, crosscut, crosscutting, crosshatched, crosshatching, crosslaminae, crosslaminated, crosslamination; hyphenated: cross-section, cross-stratification; or two words: cross fault, cross fold. crystallize, crystallization crystallographic cryptocrystalline cryptozoon cumulate, cumulus In petrological jargon, cumulate is a noun defined as a name for igneous rocks of a particular kind, and its uses are essentially parallel to those of rock. Thus, we can have cumulate layers or rock layers, but 'cumulate rock' is redundant. Cumulus is defined as the corresponding adjective, so we have cumulus minerals and postcumulus processes, but 'cumulate mineral' and 'postcumulate processes' are inappropriate. cusp-ripple cut-and-fill (n. and adj.) cutbank cutoff (n.), but cut off (vb.) cutting samples (not cuttings samples)
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