GEUS rapport 2007/55 - A glossary for GEUS publications

G E U S

Preface

This glossary gives recommended spellings for GEUS' English language publications. Spe-
cifically compiled for use in our peer-reviewed publications Geological Survey of Denmark
and Greenland Bulletin and Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Map Series it
outlines the chosen language style of our scientific series. However, as GEUS widens the
scope of its cooperation with institutions and organisations around the world, there is an
increasing demand throughout the Survey for the presentation of documents, both adminis-
trative and technical, in the English language. And because our website portrays our image
to the international community, the language used there should reflect our professionalism.
Thus, rather than retain this glossary as a working paper among editors of our scientific
series, it is offered here as a report in the hope that it will prove helpful throughout GEUS.

Conventionally, much more emphasis is placed on the accuracy and consistency of lan-
guage and terminology in scientific writing than in everyday communication. However, cor-
rect spelling and use of words should always be a primary aim in any text published by
GEUS. As it happens, the very first entry of this glossary Aalborg University draws at-
tention to the fact that even the names of well-established Danish institutions are often
cited incorrectly (see also under University of Aarhus).

Many English words have optional spellings. This can be easily confirmed by consulting
more than one dictionary; the variety of spellings is radically increased if both British Eng-
lish and American English reference works are consulted. It is stressed that the entries in
this glossary are simply those recommended for use in GEUS scientific publications.

2nd edition
This new edition, with revised title, is prompted by two things: (1) improvements, including
more troublesome words, suggested by users and editors and (2) requests for more printed
copies. Rather than reprint the original report, we have produced a 2nd edition.

April 2004

3rd edition
Once again, rather than just reprint, we have updated the text with c. 50 new entries and
changes that have sprung from the queries of the past year. One of these is the word `envi-
ronment' (as in the name of our own Ministry), found on occasion spelt without the second `n'.

April 2005

4th edition
New entries and text refinements characterise this edition. We are pleased to acknowledge
the suggestions for improvement from John C. Bailey (University of Copenhagen) who has
used the glossary in his undergraduate courses to improve written English. And we have
now gone electronic, see http://www.geus.dk/publications/geus_rap_2007_55-uk.htm

October 2007

G E U S

Contents

Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7

Glossary composition ........................................................................................................ 9

The choice of spelling ..................................................................................................... 11

Geographical subdivisions of Greenland used by the Survey ......................................... 13

The glossary ................................................................................................................... 15

A ..................................................................................................................................... 15
B

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References ................................................................................................................... 60

G E U S

Introduction

This glossary is based on those words that over the years have shown to be troublesome
as regards spelling and usage in Survey scientific publications. It should be regarded as a
supplement to, not a substitute for, a good modern dictionary and a geological glossary.
The compilation of this glossary has sprung from the need for a set of standards and guide-
lines for authors and editors involved in the production of the GEUS scientific series, and
the spellings herein reflect the style chosen for these publications.

The glossary is the third and final part of a manual used in the production of our scientific
publications; a handbook on publishing (Dawes & Glendal 1998) and an explanation of the
GEUS bibliographic style (Sønderholm et al. 1998) form the other two parts. It should be
noted that in a discussion on English versus American spelling in the handbook, it was
suggested that, provided that spelling was consistent throughout each work, both language
varieties could be used. Unfortunately this has resulted in manuscripts with blatant mixed
spelling, on occasions with contrasting forms of one word appearing on the same illustra-
tion. Thus British English is now used throughout the scientific series (see below).

Many reference works have been consulted in the compilation of this glossary. The new
Oxford dictionary of English (Pearsall 1998) and The new Fowler's modern English usage
(Fowler 1998) have been the standard reference books; on the geological side A dictionary
of earth sciences (Allaby & Allaby 1999) and Glossary of geology (Neuendorf et al. 2005)
have supplied, respectively, the details of British and American geoscientific terminology.

G E U S

Glossary composition

Many entries of the glossary represent words, terms, names and abbreviations that often
have to be corrected by editors, e.g. accommodated not accomodated, coloration not
colouration, data which is not singular, et al. not et. al. or et al, Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen
which has an ampersand and no hyphen, a licence not a license, mid which never stands
alone, migmatisation not migmatitisation, northerly not northernly, olive-green not oli-
vine-green, platy not platey, Quaternary not Quarternary, etc.

Some English and Danish words have close spelling forms and thus are often the cause of
confusion, e.g. abnormal not anormal, address not adresse, analogue not analog, centre
not center, compilation not kompilation, general not generel, horizontal not horisontal,
metre not meter, modern not moderne, project not projekt, resource not ressource, vis-
ual not visuel, etc.

Also included are some common abbreviations where convention often determines whether
full stops and italics are used, and whether there is a space between each element, for
example c , c. , cf. , c.f. , et al. , i.e. , in situ , km , n. sp. , op. cit. , p. , pp. , pct , viz. For the
general use of abbreviations, see the handbook (Dawes & Glendal 1998, pp. 5456).

The glossary focuses on spelling and punctuation rather than explanations of words. How-
ever, meanings of words are given in many cases to clarify common misuse; for example,
in those cases where words and phrases, similar in spelling or punctuation, have different
meanings, e.g. affect and effect , already and all ready , continual and continuous , crop
out and outcrop , current and currant , everybody and every body , main stream and
mainstream , precede and proceed , principal and principle , side valley and valleyside ,
terrain and terrane , and where some words are often used incorrectly as synonyms, e.g.
acid and felsic , comprise and encompass , gap and cutting , (mineral) reserve and re-
source , Svalbard and Spitsbergen , ultrabasic and ultramafic , etc.

Explanations are also given for words in which the use of a hyphen is critical for under-
standing, for example, several verbs with the same spelling need a hyphen for correct
meaning: re-collect and recollect , re-fund and refund , re-soluble and resoluble , re-sort
and resort , re-strain and restrain , re-treat and retreat , etc.

In the English language a distinction is drawn between the hyphen (bindestreg) and several
forms of the dash (tankestreg), for example in scientific texts in English a minus sign is a
dash (en rule / kort tankestreg), not a hyphen, and numerical ranges are so indicated by
this dash, e.g. pages 2462 or analyses 6AF . In English a dash is also used to express
`through' or `to', such as through a period of geological time, e.g. TriassicPalaeogene ,
and from one azimuth to its opposite, e.g. north-eastsouth-west or NESW . In contrast, in
texts in Danish the use of these forms of punctuation is less specific with the hyphen often
substituting the dash. In this glossary, explanation of the use of the dash is given where
relevant. For the general use of the dash and hyphen, see the handbook (Dawes & Glendal
1998, pp. 5152).

G E U S

The choice of spelling

The glossary emphasises that British English is used in the GEUS scientific series; thus
aeolian not eolian, aluminium not aluminum, analyse not analyze, Archaean not Ar-
chean, Cenozoic not Cainozoic, centre not center, caesium not cesium, channelled not
chaneled, colour not color, dyke not dike, grey not gray, kilometre not kilometer, pa-
laeoecology not paleoecology, Palaeozoic not Paleozoic, sulphur not sulfur, etc. But,
there are exceptions to the palaeo-/paleo-couplet, hence Paleocene , and not Palaeocene,
is recommended spelling (for explanation, see under Paleocene , p. 43).

Many English words have the optional endings ` ise ' or ` ize ', e.g. crystallise and crystallize,
mineralise and mineralize, realise and realize, recognise and recognize, etc. The ending
` ise ' is recommended at GEUS for two practical reasons: there are many `ise' verbs that
are never spelt with `ize', e.g. advise , comprise , compromise , devise , disguise , enter-
prise , exercise , incise , prise , revise , supervise , surmise , surprise , etc., and some `ize'
verbs are solely American English, e.g. analyze , catalyze .

G E U S

Geographical subdivisions of Greenland

used by the Survey

Map showing the Survey's formal geographical subdivisions of Greenland, both onshore
and offshore. Thus Nares Strait, the seaway separating Greenland from Ellesmere Island,
Canada, borders parts of North-West Greenland and western North Greenland. However,
the strict application of all subdivisions can be cumbersome, for example in descriptions of
large regions. This can be avoided by using informal terminology, e.g. "the geology of
north-western Greenland bordering Nares Strait ...".

It should also be noted that the names West Greenland and East Greenland are used

in two ways: in the sense as shown on the map (each with two subdivisions, viz. central
and southern) and for the entire western and eastern sides of Greenland, respectively. In
this broader sense, West Greenland covers the four western subdivisions, viz. North-West,
central West, southern West and South-West Greenland whereas East Greenland covers
the four eastern subdivisions, viz. North-East, central East, southern East and South-East
Greenland.

G E U S

The glossary

Aalborg University , spelt so, an official name, not Ålborg University, University of Aalborg

or University of Ålborg; see also under University of Aarhus .

AAS , abbr. atomic absorption spectrophotometry, capitals, nOFull stops.
abbr. , abbreviation of the word abbreviation(s), with full stop (as used in this glossary).
abnormal , not anormal (Danish).
abstract , not abstrakt (Danish).
access , accessible , spelt so.
accessory , spelt so, e.g. accessory minerals.
accommodate , spelt so (note double c and double m).
acid or acidic , used in igneous petrology sensu stricto for a rock with more than 65% Si0

;

not a synonym of felsic . In system with basic , intermediate , ultrabasic .

acknowledge , acknowledgeable , acknowledgement , note e after g, not acknowledg-

ment. In expressing thanks under the heading Acknowledgement(s), the singular form
( Acknowledgement ) is used only in cases where but one citation of thanks is given. The
plural form ( Acknowledgements ) is by far the more common.

acquisition , spelt so.
A.D. , abbr. (Lat.) anno Domini , `in the year of our Lord', capitals, with full stops, not itali-

cised, no space, placed before the year, e.g . A.D . 55, cf. B.C.

ad hoc (Lat.) literally, `to this', meaning `formed, arranged or done for a particular purpose

only', not an abbreviation, nOFull stops, not italicised.

ad inf . , abbr. (Lat.) ad infinitum , `to infinity', with full stop, in italics.
ad init . , abbr. (Lat.) ad initium , `at the beginning', with full stop, in italics.
ad int . , abbr. (Lat.) ad interim , `for the meantime', with full stop, in italics.
ad loc . , abbr. (Lat.) ad locum , `at the place', with full stop, in italics.
address , spelt so, note double d, not adresse (Danish).
adviser or (less frequent) advisor , optional spelling.
advertise , advertisement , never with z.
advise , verb, never with z; the noun is spelt advice .
aegirine , spelt so.
aeolian , not eolian (Amer.).
aerial photograph , aerial survey , two words.
affect , verb, meaning `to produce an effect on', `to cause some result or change in' etc.; do

not confuse with effect which means `to bring about or accomplish'.

aggregate , not aggregat (Danish).
agmatisation , agmatise , agmatite , agmatitic , spelt so; like migmatisation . Not with z.
air flow , air gun , air mass , air survey , two words.
airborne , aircraft , airfield , airphoto , airport , airstrip , airtight , one word.
albeit means `though', spelt so.
albitisation , not albitization.
alga , noun, plural is algae , not alge (Danish).
alkali , noun, plural is alkalis ; the adjective is alkalic .

G E U S

alkaline , adjective; the noun is alkalinity .
all-embracing , all-powerful , all-purpose , with hyphen, e.g. all-purpose field equipment.
all-in-one , with hyphens.
allochthonous , spelt so.
allude , verb meaning `to refer indirectly or covertly'; do not confuse with elude which

means `to escape from or avoid' and illude which means `to deceive or trick'.

alongside , alongshore , one word.
already means `before the time in question' or `as early or as soon as'; do not confuse with

the phrase all ready that means `all everyone or everything is ready'.

alternate , alternately mean where `two things succeed each other by turns', e.g. the agate

has alternate colour bands; an alternating current, i.e. one that reverses its direction at
intervals; do not confuse with alternative , alternatively , see below.

alternative , alternatively mean `available or usable instead of another', thus a choice is

implied, e.g. an alternative method; cf. alternate .

aluminium , not aluminum (Amer.).
a.m. , abbr. (Lat.) ante meridiem , `before noon', with full stops, not italicised, no space, al-

ways placed after the time, e.g. 6 a.m., note space between 6 and a.m.

amend means `to correct or make (minor) adjustments, for the sake of clarity, to something

that has been written or spoken', cf. emend .

Amer. , abbr. America(n), with initial capital and full stop (as used in this glossary).
amygdale , amygdaloidal , not amygdule (Amer.).
analogue , not analog (Danish/Amer.) but analogy , analogies , analogous .
analyse , verb, not analyze (Amer.); noun is analysis with plural form analyses .
anti- , prefix meaning `opposed to or against', used with or without hyphen, see examples

below.

antibody , anticline , anticlockwise , antidune , antiparticle , antipathetic , antiperthite ,

one word.

anti-establishment , anti-gravity , anti-lock , anti-nuclear , with hyphen.
apex , plural is apices or apexes .
appendix , plural is appendices and appendixes .
approx. , abbr. approximately, with full stop; an alternative is the abbreviation c .
arc , spelt so, short for island-arc, with hyphen, e.g. island-arc chemistry; relative position-

ings are with hyphen, e.g. back-arc , fore-arc , intra-arc .

Archaean , not Archean (Amer.).
archive , not arkiv (Danish).
Arctic , the , spelt so, initial capital, name used in two ways: the regions around the North

Pole and the regions north of the Arctic Circle. Also when used as an adjective, Arctic is
spelled with an initial capital, e.g. Arctic clothing, Arctic equipment, an Arctic explorer, an
Arctic fox and Arctic hare. However, if arctic is used in the informal sense `very cold' it is
spelled with a small initial letter, e.g. the temperature conditions in the quarry felt arctic .
Arctic Circle and Arctic Ocean are proper names.

arenite , arenaceous , spelt so.
argillite , argillaceous , spelt so.
around means `all round, on every side, enveloping', do not confuse with about .
artefact , not artifact (Amer.).
asbestos , not asbest (Danish).

G E U S

a.s.l. , abbr. above sea level, small letters, no spaces, with full stops, but 100 m a.s.l. (no

full stop after m).

assistant , not assistent (Danish).
assortment , not assortiment (Danish).
asterisk , spelt so.
asymmetrical , asymmetry , spelt so.
Atlantic Ocean is a proper name, not Atlantic ocean or sea.
atm. , abbr. atmosphere or atmospheres, small letters, with full stop.
auto- , as prefix used with or without hyphen, see examples below.
autochthonous , autogamy , autogenic , automatic , automation , one word. Note the

spelling of autochthonous ; a common misspelling is `autochtonous'.

auto-metamorphism , auto-retrogression , auto-suggestion , with hyphen.
axial plane , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. axial-plane cleavage.
axis , plural is axes .

back-barrier , back-stepping , back-up , with hyphen, e.g. back-barrier setting.
backbone , backdate , backfill , background , backpack , backshore , backslope , back-

ward(s) , backwash , backwater , one word.

back-to-front , with hyphens.
bacterium , spelt so, plural form bacteria is often used incorrectly as if singular.
badlands , one word, also used as adjective, e.g. badlands topography. Note that the sin-

gular form badland is not used.

ball-and-pillow , with hyphens, e.g. ball-and-pillow structure.
banded iron formation , without hyphens, abbr. BIF , see below.
barite or baryte , not barytes.
barrier , not barriere (Danish).
barrier lake , barrier reef , two words; back-barrier , fore-barrier , with hyphen.
base camp , base map , base metal , base unit , two words.
baselevel , baseline , one word.
basement means `the complex of rocks that underlies the rocks of interest in a particular

area'. A basement can be of any age (even Cenozoic). However, in many regions the
complex is composed of metamorphic and igneous rocks of Precambrian age, and an un-
fortunate tendency to use the word without age qualification has developed. Where
known always state what its age is; if unknown, say so. In map legends it is seldom suffi-
cient to let the word stand alone. Also used as adjective, e.g. basement feature , base-
ment fold , basement rock , basement terrane .

basic is used in igneous petrology sensu stricto for a rock with between 45 and 54% Si0

not a synonym of mafic . In system with acid or acidic , intermediate , ultrabasic .

basin facies , basin range , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. basin-range

structure.

basin-and-range , with hyphens, e.g. basin-and-range topography.
basin-fill , with hyphen, like valley-fill , e.g. the basin-fill is several kilometres thick.
basinward , basinwide , one word, e.g. basinward shift in facies.

G E U S

b-axis , b-direction , with hyphen.
B.C. , abbr. before Christ, capitals, with full stops, not italicised, no space, placed after the

year, e.g. 55 B.C., cf. A.D.

beachrock , one word.
bear , verb, past tense bore , past participle borne ; used as: to bear a resemblance (similar-

ity) to , not resemblance with.

-bearing , e.g. gold-bearing , oil-bearing , quartz-bearing , water-bearing , with hyphen,

e.g. oil-bearing strata, water-bearing mound; the mound is water-bearing.

bed configuration , bed load , bed size , two words.
-bedded , e.g. cross-bedded , medium-bedded , with hyphen, e.g. the sandstone is cross-

bedded; the cross-bedded sandstone.

bedform , bedrock , one word.
behaviour , not behavior (Amer.).
bell-shaped , with hyphen.
bench-mark or benchmark , optional spelling.
benefit , benefited , benefiting , spelt so, not benefitted, benefitting.
Benioff zone or Benioff seismic zone , capital B and small z.
best-fit , with hyphen, e.g. best-fit line, but the points depict the best fit .
bi- , prefix meaning `two, double, twice,' etc., like tri- seldom with hyphen, see examples

below.

biannual , biaxial , bicentennial , bidirectional , bifocal , bifurcation , bilateral , bimetallic ,

bimonthly , bipartite , one word. This prefix can easily create doubt when used in con-
nection with time . For example, does bimonthly mean twice a month or every two
months? Avoid ambiguity by writing e.g. twice a month or every two months.

BIF , abbr. banded iron formation, capitals, nOFull stops.
biota designates a unit and should therefore be followed by a singular verb, e.g. the biota

is the animal and plant life of a particular region, habitat or geological period.

bird's-eye , with apostrophe and hyphen, e.g. bird's-eye coal, bird's-eye pattern, bird's-eye

view.

blue , bluish , spelt so (note no e before i); see also colour .
blue-green , with hyphen (see under colour ).
BMP , abbr. Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum, capitals, nOFull stops; see under the full

name.

bona fide , adverb (Lat.) literally `with good faith', meaning `without intention to deceive',

two words, nOFull stops, italicised.

border zone , two words, e.g. Franklinian border zone, the border zone of the batholith.
borderland , one word, like foreland , hinterland .
borehole , one word, a hole of small diameter drilled into rock or the ground to enable an

assessment of the characteristics of the rock or of potential hydrocarbon or water

re-

sources in the subsurface. A completed borehole is frequently termed a well .

boring is a palaeontological term (trace fossils) and should not be used as a synonym of

borehole and well .

bot. , abbr. botanic, botanical, botany, small letters, with full stop.
bottomset , one word, like foreset , topset .
boudin , noun, the verb is boudinage .
Bouguer anomaly , initial capital, note two u's.

G E U S

B.P. , abbr. before Present, used in carbon 14 dating, capitals, with full stops, not italicised,

no space, placed after the year, e.g. 5000 B.P.

brackish water , two words, unlike freshwater and groundwater .
break down , break into , break open , break up , verbs, two words, see breakdown below.
break-away , break-up , with hyphen, e.g. continental break-up.
breakdown , breakthrough , breakwater , nouns, one word.
brick-red , with hyphen (see under colour ).
B.Sc. , abbr. `Bachelor of Science', a first university degree in one or more science subjects,

with two capital letters and twOFull stops, no space, not italicised.

b.s.l. , abbr. below sea level, small letters, with full stops, but 120 m b.s.l. (nOFull stop after

m).

B-tectonites , with initial capital and hyphen.
buckshot ore , spelt so.
building stone , two words.
buildup , one word, e.g. the carbonate buildup.
built-in , with hyphen, e.g. the built-in mechanism; the mechanism is built-in.
Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum , Government of Greenland, directorate founded in

1997 with offices in Nuuk; Danish name is Råstofdirektoratet (Grønlands Hjemmestyre),
Greenlandic name is Aatsitassanut Ikummatissanulla Pisortaqarfik. Note the common
mistake that `Mines' inadvertently replaces Minerals . Abbr. BMP, see above.

butt , verb, meaning `to push against'; do not confuse with but .
by -, as prefix meaning `incidental, secondary, subordinate', used mainly with hyphen, see

examples below.

by-channel , by-product , by-spine , by-stream , with hyphen.
bypass , bypassing , one word.

c , abbr. century, small letter, nOFull stop.
C , abbr. for several things, including the element carbon and Celcius/centigrade, capital, no

full stop. In the form 25ºC there is no space between the C and the degree sign.

c. , abbr. (Lat.) circa , `about', small letter, with full stop, in italics; do not use ca.
caesium , not cesium (Amer.).
calc-alkali , calc-silicate , calc-sparite , with hyphen.
calcarenite , calcdolomite , calclithite , one word.
calcareous , spelt so; do not use the form calcarious which is now rare.
calcilutite , calcimicrite , calcirudite , calcisiltite , spelt so.
calf ice , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. calf-ice production.
calliper , not caliper (primarily Amer.).
camp site , two words.
cancel , cancelled , cancelling , not canceled, canceling (Amer.).
cannot , one word.
canyon , not cañon.
canyon-like , with hyphen.
caprock , one word.

G E U S

carat , not karat (Danish/Amer.). A weight of gold and a measure of its purity, with pure gold

being 24 carats (1 oz troy). 1 metric carat = 200 mg.

catalogue , not catalog (Amer.).
catalyse , not catalyze (Amer.).
CD-ROM , abbr. compact disc read-only memory, capitals and hyphen, nOFull stops.
Cenozoic , not Cainozoic (Amer.).
centilitre , not centiliter (Danish/Amer.); abbr. cl , see below.
centimetre , not centimeter (Danish/Amer.); abbr. cm , see below.
centre , not center (Danish/Amer.), unless part of official name, see e.g. DPC . Note that

Danish institutions have adopted different spellings of the word, e.g. the Danish Litho-
sphere Centre (DLC; British English spelling) and the Danish Polar Center (DPC; Ameri-
can English spelling).

centre-line , with hyphen.
centring , not centering (Amer.).
cf. , abbr. (Lat.) confer , `compare', with single full stop, not italicised; the single full stop is

important, see c.f. below.

c.f. , abbr., carried forward, with twOFull stops, not italicised, the twOFull stops are important,

see cf. above.

chalk , chalky , spelt so (note no e before y).
channel , channelled , channelling , not channeled, channeling (Amer.).
channel bar , channel erosion , channel fill , channel flow , channel line , channel sand ,

channel wave , two words.

channelway , as used in ore geology, one word.
characterise , not characterize.
cigar-shaped , with hyphen.
circle , as a verb, means `to move all the way around'. Do not confuse with circulate .
circulate means `to move continuously or freely through a system or area'. Do not confuse

with circle .

circulation , not cirkulation (Danish).
circum- , prefix meaning `about, around, round', used with or without hyphen, see examples

below.

circum-Arctic , circum-Atlantic , circum-Pacific , with hyphen.
circumcircle , circumdenudation , circumflex , circumlunar , circumnavigate , circum-

polar , one word.

clay , clayey , spelt so (note e before y).
clean-cut , clear-cut , with hyphen, e.g. clear-cut evidence.
clinoamphibole , clinometer , clinopyroxene , one word.
clockwise , clockwork , one word.
cl , abbr. centilitre(s), nOFull stop, not cls or Cl. In the form 10 cl note the space between 10

and cl.

cm , abbr. centimetre(s), nOFull stop, not cms or Cm. In the form 5 cm note the space be-

tween 5 and cm.

c/o , abbr. care of, small letters, nOFull stops.
co- , prefix meaning `added to, joint, mutual, common, complement of, etc.', used with or

without hyphen, see examples below.

coagulate , coaxial , coeval , coexist , coexistence , coexistent , comagmatic , coset , one

word.

G E U S

coal , coaly , spelt so (note no e before y).
coal basin , coal bed , coal gas , coal measures , coal mine , coal plant , coal seam , two

words.

coalface , coalfield , one word, like gasfield , oilfield .
co-author , co-education , co-enzyme , co-equal , co-finance , co-latitude , co-occur , co-

opt , co-ownership , co-precipitation , co-produce , co-worker , with hyphen. See also
under cooperate and coordinate .

coarse-grained , with hyphen, e.g. the rock is coarse-grained; the coarse-grained rock.
coarsening-upward (downward) or coarsening-upwards (downwards) unit, with hy-

phen, but the unit coarsens upward(s). Reverse word order can also be used, viz. up-
ward(s)-coarsening and downward(s)-coarsening . Same construction as fining-
upward(s) , etc.

coast plain or coastal plain , two words.
coastland , coastline , one word.
coliform , spelt so.
collateral , collinear , collocate , spelt so.
colleague , spelt so.
colour , coloured , colouring , colourful but coloration ; not color, colored, etc. (Amer.).

Some common usages of colour descriptions are: red-brown , with hyphen but reddish
brown ; yellow-brown , with hyphen but yellowish brown ; blue-green , grey-green ,
olive-green , with hyphen, but dark green , light green ; silver-grey but silvery grey .
Cream-coloured rock but the rock has a cream colour ; rose-coloured or rose-tinted
mineral; claret-coloured ironstone; mid-grey to light grey dolomite; brick-red weather-
ing; water can have a bluish tinge ; a mineral can be golden-yellow .

Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland , The , Copenhagen, English name for

Kommissionen for Videnskabelige Undersøgelser i Grønland. Reference to this commis-
sion should always be followed by Copenhagen since the reader may incorrectly assume
that the commission is based in Greenland.

commit , committal , committed , committing with double t but commitment .
commune means `a group of people living together and sharing responsibilities'. Note that

the word does not correspond to the Danish municipal unit `kommune'. Best translation of
`kommune' is `municipality'.

compare to and compare with ; there is a slight difference in usage. Compare to is used in

describing the resemblance of two quite different things, e.g. thorns on a plant compared
to spines on a sea urchin while with is used in estimating degrees of similarity between
things of the same kind, e.g. compare basalts of province A with those of province B.

competence , competent , spelt so.
compilation , not kompilation (Danish).
compiler , spelt so.
complimentary means `to express admiration or respect for something or someone'. Do

not confuse with complementary .

comprise must be used with care. Three points: (1) never spelt with z; (2) means `consists

of' or `is composed of' or `is made of', i.e. it implies the components form a whole. `The
assemblage comprises five fish species ......' means that a total of five fish species make
up the assemblage. Do not confuse with contain and include that imply only part of a
whole, e.g. `The assemblage contains five fish species' implies that as well as five fish
species other species can be present; (3) a rock is not comprised of five minerals but the

G E U S

rock comprises (or consists of, or is composed of) five minerals. See also under encom-
pass and include .

compromise , never with z.
concessionaire , spelt so, is `the holder of a concession'.
confer , conferred , conferring , spelt so.
consecutive means `following continuously or in logical order'; do not confuse with conse-

quential .

consensus , spelt so.
consequential , spelt so, means `following as a result or consequence', cf. consecutive .
consist , see under comprise , include .
consortium , plural is consortia and consortiums .
conspecific , spelt so.
contain , see under comprise .
contemporaneity , spelt so.
contemporaneous , spelt so.
continent-to-ocean , with hyphens, e.g. continent-to-ocean transition; note that the alterna-

tive form continentocean transition has a dash (en rule / kort tankestreg) that replaces
`to' (`til').

continual and continuous have different meanings. The former means `happening fre-

quently, constantly recurring', the latter means `unbroken, uninterrupted, incessant'.

control , controlled , controlling , spelt so.
convener or convenor , optional spelling.
cooperate or co-operate , optional spelling.
coordinate or co-ordinate , optional spelling.
coral ground , two words, like stony ground .
correlate , correlatable , spelt so.
counter -, prefix meaning `opposition, rivalry, retaliation', used with or without hyphen, see

examples below.

counteract , counterbalance , counterchange , countercheck , countermeasure , coun-

terpart , countersign , one word.

counter-argument , counter-attraction , counter-clockwise , counter-productive , with

hyphen.

criterion , plural is criteria which is often used incorrectly as the singular form.
crop out , verb, e.g. the rocks crop out south of the church; do not confuse with the noun

outcrop . To say: the rocks outcrop south of the church is incorrect; use the form: the
outcrops are south of the church.

cross-bedded , cross-bedding , cross-cut , cross-lamination , cross-section , cross-

stratified , with hyphen, e.g. the sandstone is cross-bedded; the cross-bedded sand-
stone; the granite is cross-cut by quartz veins.

crystal , crystallisation , crystallise , note double l, unlike mineralisation , mineralise . Not

with z.

cupola-shaped , with hyphen.
current , noun, means `a body of water, air, etc., moving in a certain direction' or `a flow of

electricity'; as adjective means `belonging to the present time'; the adverb currently
means `at the present time or now'. Do not confuse with currant that has another mean-
ing (botany).

current flow , current meter , current policy , two words.

G E U S

cut away , cut back , cut in , cut into , cut off , cut out , two words, see cutoff below.
cut-and-cover , cut-and-fill , with hyphens.
cutback , cutoff , cutout , one word, e.g. cutoff grade, but as verbs always in two words,

e.g. the road was cut off by the rock slide.

cutting , as landscape feature means `an open passage excavated through higher ground',

e.g. railway cutting, road cutting. Note that it is a man-made feature; for a natural break in
a hill or cliff use gap . See also road-cut .

cwt. , abbr. a hundredweight = 112 lb (UK, long hundredweight), small letters, with full stop;

see under ton .

DANIDA (Copenhagen), Danish name and also abbr. of the official English name Danish

International Development Agency.

Danish Coastal Authority , English name for Kystdirektoratet (Lemvig).
Danish Energy Authority , English name for Energistyrelsen (Copenhagen).
Danish Environmental Protection Agency , English name for Miljøstyrelsen (Copenha-

gen).

Danish Forest and Landscape Research Institute , English name for Forskningscentret

for Skov & Landskab (Hørsholm).

Danish Forest and Nature Agency , English name for Skov- og Naturstyrelsen (Copenha-

gen).

Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences , English name for Danmarks JordbrugsForsk-

ning (Tjele).

Danish International Development Agency , English name for DANIDA (Copenhagen).
Danish Lithosphere Centre , English name for Dansk Lithosfærecenter (Copenhagen). A

research institute administratively connected to GEUS until the end of 2004 when it was
abolished. Note the spelling of Centre (British English); cf. Danish Polar Center . Abbr.
DLC, see below.

Danish National Research Foundation , English name for Danmarks Grundforsknings-

fond (Copenhagen).

Danish Natural Science Research Council , English name for Statens Naturvidenskabe-

lige Forskningsråd (Copenhagen).

Danish Polar Center , English name for Dansk Polarcenter (Copenhagen). Note the spell-

ing of Center (American English); cf. Danish Lithosphere Centre . Abbr. DPC, see below.

Danish Research Agency , English name for Forskningsstyrelsen (Copenhagen).
Danmarks Grundforskningsfond (Copenhagen), English name is Danish National Re-

search Foundation. Do not confuse with the Danish Natural Science Research Council,
see below.

Danmarks JordbrugsForskning (Tjele), English name is Danish Institute of Agricultural

Sciences.

Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser (Copenhagen). Note the r in Miljøundersøgelser and the-

reby the difference to Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse. Abbr. DMU,
see below. English name is National Environmental Research Institute.

G E U S

Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse , official name of our institution until

31 May 2007 when it was replaced by De Nationale Geologiske Undersøgelser for
Danmark og Grønland . English name is The Geological Survey of Denmark and Green-
land although in most cases the definite article is dropped. Greenlandic name is Qallu-
naat Nunaanni Kalaallit Nunaannilu Ujarassiuut Misissuisoqarfiat. Abbr. GEUS, see below.

Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (Lyngby), English name is Technical University of Den-

mark. Abbr. DTU, see below.

Dansk Lithosfærecenter (Copenhagen), English name was Danish Lithosphere Centre.

Abbr. DLC, see below.

Dansk Olie og Naturgas A/S (Hørsholm), English name is the Danish abbr. DONG (i.e. no

translation).

Dansk Polarcenter (Copenhagen), English name is Danish Polar Center. Abbr. DPC, see

below.

data is plural, e.g. the data are displayed, do not use data with singular verbs. Datum is

singular and seldom used except in the context of a datum line. The word information
is often a good alternative.

data capture , data collection , data input , data logger , data management , data pro-

cessing , data retrieval , data set , two words.

databank , database , datapoint , datasheet one word.
date line or date-line , optional spelling.
datum , datum line , see under data .
daylight , daytime , one word.
De Nationale Geologiske Undersøgelser for Danmark og Grønland , the Survey's offi-

cial name since 1 June 2007. The English and Greenlandic equivalents of the Survey's
name are unchanged, as is the abbreviation GEUS (see also Danmarks og Grønlands
Geologiske Undersøgelse ).

decalitre , spelt so, not decaliter (Danish/Amer.); a metric unit of capacity, equal to 10 litres.

Do not confuse with decilitre .

decametre , spelt so, not decameter (Danish/Amer.); a metric unit of length, equal to 10

metres. Do not confuse with decimetre .

decilitre , spelt so, not deciliter (Danish/Amer.); abbr. dl , see below. A metric unit of capac-

ity, equal to 0.1 litre. Do not confuse with decalitre .

decimetre , spelt so, not decimeter (Danish/Amer.); abbr. dm , see below. A metric unit of

length, equal to 0.1 metre. Do not confuse with decametre .

décollement (French) with accent, not italicised, e.g. décollement fault, décollement fold.
deep level , deep sea , deep structure , deep water , deep well , two words, but as adjec-

tives with hyphen, e.g. deep-sea deposit, deep-water channel.

deep-mined , deep-rooted , deep-seated , with hyphen.
delimit , one word, means `to determine the limits of'; do not confuse with delineate .
delineate , one word, means `to portray in drawing or in words', do not confuse with delimit .
deliver , deliverance , delivery , spelt so.
Department of Geography and Geology , University of Copenhagen , English name for

Institut for Geografi og Geologi, Københavns Universitet.

dependent , adjective, spelt so, not dependant, but the noun has two spellings: dependant

and dependent .

depocentre , one word, not depocenter (Amer.).
depth-to-source , with hyphens, e.g. depth-to-source analysis.

G E U S

descendant , not descendent (Danish).
desiccate , spelt so, note single s and double c; two common incorrect forms are `dessic-

cate', `dessicate'.

desire , desirable , spelt so.
desk-top publishing , with hyphen, abbr. DTP .
develop , developable , development , spelt so, no e after p except in developer .
devise , never with z.
dewater , one word.
differentiate , differentiation , spelt so.
digitalise and digitise are synonymous, used in the sense `to convert into a digital form'.
dip angle , dip pole , dip slope , dip valley , two words.
dipmeter , one word, spelt so.
-dipping , e.g. seaward-dipping , shallow-dipping , with hyphen, e.g. the shallow-dipping

beds; the beds are shallow-dipping.

direct , spelt so.
disappoint , spelt so (note single s and double p).
discipline , not disciplin (Danish).
disc-shaped , with hyphen.
disguise , never with z.
diskette , preferred spelling is with k, not discette. Do not use disk or disc.
dissect , spelt so (note double s).
disseminate , spelt so (note double s).
dissociate means `disconnect', `separate', `decompose' and is preferred to disassociate.
distinct , not distinkt (Danish).
district , not distrikt (Danish).
divergence , not divergens (Danish).
dl , abbr. decilitre(s), small letters, nOFull stop, not dls or Dl. In the form 5 dl note the space

between 5 and dl.

DLC , abbr. Dansk Lithosfærecenter, capitals, nOFull stops; see under the full name.
dm , abbr. decimetre(s), small letters, nOFull stop, not dms or Dm. In the form 5 dm note the

space between 5 and dm.

DMU , abbr. Danmarks Miljøundersøgelser, capitals, nOFull stops; see under the full name.
do. , abbr. (Lat.) ditto , `the same', with full stop, not italicised.
document , documentation , not dokument, dokumentation (Danish).
dome-and-basin , dome-like , dome-shaped , with hyphens.
-dominated , e.g. mud-dominated , sand-dominated , with hyphen.
DONG , abbr. Dansk Olie og Naturgas A/S, capitals, nOFull stops; see under the full name.
down has several meanings; in geology: `an area of open rolling (undulating) hills'.
down -, as prefix often used in geology, either with or without hyphen, see examples below.
downcut , downfaulted , downgrade , downhill , download , downslope , downstream ,

downthrown , downward , downwarp , downwelling , one word.

down-dip , down-section , with hyphen.
downdrop , downdropped (double p), spelt so, but downwarp , downwarped .
down-to-earth means `practical, realistic, with no illusions', with hyphens.
downward(s)-coarsening , downward(s)-fining , see under coarsening-upward , fining-

upward .

DPC , abbr. Dansk Polarcenter, capitals, nOFull stops; see under the full name.

G E U S

draw in , draw out , draw up , verbs, two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. drawn-

out inclusions.

drift-ice , with hyphen but drifting ice hampered progress.
driftwood , one word.
drill core , drill head , drill hole , drill pipe , drill stem , two words.
drill-rig or drilling rig , alternative form.
drinking water , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. drinking-water production.
drumlin , plural is drumlins ; `drumlines' has no meaning.
DTP , abbr. desk-top publishing, capitals, nOFull stops, not dtp (Danish).
DTU , abbr. Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, capitals, nOFull stops; see under the full name.
dumbell-shaped , with hyphen.
dyke , not dike (Amer.).
dykelet , not dyklet (or dikelet).

E , abbr. east, never lower case e, nOFull stop; see also under east-north-east and east

west and note the use of hyphen and dash.

E , abbr. evaporation, capital, nOFull stop, in italics, e.g. P / E ratio.
Earth , use initial capital for (the) Earth and all other planets. Used with or without the defi-

nite article.

earth , with lower case e means `the soil'.
east-north-east , east-south-east , with hyphens; abbr. ENE , ESE , capitals, nOFull stops.
eastwest , EW , ESEWSW , with dash (en rule / kort tankestreg) that means `to' (`til');

abbreviations with capitals, nOFull stops.

eastern , easterly , spelt so; `easternly' is incorrect.
echo , plural is echoes .
echo chamber , echo sounder , two words.
echogram , echograph , one word.
ecoclimate , ecocline , ecosphere , ecosystem , ecotype , ecozone , one word.
eco-friendly , with hyphen.
effect , noun and verb, not a synonym of affect ; for meanings, see under affect .
e.g. , abbr. (Lat.) exempli gratia , `for the sake of example', with full stops, not italicised, no

space. Do not confuse with i . e .

electro -, prefix meaning `of or relating to, or caused by electricity', seldom with hyphen, see

examples below.

electro-acoustic , electro-optics , electro-osmosis , with hyphen.
electrodynamics , electrogenic , electromagnetism , electrometer , electroscope , elec-

trostatic , electrothermal , one word.

electron diffraction , electron microscope , electron probe , two words.
elliptical-form , with hyphen.
elude , verb, not a synonym of allude or illude ; for meanings, see under allude .
embed , embedded mean `fix firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass'; not imbed.
emend means `to take mistakes out of something that has been written'. A rather formal

word to which Fowler (1998, p. 47) has the following comment: " Emend is the property

G E U S

mainly of textual scholars who propose improvements to a word or phrase by the addi-
tion, deletion, or alteration of some linguistic element." It is frequently used in palaeonto-
logical descriptions.

emphasise , not emphasize.
emplace , emplacement mean `putting into position'; `implace' has no meaning.
e.m.u. , abbr. electromagnetic unit(s), small letters, full stops, no spaces.
en bloc (French) means `all at the same time or wholesale', two words.
en échelon (French) with accent, nOFull stop after `en', not italicised.
en rapport , en route , en rule , en suite , two words.
enclose , enclosure , not inclose, inclosure.
encompass means `to surround' or `to contain'; note double s. Use sparingly; often used

incorrectly as a synonym of comprise .

encounter means `to meet'; not a synonym of observe ; do not say: the mineral was en-

countered.

endnote , endpaper , one word.
end-point , end-product , with hyphen.
Energistyrelsen (Copenhagen), English name is Danish Energy Authority.
England is one of four lands of the United Kingdom (UK) and one of the three lands of

Great Britain or Britain. Do not use as a synonym for UK or Britain, a common malprac-
tice, e.g. Wales and Scotland are not parts of England; they are parts of UK and Britain.
See under UK .

enquire , not inquire (primarily Amer.).
enterprise , never with z.
environment , spelt so (note the second n, as in the word `environs').
epi- , prefix meaning `upon, above, in addition', never with hyphen, see examples below.
epicentre , epicontinental , epicycle , epigenetic , epilogue , epiphenomenon , episcope ,

one word.

epimerise , not epimerize.
epoch , not epoke (Danish).
equal , equalled , equalling , not equaled, equaling (Amer.).
Eskimo , noun and adjective, spelt so, initial capital, plural is Eskimos or Eskimo (the

French plural form Esquimaux , sometimes found in old English travel books, has now
fallen into disuse). The term Inuit (plural of inuk , person) is preferred by the people
themselves (Fowler 1998). Note that the tectonic name Innuitian (Arctic Canada
Greenland) is spelt with two n's.

essence , not essens (Danish).
et al. , abbr. (Lat.) et alii, `and others', with full stop after al ., in italics. Note: often used in-

correctly with a full stop after et .

et seq. , abbr. (Lat.) et sequentia, `and the following', with full stop, in italics.
etc. , abbr. (Lat.) et cetera, `and the rest', `and so on', with full stop, not italicised.
Ethiopia , Ethiopian , spelt so, always initial capital.
Europe , European , spelt so, always initial capital.
evapotranspiration , one word.
event stratigraphy , two words.
eventual , eventually mean `occurring or existing in due course or ultimate' (Danish =

endelig), do not confuse with the Danish word `eventuel' or with eventuality , see below.

G E U S

eventuality means `a possible event or outcome' (Danish = mulighed, eventualitet), cf.

eventual .

evergreen , everlasting , evermore , one word.
ever-present , ever-recurring , with hyphen.
every bit as , every now and again , every other , every so often , every time , separate

words.

every body , two words, e.g. every body discovered was a pyroxenite, cf. everybody .
every one means `each one', two words, cf. everyone .
everybody , everyday , everything , everywhere , one word but every person , every

place , two words. See every body above.

everyone means `every/each person' (everybody), one word. See every one above.
evidence is singular and plural. Do not add -s, i.e. evidences. Little evidence (få beviser),

much evidence (mange beviser).

exceed , spelt so.
except , spelt so; `exept' has no meaning.
excise , never with z.
exercise , never with z.
existence , spelt so.
expanded-foot glacier , with hyphen.
explain , explanation , explanatory , spelt so. Same construction as peneplain / pene-

planation .

eye agate , eye coal , eye tubercle , two words.
eyeball , eyeglass , eyehole , eyepiece , eyesight , eyewitness , one word.
eye-catching , eye-opening , eye-socket , eye-spot , eye-stalk , with hyphen.

-facing , e.g. landward-facing , seaward-facing , with hyphen.
Faeroe Islands , Faeroes , Faroe Islands , Faroes , optional spelling. The normal spelling in

English language publications some years ago was Faeroe Islands (Faeroes). This form
was chosen by Rasmussen & Noe-Nygaard (1970) in the authoritative geological work on
the islands and retained twenty years later (Rasmussen & Noe-Nygaard 1990). However,
more recently the form Faroe Islands (Faroes) has become more common, for example it
is used in English language publications of the Faroese government. The important point
is to be consistent throughout each presentation/volume.

fair-weather , with hyphen, e.g. fair-weather wave-base.
fallout , one word.
FaroeShetland Basin , FaroeShetland Channel are proper names. Note the dash, not

hyphen, joining the two parts of the names, and that Faroe is spelt without an s.

far-reaching , with hyphen, e.g. the results have far-reaching consequences.
farther is normally used with reference to physical distance; the form further is preferred

when referring to greater extent or in addition, as in furthermore .

fast growing , two words, but with hyphen when used as an adjective before a noun, e.g.

fast-growing bacteria.

fast ice , two words.

G E U S

fault block , fault breccia , fault complex , fault plane , fault scarp , fault system , fault

zone , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. fault-block tectonics, fault-breccia
origin, fault-scarp system.

fault-bend fold , spelt so, but when used as an adjective before a noun, another hyphen is

inserted, e.g. fault-bend-fold structures.

fault-line , noun and adjective, with hyphen, e.g. distinct fault-line, fault-line scarp, fault-line

valley.

favour , favourable , not favor, favorable (Amer.).
feedback , one word.
feldspar , not felspar.
feldspathic , spelt so.
felsic is used to describe igneous rocks in which feldspar (or feldspathoid) and quartz are

dominant; not a synonym of acid/acidic . See also leucocratic , mafic .

fenitise , not fenitize.
ferrodiorite , ferrodolomite , ferrogabbro , ferromagnetism , ferrospinel , one word.
ferromagnesian , one word, used to describe minerals rich in iron and magnesium, and

less commonly rocks in which such minerals predominate; cf. mafic which is a synonym.

fibre , not fiber (Amer.).
field camp , field map , field sketch , field work , two words.
field of view , without hyphens.
Figure , abbr. Fig. , with initial capital and full stop; abbr. for plural form is Figs with nOFull

stop. Note that fig. without initial capital is used when referring to an external source.

fine-grained , with hyphen, e.g. the rock is fine-grained; the fine-grained rock.
fining-upward (downward) or fining-upwards (downwards) unit, with hyphen, but the

unit fines upward(s) . Reverse word order, viz. upward(s)-fining and downward(s)-
fining can also be used. Same construction as coarsening-upward(s) , etc.

firn line , two words.
first-order , as adjective with hyphen, e.g. first-order colour, first-order prism, but two words

in the first order were ...

first-year , as adjective with hyphen, e.g. first-year ice, first-year programme, but after the

first year the programme was ...

fish-eye , as adjective with hyphen, e.g. fish-eye lens, fish-eye slate.
fixed-wing , as adjective with hyphen, e.g. fixed-wing aircraft, but the aircraft has fixed

wings .

fjord , spelt so. Use fiord only when part of a proper name, e.g. Alexandra Fiord (Canada).

Note that on illustrations all names referring to water and ice are italicised.

fjord coast , fjord floor , fjord ice , fjord shore , fjord side , fjord water , two words.
flatland , one word, like highland , lowland .
flat-lying , with hyphen, e.g. the beds are flat-lying; the flat-lying beds.
flight line , two words.
flood basalts , flood tide , two words.
floodplain , floodwater , one word.
flow cleavage , flow layering , flow line , flow mark , flow unit , two words.
fluviodeltaic , fluvioglacial , fluviolacustrine , fluviomarine , one word.
focus , noun, spelt so; plural is focuses and foci .
focus , verb, with optional spelling of focused or focussed and focusing or focussing .
föhn , not foehn, is `a warm dry wind on the lee side of mountains'.

G E U S

fold belt , fold geometry , fold mountains , fold pair , two words.
foothills , footprint , footwall , one word.
fore- , as prefix meaning `in front of, preceding', seldom with hyphen, see examples below.
fore-barrier , with hyphen.
forecast , foredeep , forefront , foreground , foreland , forelimb , foremost , forerunner ,

foresee , foreset , foreshock , foreshore , one word.

foregone , past participle of the verb tOForego that means `to precede in place and time';

do not confuse with forgone , see below.

forgone , past participle of the verb tOForgo that means `to go without'; cf. foregone .
formula , spelt so; plural is formulas and formulae , not formular (Danish).
Forskningscentret for Skov & Landskab (Hørsholm), English name is Danish Forest and

Landscape Research Institute. Note the ampersand (&) after Skov; cf. Skov- og Natursty-
relsen that has a hyphen (-) and `og'.

Forskningsstyrelsen (Copenhagen), English name is Danish Research Agency.
fossil fauna , fossil flora , fossil fuel , two words.
fourfold , one word, like twofold , fivefold , etc.
freshwater , one word, like groundwater but unlike brackish water .
frost heave , two words.
full stop , two words.
full-grown , full-length , full-scale , full-time , with hyphen.
fulfil , fulfilled , fulfilling , not fulfill, fulfiled, fulfiling (Amer.), see fulfilment below.
fulfilment , not fulfillment (Amer.).
function , not funktion (Danish).
Funen , do not use this English translation of the Danish name Fyn .
further , furthermore , see farther . Use the word furthermore sparingly; it means `in addi-

tion' or `besides' but should be used principally for introducing a new aspect or argument.
It is frequently used incorrectly in a listing for `finally'.

Fyn , use this Danish name not the English translation Funen .

g , abbr. gram(s), small letter, nOFull stop, plural form is also g. In the form 10 g note the

space between 10 and g.

Ga , abbr. (Lat.) giga anna or billion years (10

years), always capital G, nOFull stop, not

italicised, placed after the date with space, e.g. 2.4 Ga.

gamma radiation , gamma ray , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. gamma-ray

log, gamma-ray curve.

gap , in geology means `a natural break or pass' in higher ground. Do not confuse with cut-

ting .

garnet-epidote-muscovite(-chlorite) schist , no hyphen before schist, brackets signify

minor amount.

gas , noun, plural is gases , not gasses (primarily Amer.); as verb, gasses , gassed , gas-

sing .

gas coal , gas pit , gas sand , two words.
gasfield , one word, like coalfield , oilfield .

G E U S

gasliquid chromatography , with dash (en rule / kort tankestreg) not hyphen, see GLC .
gauge , not gage (Amer.).
gemstone , one word.
gen. nov. , abbr. (Lat.) genus novum , `new genus', with full stops and space, not italicised;

used in palaeontology; see also the alternative n. gen.

general , not generel (Danish).
generalise , not generalize.
genus , plural is genera .
geo , noun, meaning a `long, narrow, steep-sided cleft', especially in sea cliffs.
geo -, as prefix meaning `of or relating to (the) Earth', occasionally with hyphen, see examples

below.

geobotany , geocentre , geochemistry , geochronology , geophysics , geoscience , geo-

syncline , one word.

Geocenter Copenhagen , English name for Geocenter København; note the spelling of

Geocenter (American English), cf. Danish Lithosphere Centre.

Geocenter København , English name is Geocenter Copenhagen.
geo-coding , geo-location , geo-politics , geo-reference , geo-resources , with hyphen.
geol. , abbr. geology, with full stop (as used in this glossary).
GEUS , abbr. Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse, capitals, nOFull stops, do

not use the form `Geus'; see under the full name. Note that the first mention of GEUS in
any scientific writing should always be associated with the full name of the Survey, with
the abbreviation placed in parentheses after the full name (GEUS) to indicate synonymy
not simply separated by a comma or hyphen.

GIS , abbr. Geographic Information System, capitals, nOFull stops, do not use the form `Gis'.
glaciated means a landscape once covered by ice; glacierised means glacier covered.
glacio-eustatic , glacio-isostatic , with hyphen.
glaciofluvial , glaciogene , glaciolacustrine , glaciomarine , glaciotectonic , one word.
GLC , abbr. gasliquid chromatography, capitals, nOFull stops.
GMT , abbr. Greenwich Mean Time, capitals, nOFull stops.
gold-bearing , with hyphen, e.g. the quartz vein is gold-bearing; the gold-bearing quartz

vein.

golden-brown , golden-yellow , with hyphen (see under colour ).
GPS , abbr. Global Positioning System, capitals, nOFull stops.
graben-like , with hyphen.
graded bedding , two words, e.g. graded bedding is conspicuous.
graded-bedded , with hyphen, e.g. the sandstone is graded-bedded; the graded-bedded

sandstone.

grain size , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. grain-size distribution.
-grained , e.g. coarse-grained , fine-grained , with hyphen, e.g. the rock is fine-grained; the

fine-grained rock.

gram , not gramme; abbr. g , see above.
gravel , gravelled , gravelling , gravelly , not graveled, graveling (Amer.).
gravity-high , gravity-low , with hyphen, short for high- and low-gravity anomalies .
Great Belt , the , do not use this English translation of the Danish name Storebælt .
greenish grey , two words (see under colour ).

G E U S

Greenland , for the use of small and capital letters in names of geographical regions, e.g.

western North Greenland and North-West Greenland , see map of the Survey's geo-
graphical divisions of Greenland on p. 13.

Greenland Institute of Natural Resources , English name for Grønlands Naturinstitut,

Greenlandic name is Pinngortitaleriffik.

grey , not gray (Amer.).
grey-green , with hyphen (see under colour ).
greywacke , not graywacke (Amer.).
Grønlands Naturinstitut (Nuuk), English name is Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.
ground moraine , ground noise , ground survey , two words.
groundmass , groundwater , groundwork , one word.
growth line , two words.
guarantee , spelt so, not garante (old English) or garanti (Danish).
guesstimate or (less frequent) guestimate , noun, optional spelling, meaning `an estimate

based more on guesswork than calculation'.

gully , plural is gullies .

half-century , half-graben , half-hour , half-life , half-moon , half-tone , with hyphen.
halfway , one word.
halo , plural is halos and haloes .
hand lens , hand level , hand sample , hand specimen , two words.
handmade , handout , handprint , handpump , one word.
hand-picked , hand-sorted , with hyphen.
hanging glacier , hanging valley , two words.
hanging wall , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. hanging-wall fracture.
hardback , hardcover , hardground , hardpan , hardship , hardware , hardwood , one

word. Note that hardground specifically refers to `limestone lithified on or slightly below
the sea floor' but in physical descriptions use two words, e.g. the traverse was over hard
ground .

hard coal , hard copy , hard disk , hard error , hard mineral , hard ore , hard rock , hard

shore , hard water , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. hard-coal sequence,
hard-rock geology.

headland , headwaters , one word.
heat flow , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. heat-flow measurements.
heavy liquid , heavy metal , heavy mineral , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g.

heavy-mineral sands.

helicopter , not helikopter (Danish). Avoid using the colloquial form `chopper'.
hematite , not haematite.
hereafter , hereby , herein , hereto , hereunder , hereupon , herewith , one word.
herringbone , one word, e.g. herringbone bedding, herringbone pattern.
hiatus , plural is hiatuses .
high class , high frequency , high grade , high level , high octane , high plain , high pre-

cision , high resolution , high tide , high water , two words, but as adjectives with hy-

G E U S

phen, e.g. high-grade ore, high-level performance, high-resolution temperature log,
high-water mark, but the high frequency of tests shows that ...

highland , highlight , highway , one word.
hillock , hillside , hillslope , hilltop , one word.
hinge area , hinge axis , hinge fault , two words.
hingeline , one word.
hinterland , one word, like borderland , foreland , headland .
homogenise , not homogenize.
honeycomb , one word, e.g. honeycomb weathering.
horizon is a plane or surface, e.g. a bedding plane; it has no thickness, like the horizon.

The word should not be used for units of implied or measured thickness. Use bed , layer ,
parting , seam , unit , zone , etc.

horizontal , not horisontal (Danish).
horseshoe , one word, e.g. horseshoe bend, horseshoe dune, horseshoe reef.
host rock , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. host-rock mineralogy.
hot spot , hot spring , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen e.g. a hot-spot scenario.
hundred , not hundrede (Danish).
hydro , abbr. hydroelectric power plant, nOFull stop.
hydro- , as prefix meaning `having to do with water', never with hyphen, see examples below.
hydrocarbon , hydrochloride , hydrodynamics , hydroelectricty , hydrogeology , hydro-

graphy , hydrology , hydrometry , hydropower , hydrostatic , hydrothermal , one word.

hypothesis , plural is hypotheses .

ibid. , abbr. (Lat.) ibidem , `in the same place', with full stop, in italics.
ice age , ice axe , ice cap , ice core , ice cover , ice dam , ice field , ice floe , ice flow , ice

front , ice island , ice margin , ice mound , ice sheet , ice shelf , ice station , ice surface ,
ice tongue , ice water , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. ice-core records,
ice-dam lake, ice-shelf thickness, ice-surface measurements.

ice floe , two words, meaning `a large, detached, flat piece of ice floating in water'; do not

confuse with ice flow which has a different meaning.

iceberg , iceblock , icecrete , icefall , icefjord , icefoot , one word.
ice-bound , ice-breaker , ice-cold , ice-flux , ice-free , ice-radar , ice-rafting , with hyphen.
Iceland-type , initial capital, with hyphen, e.g. Iceland-type basalt.
id. , abbr. (Lat.) idem , `the same', with full stop, in italics.
i.e. , abbr. (Lat.) id est , `that is', with full stops, not italicised, no space. Do not confuse with

e . g .

illude , not a synonym of allude or elude ; for meanings, see under allude .
impassable means `blocked for entry'; impassible has another meaning (theology).
impel , impelled , impelling , spelt so.
improvise , never with z.
in , see on .
in situ (Lat.) meaning `in its original place', two words, nOFull stops, italicised, e.g. in situ

mining, in situ modelling, in situ theory, the rocks are considered to be in situ .

G E U S

INAA , abbr. instrumental neutron activation analysis, capitals, nOFull stops.
inasmuch as , insofar as , insomuch as , spelt so.
inc. sed. , abbr. (Lat.) incertae sedis , `of uncertain place', with full stops, not italicised. A

term used in palaeontology to indicate that the affinity of a fossil or modern specimen is
uncertain.

incise , never with z.
include indicates only part of a whole ; do not confuse with comprise or consist that imply

whole or entirety. Thus `the complex includes magmatic rocks' means that other rocks
are present, while `the complex consists of magmatic rocks' implies that only magmatic
rocks occur. See also encompass .

index , plural is indices and indexes .
individual , not individuel (Danish).
induction , not induktion (Danish).
industry , industrial , not industri, industriel (Danish).
information is singular and plural. Do not add -s, i.e. informations. Little information (få

oplysninger), much information (mange oplysninger).

infra- , prefix meaning `below or under', seldom with hyphen, see examples below.
infra-arc , with hyphen.
infraclass , infracrustal , infraorder , infrared , infrasonic , infrastructure , one word.
ingoing , one word.
Inland Ice , two words, each with initial capital, authorised English name for Greenland's

central ice cover; Danish name is Indlandsisen, Greenlandic is Sermersuaq. Note that on
illustrations these names and all features referring to water are placed in italics.

Innuitian , Inuit , note spelling variation, see under Eskimo .
inquire , see enquire .
insect , not insekt (Danish).
inset , spelt so, e.g. the inset illustrates the well-defined nature of the formational contact.

Do not confuse with insert that has another meaning.

install or instal , optional spelling, installation , installed but instalment , not installment

(Amer.).

Institut for Geografi og Geologi , Københavns Universitet , English name is Department

of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen.

institute , not institut (Danish).
instruction , not instruktion (Danish).
inter- , prefix meaning `between, among, mutually, reciprocally', seldom with hyphen, see

examples below. Do not confuse with intra .

inter alia (Lat.) `among other things', nOFull stops, italicised; avoid the little-known abbre-

viation `i.a.'.

interbasinal , interbeds , interchannel , intercommunicate , intercontinental , intercra-

tonic , interdepartmental , interdigitate , interface , interfingering , interfolding , inter-
formational , interglacial , intergrowth , interlayered , interlinked , international , inter-
stream , intertidal , one word.

intermediate is used in igneous petrology sensu stricto for a rock with between 54 and

65% Si0

; in system with acid/acidic , basic , ultrabasic .

Internet , spelt with a capital I.
inter-regional , inter-relate , with hyphen.
interstice , noun, meaning `an intervening space'; the adjective is interstitial .

G E U S

intra- , prefix meaning `on the inside, within', never with hyphen, see below; do not confuse

with inter .

intrabasinal , intracellular , intraclast , intracontinental , intracratonic , intradepartmen-

tal , intraformational , intraplate , one word.

ionise , not ionize.
Irish-type , initial capital, with hyphen, e.g. Irish-type mineralisation.
iron formation , two words, see also BIF .
iron glance , iron meteorite , iron mica , iron ore , two words, but as adjectives with hy-

phen, e.g. iron-meteorite shower, iron-ore mine.

ironstone , one word.
island arc , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. island-arc volcanicity, see also arc .
isle is a literary or poetic word for an island. Seldom used except in proper names, e.g. Isle

of Skye, the British Isles. Use island , e.g. Sjælland and Fyn are the largest islands (not
isles) in Denmark.

islet is a literary or poetic word for a small island. Do not use.
it's is a contraction of it is or it has , e.g. it's a modern interpretation, it's been suggested

before.

its is a possessive pronoun, e.g. a peculiar rock and its minerals.

Jacob's staff , spelt so.
jag has several meanings; in geology: `a sharp projection of rock'.
jagged means `unevenly cut' or `deeply indented'.
January , June , July , all months have initial capital; abbr. Jan ., Jun ., Jul . with full stop,

see under month .

jellyfish , one word.
jewel , jeweller , jewellery , not jeweler, jewelery (Amer.).
joint filling , joint plane , joint system , joint venture , two words, but as adjectives with

hyphen, e.g. joint-plane coating, joint-venture programme.

justify , justified , justification , spelt so.
Jutland , do not use this English translation of the Danish name Jylland .
juxtapose , juxtaposition , spelt so.
Jylland , use this Danish name not the English translation Jutland .

Kalaallit Nunaat , note initial capitals, the Greenlandic name for Greenland in new ortho-

graphy.

kame plain , kame terrace , two words.
kame-and-kettle , with hyphens.
karst plain , karst valley , two words.
karstland , one word.

G E U S

kettle hole , two words.
key bed , key fossil , key horizon , two words.
keystone , keyword , one word.
kg , abbr. kilogram(s), small letters, nOFull stop, plural form is also kg. In the form 6 kg note

the space between 6 and kg.

kidney ore , two words.
kidney-shaped , with hyphen.
kilogram , not kilogramme; abbr. kg , see above.
kilometre , not kilometer (Danish/Amer.); abbr. km , see below.
kinematic , with prefix, postkinematic , prekinematic , synkinematic , but late kinematic ,

two words.

kink band , kink fold , two words, spelt so.
km , abbr. kilometre(s), small letters, nOFull stop, not kms or Km. In the form 10 km note the

space between 10 and km.

KMS , abbr. Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen, capitals, nOFull stops; see under the full name.
knob , knobbly , spelt so.
know-how , with hyphen.
knowledge , knowledgeable , spelt so.
Kommissionen for Videnskabelige Undersøgelser i Grønland , Copenhagen, English

name is The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland. Reference to this com-
mission should always be followed by Copenhagen since the reader may incorrectly as-
sume that the commission is based in Greenland. Abbr. KVUG, see below.

Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen (Copenhagen), English name is National Survey and Cadastre.

Note no hyphen after Kort, and the use of ampersand (&). Abbr. KMS, see above.

KVUG , abbr. Kommissionen for Videnskabelige Undersøgelser i Grønland, Copenhagen,

capitals, nOFull stops; see under the full name.

kyanite , not cyanite.
Kystdirektoratet (Lemvig), English name is Danish Coastal Authority.

l , abbr. litre(s), nOFull stop, never capital L, never ls. In the form 10 l note the space be-

tween 10 and l.

label , labelled , labelling , not labeled, labeling (Amer.).
labour , not labor (Amer.), but laborious .
-laden , e.g. sand-laden , with hyphen, e.g. the sand-laden water; the water is sand-laden.
lake core , lake delta , lake deposit , lake ice , lake mud , lake sediment , two words.
lakebed , lakefront , lakeland , lakeshore , lakeside , lakewater , one word, like riverbed ,

seashore .

land accretion , land bridge , land ice , land surface , two words.
landform , landmark , landmass , landscape , landslide , landslip , landuse , one word.
land-locked , with hyphen, e.g. land-locked embayment.
Landsat , name of satellite used for satellite imagery, initial capital.
landward-dipping , landward-facing , with hyphen, e.g. the escarpment is landward-facing;

the landward-facing escarpment.

G E U S

large-scale , as adjective with hyphen, but the map has a large scale .
lat. , abbr. latitude, small letters, with full stop.
late , never with hyphen, e.g. late Caledonian, late Jurassic, late kinematic.
layout , noun, one word; the verb is lay out , e.g. lay out the samples.
left-lateral , with hyphen, e.g. left-lateral (sinistral) strike-slip.
lens , plural is lenses .
lens-shaped , with hyphen.
lenticular , spelt so.
leuco- , as prefix meaning `white', never with hyphen, see examples below. Used in a

purely descriptive sense in geology, i.e. leucocratic means `a white or pale-coloured
rock'. Leucocratic is sometimes used incorrectly for acid / acidic or felsic that have com-
positional implications.

leucocratic , leucocyte , leucodiorite , leucogabbro , leucoplast , leucosome , one word.
level , levelled , levelling , not leveled, leveling (Amer.).
licence , noun, not license (Amer.); the verb is to license , hence licensee .
Lillebælt , use this Danish name not the English translation Little Belt .
lime , limy , not limey (lime fruit is limey).
liquefaction , liquid , liquidise , spelt so.
liquefy or liquify , optional spelling.
lit-par-lit (French) `bed-by-bed', with hyphens, not italicised.
lithify , verb, the noun is lithification , not lithofraction that has another meaning.
lithiophorite , lithiophosphate are minerals, note the io, lithophyte is a plant.
litho- , as prefix relating to stone, seldom with hyphen, see examples below.
lithofacies , lithology , lithosphere , lithotype , one word.
litre , spelt so, not liter (Danish/Amer.); abbr. l , see above.
Little Belt , the , do not use this English translation of the Danish name Lillebælt .
loc. cit. , abbr. (Lat.) loco citato , `in the place cited', with full stops, in italics.
Locality , abbr. Loc. , with initial capital and full stop; abbr. for plural form is Locs with no

full stop. Note that loc. without initial capital is used when referring to an external source.

l.o.i. , abbr. loss on ignition, small letters, with full stops, not italicised, no spaces.
long. , abbr. longitude, small letters, with full stop.
longshore , longwave , one word, e.g. longshore current.
low angle , low energy , low grade , low key , low level , low lying , low pitched , low poros-

ity , low pressure , low profile , low relief , low tide , low water , two words, but as adjec-
tives with hyphen, e.g. low-energy environment, low-grade ore, low-porosity basalts.

lowland , lowlands , one word, like highland , highlands .
lustre , not luster (Amer.).
-lying , e.g. flat-lying , low-lying , with hyphen, e.g. the flat-lying beds; the beds are flat-

lying.

m , abbr. metre(s), nOFull stop, never capital M, never ms. In the form 10 m note the space

between 10 and m.

G E U S

Ma , abbr. (Lat.) mega anna or million years (10

years), always capital M, nOFull stop, not

italicised, placed after the date with space, e.g. 3450 Ma.

macro , used in computing.
macro- , prefix meaning `long', `large' or `large-scale', seldom with hyphen, see examples

below.

macro-evolution , macro-organism , with hyphen.
macrofauna , macrofossil , macronutrient , macroplate , macroscopic , one word.
mafic is used to describe igneous rocks in which dark-coloured minerals rich in iron and

magnesium predominate. When used to describe the relevant minerals, it is synonymous
with ferromagnesian . Note that mafic is not a synonym of basic , though often used so.

magnetic compass , magnetic dip , magnetic field , magnetic north , magnetic poles ,

magnetic variation , two words.

magnetic-high , magnetic-low , with hyphen; short for high- and low-magnetic anoma-

lies .

magnetite (mineral), magnetitite (rock), magnetic , magnetise , magnetism , spelt so.
magneto -, as prefix meaning `relating to a magnet or magnetism', seldom with hyphen, see

examples below.

magneto-electric ( ity ), with hyphen, often reversed to give electromagnetic .
magnetometer , magnetopolarity , magnetosphere , magnetostratigraphy , magneto-

zone , one word.

main , adjective, e.g. main fault, main river, main sheet, main stream, see below.
main stream means `the principal stream' of an area, cf. mainstream below.
main type , main vein , two words.
mainframe , mainland , mainstay , mainstream , one word; note that mainstream (geol.)

means `the principal current of a river', cf. main stream above.

maintain , maintained , spelt so, but maintenance .
manifold , spelt so, means `diverse, various', rather than `many times' (Fowler 1998).
man-made , with hyphen, e.g. the man-made dam; the dam is man-made.
map , mappable , mapping , spelt so.
map area , map legend , map scale , map series , map sheet , map unit , two words.
marshland , one word, like coastland .
mass balance , mass energy , mass flux , mass movement , mass transport , mass

wasting , two words.

massive , not massiv (Danish).
mass-spectrometer , mass-spectrum , with hyphen.
material , not materiel (Danish); the English word materiel refers specifically to military

materials and equipment (in contrast to personnel).

max. , abbr. maximum, small letters, full stop.
M/B , abbr. motorboat, capitals, nOFull stops, not italicised, e.g. M/B Gulunguak (note that

the name of the boat is italicised).

meagre , not meager (Amer.).
meantime , meanwhile , one word, as adverbs synonymous; mean time is a noun and has

another meaning, e.g. as in Greenwich Mean Time, see GMT .

measure , measurement but measurable , spelt so (note no e after r).
medium-bedded , medium-grained , with hyphen, e.g. the medium-bedded limestone; the

limestone is medium-bedded.

G E U S

megabreccia , megaclast , megacryst , megafauna , megashear , megaslump mega-

spore , megastructure , one word.

mélange (French) with accent, not italicised.
meltdown , meltwater , nouns, one word but the verb is to melt down .
meta- , as prefix meaning `change of condition or position', in geology often synonymous

with metamorphic; with or without hyphen, see examples below.

meta-anorthosite , meta-arkose , meta-igneous , with hyphen.
metabasalt , metadiorite , metagabbro , metagreywacke , metasediment , metavolcanic ,

one word.

metallic, metalliferous, metallogenic , spelt so (note double l).
metamictisation , not metamictization.
meteorological , spelt so.
meter , an instrument, spelt so.
metre , a unit of measure, spelt so, not meter (Danish/Amer.).
micro- , prefix meaning `small', seldom with hyphen, see examples below.
microdiamond , microfauna , microfiche , microfossil , microphotograph , microplate ,

microscope , one word.

micro-organisms , with hyphen.
mid -, prefix, meaning `in the middle part of', rarely stands alone, either with or without hy-

phen, see examples below. See one exception, Mid Danish Till.

Mid Danish Till , formal stratigraphic name (Houmark-Nielsen 1987), therefore the excep-

tional (incorrect) use of `mid' as a single word, see below.

midair , midfan , midline , midnight , midland , midpoint , midsection , midship , midstream ,

midsummer , midrange , midway , midweek , midwinter , one word.

mid-Atlantic Ridge , mid-August , mid-Cretaceous , mid-fjord , mid-graben , mid-grey (to

light grey) , mid-latitude , mid-ocean , mid-Proterozoic , mid-1990s (note no apostrophe
before s), with hyphen.

mid-upper amphibolite facies , i.e. the middle part of the upper amphibolite facies, not the

middle to upper amphibolite facies.

middle class , middle course , middle distance , two words.
middle ground , two words, a good term to describe the position between foreground and

background ; `centre ground' and `central ground' are not recommended.

migmatisation , migmatise , migmatite , migmatitic , spelt so; like agmatisation . Not with z.
militate , spelt with one l, means `to have force or effect in argument of facts or evidence',

mainly used against rather than in favour of, e.g. these facts militate against a sea-floor
spreading scenario. Do not confuse with mitigate that means `to appease, to make
milder, to moderate'.

Miljøministeriet (Copenhagen), English name is Ministry of the Environment.
Miljøstyrelsen (Copenhagen), English name is Danish Environmental Protection Agency.
min. , abbr. minimum or minute, small letters, full stop, never Min.
mine , mineable , spelt so.
mineral , mineralisation , mineralise , note single l, unlike crystallisation , crystallise . Not

with z.

Ministeriet for Videnskab, Teknologi og Udvikling (Copenhagen), English name is Min-

istry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Ministry of the Environment , English name for Miljøministeriet. Note the use of `of' not

`for' and `the'.

G E U S

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation , English name for Ministeriet for Viden-

skab, Teknologi og Udvikling. Note the use of `of' not `for'.

mismatch , spelt so.
mobilise , not mobilize.
model , modelled , modelling , not modeled, modeling (Amer.).
modern , not moderne (Danish).
modern-day , as adjective with hyphen, e.g. modern-day thinking but thinking of the mod-

ern day ; like present-day.

mollusc , not mollusk (Danish/Amer.).
month means `a calendar month' or `a period of time between same dates in successive

calendar months'. Jan. , Feb. , Mar. , Apr. , Jun. , Jul. , Aug. , Sept. , Oct. , Nov. , Dec. are
recognised abbreviations, with initial capitals and full stops. May is never abbreviated. Do
not use abbreviations for months in main text; restrict to illustrations/tables.

moonstone , one word.
MORB , abbr. mid-ocean ridge basalt, capitals, nOFull stops.
more or less , spelt without hyphens.
motif and motive are often used incorrectly. They have not common derivation and are not

synonyms, see below.

motif means `a dominant theme, distinctive feature, idea, design or pattern'.
motive means `a motif in art, literature or music' and `a factor or circumstance that causes

action'.

motor ship , motor vessel , two words, abbr. M/S and M/V, respectively.
motorboat , motorcycle , motorvehicle , motorway , one word, see M/B .
mould , not mold (Amer.).
mountain area , mountain chain , mountain range , two words.
mountaineer , mountainside , one word.
M/S , abbr. motor ship, capitals, nOFull stops, not italicised, e.g. M/S Aurora (note that the

name of the ship is italicised).

M.Sc. , abbr. `Master of Science', a second university degree in one or more science sub-

jects, with two capital letters and twOFull stops, no space, not italicised.

mud , muddy , spelt so.
mud gas , mud glacier , mud polygon , mud volcano , two words.
mud-ball , mud-drape , with hyphen.
mudbank , mudcrack , mudflat , mudflow , mudslide , mudstone , one word.
multi- , prefix meaning `many, more than one', used with or without hyphen, see examples

below.

multi-access , multi-article , multi-choice , multi-party , multi-purpose , multi-stage ,

multi-user , with hyphen.

multiaxial , multibeam , multicellular , multichannel , multicolour , multidimensional ,

multidirectional , multidisciplinary , multifaceted , multifunctional , multilateral , mul-
timedia , multinational , multipartite , multiphase , multivariate , one word.

mushroom-shaped , with hyphen.
musk ox , two words.
M/V , abbr. motor vessel, capitals, nOFull stops, not italicised, e.g. M/V Danica (note that the

name of the vessel is italicised).

MVT , abbr. Mississippi Valley-type mineralisation, capitals, nOFull stops.

G E U S

N , abbr. north, never lower case n, nOFull stop; see also under north-east and north

south and note the use of hyphen and dash. See also true north .

n. gen. , abbr. (Lat.) novum genus , `new genus', with full stops and space, not italicised;

used in palaeontology; see also the alternative gen. nov.

n. sp. , abbr. (Lat.) novum species , `new species', with full stops and space, not italicised;

used in palaeontology; see also the alternative sp. nov.

n.a. , abbr. not analysed, small letters, full stops, no space.
NAA , abbr. neutron activation analysis, capitals, nOFull stops.
NASA , abbr. National Aeronautics and Space Administration , capitals, nOFull stops.
National Environmental Research Institute , English name for Danmarks Miljøun-

dersøgelser (Copenhagen).

National Survey and Cadastre , English name for Kort & Matrikelstyrelsen (Copenhagen).
nationwide , one word.
native copper , native iron , two words.
natural , not naturel (Danish).
NB , abbr. (Lat.) nota bene , `note well', capitals, nOFull stops, not italicised, no space.
n.d. , abbr. not detected, small letters, full stops and no space.
near go , near miss , near thing , two words.
nearby , nearly , nearshore , nearside , one word.
near-horizontal , near-surface (or surface-near ), with hyphen.
never-ending , with hyphen when used as adjective before noun, e.g. a never-ending

study; but his interest in plate tectonics was never ending .

nevermore , nevertheless , one word.
no. , abbr. (Lat.) numero , `number', small letters, with full stop (to distinguish it from the

word `no'), not nr. that is the abbreviation for nummer (Danish). Plural is nos (without full
stop).

non- , a prefix meaning `not doing, not involved with', used with or without hyphen, see the

examples below. With such words as non-essential , non-metamorphic and non-
scientific , it is often much better to use the `un-' forms, viz. unessential , unmetamor-
phic and unscientific . Constructions like non-active should be avoided since it is better
to use inactive or revert to the positive form passive .

non-aligned , non-conductor , non-directional , non-erosional , non-essential , non-

existent , non-gneissic , non-linear , non-magmatic , non-magnetic , non-marine , non-
metallic , non-metamorphic , non-organic , non-productive , non-rigid , non-scientific ,
non-sequence , non-sorted , with hyphen.

nonconformity , nondeposition , nongraded , nonpenetrative , nonsorted , one word.
nonetheless , one word.
north-east , north-north-east , north-west , north-westerly , north-north-west , with hy-

phens, i.e. not northeast, north-northeast, etc.; abbr. NE , NNE , NW , NNW , capitals, no
full stops.

northern , northerly , spelt so; `northernly' is incorrect.
northsouth , NS , NESW , NNESSW , NWSE , NNWSSE , nOFull stops, with dash (en

rule / kort tankestreg) that means `to' (`til').

noticeable , spelt so.
nowadays , one word.

G E U S

occasion , occasionally , spelt so.
occur , occurred , occurring , occurrence , spelt so.
odour , but odoriferous , odorous , not odor (Amer.).
off-island , off-line , off-peak , off-platform , off-reef , off-road , off-season , off-white , with

hyphen.

offload , offprint , offset , offshoot , offshore , one word.
oil sand , oil seep , oil shale , oil trap , two words.
oilfield , one word, like coalfield , gasfield .
oil-prone , with hyphen, e.g. oil-prone source rock.
old-fashioned , old-style , with hyphen.
olive-green , with hyphen, not olivine-green; the mineral olivine usually has an olive-green

colour (see under colour ).

on and in are both used to indicate locality, e.g. on the Moon, in France, but when referring

to islands or peninsulas on is the more common and should be used, e.g. on Disko, on
Hareøen, on Petermann Halvø, on Nuussuaq. However, islands and peninsulas that form
independent nations or self-governing areas are usually referred to with in, e.g. in Malta,
in Sri Lanka, in Cyprus, in Greenland.

on and off means `now and then, intermittently', three words, never with hyphen.
on-board , on-line , on-screen , on-site , with hyphen.
one-half , one-third , one-sixth , with hyphen, but one half of the section is covered by

scree.

ongoing , onlap , onshore , one word.
on-set means `on the set/scene'; cf. onset .
onset means `beginning', e.g. onset of life; cf. on-set .
op. cit. , abbr. (Lat.) opere citato , `in the work cited', with full stops and space, in italics.
open fold , open system , open water , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g.

open-fold system, open-water mires.

opencast , opencut , openpit , one word, but the open pit is the one south of the road (= pit

that is not closed).

optimise , not optimize.
ore bed , ore microscopy , ore mineral , ore shoot , two words.
orebody , one word.
organise , not organize.
organism , not organisme (Danish).
orientated and oriented are synonymous and both are acceptable; but use one or the

other of the twOForms in a manuscript. The verbs are orientate and orient .

outbreak , outdoor , outgoing , outgrowth , outline , outlook , outweigh , one word.
outcrop is a noun, e.g. the chalk outcrops are in the road cutting; do not use as verb, e.g.

the chalk outcrops in the road cutting. The verb is to crop out , i.e. chalk crops out in the
road cutting.

out-of-date , with or without hyphens, e.g. out-of-date material but the equipment is out of

date or has been outdated . Same construction as up-to-date .

over- , prefix meaning `excessively, upper, outer, extra, completely', etc., used with or with-

out hyphen, see examples below.

over all , two words, means `taken as a whole'; do not confuse with overall, see below.

G E U S

over-abundant , over-dimensional , over-elaborate , over-refine , over-represent , with

hyphen.

overall , spelt so, as adjective means `total', as adverb `in all parts, taken as whole' and as

a noun it refers to `a garment' as it does in Danish. The spelling `overal' has no mean-
ing, cf. over all .

overbank , overburden , overdevelop , overestimate , overfill , overflow , overfly , over-

grow , overhang , overland , overlap(ping) , overload , overpressure , overprint , over-
ride , overrun , overstep(ping) , overstrain , overthrust , overturn , one word.

overlie means `to lie on top of', overlain , overlay , overlying , spelt so; do not confuse with

overly , see below.

overly means `excessively' or `too', often confused with overlying , see above.
oxidise , not oxidize, but oxidizing agent is preferred usage.

P , abbr. pressure, capital, nOFull stop, in italics, e.g. PT conditions.
p. , abbr. page, plural is pp. , small letters, with full stop. In the form 83 pp. note space be-

tween 83 and pp.

p.a. , abbr. (Lat.) per annum , `for each year', small letters, full stops and no space.
pack ice , two words.
packsand , packstone , one word.
palaeo- , as prefix meaning `ancient, old', not paleo- (Amer.), seldom with hyphen, see below.
palaeobotany not paleobotany, thus palaeoclimatology , palaeocontinent , palaeoecol-

ogy , palaeoenvironment , palaeogeography , Palaeogene , palaeolatitude , palaeo-
longitude , palaeomagnetism , palaeontology , palaeopeneplain , palaeosurface , pa-
laeotopography , palaeovalley , Palaeozoic . See also under Paleocene .

palaeo-oceanography or palaeoceanography , optional spelling (note only one o in the

latter option).

palaeont. , abbr. palaeontology, palaeontological, with full stop.
Paleocene , the correct spelling of the earliest epoch of the Tertiary (see Pulvertaft 1999

and under Tertiary in this glossary). The spelling is not governed by the choice between
English and American spelling, palaeo- or paleo-, and thus it is consistent to say that the
Paleocene is the earliest part of the Palaeogene period.

para- , prefix, seldom with hyphen, see examples below.
paradox , not paradoks (Danish).
parallel , paralleled , paralleling , not parallelled, parallelling.
parallel to and parallel with , there is a slight difference in usage. One geological feature is

parallel to another while one can draw a parallel with something.

parautochthonous , paragenetic , paragneiss , paramagnetic , one word.
part-time , part-way , with hyphen.
passageway , one word.
past-climate , as adjective with hyphen, e.g. past-climate changes but the past climate

was tropical.

pct , abbr. (possibly of pseudo-Latin per centum ), `per cent', small letters, nOFull stop.
pea ore , two words.

G E U S

peacock ore , two words.
pear-shaped , with hyphen.
peat , peaty , spelt so.
pebble conglomerate , two words.
penecontemporaneous , spelt so.
peneplain , peneplanation , peneplaned , spelt so. Same construction as explain / expla-

nation .

peninsula , noun, spelt so, e.g. the Iberian Peninsula; the adjective is peninsular .
per annum , two words, cf. p.a.
per cent , two words, not percent (Amer.), cf. pct .
percentage , one word.
perfect , not perfekt (Danish).
persist , persistent , spelt so.
personal , spelt so, means `individual, private, concerned with a person', etc., not personel

(Danish); do not confuse with personnel .

personnel , spelt so, means `a body of employees, persons', etc., not personel (Danish); cf.

personal above.

PGE , abbr. platinum-group elements, capitals, nOFull stops.
PGM , abbr. platinum-group metals, capitals, nOFull stops.
Ph.D. , abbr. (Lat.) Philosophiae Doctor , `Doctor of Philosophy', a university degree, with

two capital letters and twOFull stops, no space, not italicised.

phenomenon , phenomenal , plural is phenomena .
phosphorous , adjective; the noun is phosphorus .
photo , abbr. photograph, plural is photos , small letters, nOFull stop in both cases. Always

write in full within the text but the abbreviated form can be used in captions to illustra-
tions, etc. Used in a variety of forms, with or without hyphen and in two words, see exam-
ples below.

photo- , prefix meaning `to do with light or photography', used with or without hyphen, see

examples below.

photo series , photo session , two words.
photobiology , photochemistry , photocopy , photodetector , photoelectric , photogeol-

ogy , photogrammetry , photography , photolineament , photometer , photomicro-
graph , photopattern , photosensitive , one word.

photo-interpretation , photo-montage , photo-offset , with hyphen.
phylum , plural is phyla .
pillow lava , pillow structure , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. pillow-lava

sequence.

pinch out , verb, two words; e.g. the vein pinched out; the noun is pinch-out with hyphen,

e.g. the pinch-out of the vein is located ...

pinch-and-swell , noun, with hyphens. Do not use as verb, e.g. the pegmatite pinched and

swelled.

pinpoint , one word.
pipe amygdale , pipe clay , pipe rock , two words. Not pipe amygdule (Amer.).
pipe-like , with hyphen, e.g. a pipe-like body; the intrusion is pipe-like.
pipeline , one word, like snowline , treeline , waterline , etc.
plate , platy , spelt so (note no e before y).

G E U S

plate tectonics , two words, but as adjective with hyphen and without final s, e.g. plate-

tectonic model, plate-tectonic theory. Note that plate tectonics is followed by a singular
verb, e.g. plate tectonics is a well-established concept.

plateau , the plural form plateaux is preferred to plateaus .
-plunging , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. south-plunging fold, but the south-

erly plunging lineations.

p.m. , abbr. (Lat.) post meridiem , after noon, with full stops, no space, always placed after

the time, e.g. 2 p.m.; note space between 2 and p.m.

pockmark , one word.
polarise , not polarize, but polarized light , polarizing microscope are preferred usage.
poly- , as prefix meaning `many, much', never with hyphen, see examples below.
polycrystalline , polycyclic , polydemic , polydiapirism , polygamous , polygenetic , poly-

gonal , polykinematic , polymorph , polysynthetic , polythalamonous , one word.

polymerisation , not polymerization.
polymict or polymictic , optional spelling, e.g. polymictic breccia.
pore water , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. pore-water pressure.
post- , prefix meaning `after in time or order', used with or without hyphen, see examples

below.

post-date , post-eruption , post-Innuitian , post-Mesozoic , post-tectonic , post-tension ,

post-thrust , with hyphen, also when modifying another hyphenated prefix, e.g. post-mid-
Cretaceous .

postdepositional , postdoctoral , postglacial , postgraduate , posthumous , postkine-

matic , postoperative , postorogenic , postscript , one word.

pp ., see under p.
ppb , abbr. parts per billion (10

), small letters, nOFull stops, no spaces, always placed after

the amount, e.g. 200 ppb copper; note space between 200 and ppb.

ppm , abbr. parts per million (10

), small letters, nOFull stops, no spaces, always placed

after the amount, e.g. 5 ppm gold; note space between 5 and ppm.

practise , verb, not practice (Amer.); the noun is practice .
pre- , prefix meaning `before in time, place and order', used with or without hyphen, see

examples below.

pre-anomaly , pre-arrange , pre-cool , pre-date , pre-drift , pre-exist , pre-flight , pre-heat ,

pre-ignition , pre-organism , pre-process , pre-production , with hyphen.

Precambrian , preconceived , precondition , predefine , predeposition , predict , pregla-

cial , prehistoric , prekinematic , premillennial , prerequisite , one word.

precede means `to come before', do not confuse with proceed , see below.
prefer , preferred , preferring , spelt so.
premise , never with z.
present , adjective, verb and noun; the adverb is presently .
present-day , as adjective with hyphen, e.g. present-day theories, but the theories of the

present day ; like modern-day .

primitive , not primitiv (Danish).
principal , spelt so, means `first in order of importance, main, leader, etc.'; do not confuse

with principle .

principle , spelt so, means `truth or law, code of conduct, fundamental source, etc.'; not

principiel (Danish); cf. principal .

print-out , noun, with hyphen; verb is to print out .

G E U S

prise means `tOForce open or move, remove', never with z; do not confuse with price and

prize . All three words exist as nouns and verbs and have different meanings.

prism , not prisme (Danish).
pro- , prefix, never with hyphen, see examples below.
prOForma , two words, never initial capitals, nOFull stops.
proceed means `to continue' or `to move forward'; do not confuse with precede , see

above.

process , verb and noun, spelt so.
prodelta , proglacial , prograde , progression , proscribe , one word.
product , production , not produkt, produktion (Danish).
professional , not professionel (Danish).
program means `a series of coded instructions in operation of a computer', not pro-

gramme , see below. The spelling program is now generally used in computer terminol-
ogy.

programme means `a printed list, plan of events, series of studies' etc., not program (Dan-

ish/Amer./Australian) except in computing program , see above.

progress is singular and plural. Do not add -s, i.e. progresses. Little progress (få frem-

skridt), much progress (mange fremskridt).

project , projection , not projekt, projektion (Danish).
propellant , noun, spelt so, means `a thing or substance that causes something to move or

be driven forwards or outwards'; the adjective is spelt propellent or propellant .

propeller is `a mechanical device for propelling a boat or aircraft', not propellor (Amer.).
prove , verb, past tense proved , past participle proved , not proven (primarily Amer.). How-

ever, when used as an adjective before a noun, proven is the more common form, e.g. a
proven fact, a proven talent.

provenance , noun meaning `the place where something originally came from'; do not con-

fuse with providence which has a different meaning.

P T , abbr. pressuretemperature, capitals, nOFull stops, dash not hyphen, in italics, e.g. PT

conditions.

publication , not publikation (Danish).
pull-apart , with hyphen, e.g. pull-apart basin, but this is at times shortened to simply pull-

apart.

Quark Xpress , name of desk-top publishing programme, spelt so.
quarry , plural is quarries .
quartz andesite , quartz diorite , quartz gabbro , two words.
quartz lens , quartz pebble , quartz vein , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g.

quartz-lens layer, quartz-pebble conglomerate, quartz-vein system.

quartz-bearing , with hyphen, e.g. the quartz-bearing vein; the vein is quartz-bearing.
quartzofeldspathic , one word.
quartz-phyric , with hyphen.
quasi- , prefix meaning `seemingly, apparently but not really' and `being partly or almost',

with hyphen, see examples below.

G E U S

quasi-crystalline , quasi-equilibrium , quasi-scientific , with hyphen.
Quaternary , the upper system of the Cenozoic Erathem, spelt so, always with initial capi-

tal. Do not confuse with the Danish equivalent `Kvartær' that has an r, and the English
word quarter / quarterly . The spelling `Quarternary' has no meaning.

question mark = ? , two words. The question mark (?) is placed immediately after the

question posed without a full stop. When used to express doubt the question mark should
be placed before the item in question, e.g. ?kimberlite, ?gold, ?saltwater. ?Ordovician
Silurian means that the age range is in doubt while in the form Ordovician?Silurian, the
doubt concerns the Silurian. If doubt is to be placed on the first part of a compound term,
reverse the position, i.e. Ordovician?Silurian. Note the use of the dash (en rule / kort
tankestreg) substituting the word `to' in the geological time range OrdovicianSilurian.

Note also that questions in reported speech are not followed by a question mark, e.g.

The student asked the professor whether the species ranged from the Ordovician to the
Silurian. (Full stop, not question mark.)

quicksand , one word.

radioactive , radiocarbon , radioelement , radiogenic , radiometric , one word.
radius , plural is radii .
rain gauge , rain forest , two words.
raindrop , rainfall , rainwash , rainwater , one word.
raise , verb, `to move something to a higher position', `to lift up' etc. Example: The formation

is raised herein to group status. Do not confuse with rise . Note that the noun raise is
primarily American.

rare earth , rare gas , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. rare-earth element,

see REE .

Råstofdirektoratet (Grønlands Hjemmestyre, Nuuk), English name is Bureau of Minerals

and Petroleum. Abbr. BMP, see above. Greenlandic name is Aatsitassanut Ikummatissa-
nulla Pisortaqarfik.

ratio , plural is ratios .
rational , not rationel (Danish).
raw material , two words.
re- , prefix meaning `once more, return to previous state', attachable to almost any verb or

its derivative, used with or without hyphen, see examples under readapt and re-drill . In
some cases the inclusion of a hyphen is critical for the meaning of the word, e.g. re-
collect , re-cover , re-form , re-fund , re-fuse , re-sign , re-soluble , re-sort , re-strain , re-
treat ; for explanation see under these words.

reaction , not reaktion (Danish).
readapt , readvance , reaffirm , reallocate , reanalyse , reappraise , rearrange , reassemble ,

reassign , reconnect , reconstruct , recrystallise , redesign , redetermine , rejuvenate ,
remap , remeasure , reorganise , reorient , reorientate, repack , reprocess , reproduce ,
resample , resedimented , reselect , resurvey , reuse , revisit , rework , rewrite , one word.

realise , realisable , not realize, realizable.
recede , spelt so.

G E U S

recognise , recognisable , not recognize, recognizable.
re-collect means `to collect again'; do not confuse with recollect that means `to remember,

call to mind'.

recommendation , spelt so (note double m).
reconnaissance , spelt so (note double n and double s).
reconnoitre , not reconnoiter (Amer.).
re-cover means `to cover again or provide with a new cover'; do not confuse with recover

that has several meanings, e.g. `to regain possession, use or control of,' `to return to
health, obtain or secure' etc.

recover , recovery , recoverable , spelt so.
redbed , one word; do not confuse with a red-coloured bed.
red-brown , with hyphen (see under colour ).
reddish brown , two words (see under colour ).
re-drill , re-edit , re-educate , re-elect , re-emphasise , re-entrant , re-equilibration , re-

equip , re-erect , re-establish , re-evaluate , re-examine , re-release , with hyphen, see
under re- for examples in which the hyphen is vital for correct meaning.

REE , abbr. rare-earth elements, capitals, nOFull stops.
refer , referred , referring , but referable .
refold , one word, e.g. refolding took place, a refolded fold.
re-form means `tOForm again'; do not confuse with reform that has several meanings, e.g.

`to make or become better', `abolish or cure, correct, convert' etc.

refraction , not refraktion (Danish).
refuel , refuelled , refuelling , spelt so.
re-fund means `tOFund again'; do not confuse with refund that means `to pay back or re-

imburse'.

re-fuse means `tOFuse again'; do not confuse with refuse that means `indicate unwilling-

ness, not grant, withhold acceptance of or consent to'.

relevance , relevant ( to , not for), spelt so.
relic and relict , as nouns the usage varies in different disciplines of the earth sciences, see

Glossary of geology (Neuendorf et al. 2005); as adjective spelt relict .

remote control , remote sensing , two words.
resemble means `have a similarity to', `the same appearance as', `features in common

with'; note that resemblance is used to show resemblance to , not resemblance with.

reserve , noun, do not confuse with resource . A mineral reserve is that part of a resource

which can be mined legally at pre-determined and accepted economic conditions. A pre-
requisite is a feasibility study. In short, a reserve is `what will come out of the ground' not
`what is in the ground' (resource).

re-sign means `to sign again'; do not confuse with resign that has two meanings: `to give

up or leave voluntarily' and `to accept that something cannot be avoided'.

resist , resistance , resistant , spelt so.
resistivity , spelt so.
re-soluble means `that can be dissolved again'; do not confuse with resoluble that means

`that can be resolved or is analysable'.

re-sort means `to sort again'; do not confuse with resort that has several meanings, e.g. `to

frequent or go often to', `to turn to', etc.

resource , not ressource (Danish); do not confuse with reserve . A mineral resource is a

natural substance in such a quantity and at such a grade or quality that economic extrac-

G E U S

tion is currently or potentially feasible. In short, a resource is `what is in the ground', and
not necessarily `what will come out of the ground' (reserve).

re-strain means `to strain again'; do not confuse with restrain that has several meanings,

e.g. `to prevent', `to control', `to repress', `to keep in check', etc.

résumé (French), with accents; note that the verb to resume has another meaning.
re-treat means `to treat again'; do not confuse with retreat that means `to go back, move

back, retire, relinquish position'.

revise , never with z.
-rich , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. fossil-rich bed, ilmenite-rich rock, volatile-

rich coal.

rift has several meanings (see Neuendorf et al. 2005); with hyphen when modified by pre-

fix, e.g. post-rift , pre-rift , syn-rift .

rift fault , rift valley , rift zone , two words.
right-lateral , with hyphen, e.g. right-lateral (dextral) slip fault.
rigour , not rigor (Amer.) but rigorous .
ripple mark , two words.
rip-up , adjective, e.g. rip-up clasts; the verb is to rip up .
ring dyke , ring fault , ring mark , ring structure , two words.
ring-shaped , with hyphen.
rise , noun and verb, `moving or travelling upwards', 'to get up from a lying, sitting or kneel-

ing position', etc. The verb is inflected rise , rose , risen . Example: The feldspar crystals
rose upwards through the magma. Do not confuse with raise .

river bar , river bottom , river ice , river system , river terrace , river valley , two words.
riverbank , riverbed , riverhead , rivershed , riverside , riverwash , one word, cf. lakebed ,

seabed .

road map , road metal , two words.
road-cut , road-cutting , with hyphen, e.g. the type locality is the road-cut 3.5 km east of ...

See also cutting .

roadside , roadway , roadwork , one word, e.g. the rocks crop out by the roadside.
roche moutonnée (French) with accent, not italicised.
rock flour , rock glacier , rock platform , rock pool , rock salt , rock type , rock unit , two

words.

rockburst , rockfall , rockfill , rockslide , one word.
roentgen , unit of measure, spelt so although named after the German physicist Wilhelm

Conrad Röntgen; roentgenography , roentgenology .

roe-stone , meaning oolite , with hyphen.
rose-coloured , rose-tinted , with hyphen (see under colour ).
runoff , noun, one word; the verb is to run off .
R/V , abbr. research vessel, capitals, nOFull stops, not italicised, e.g. R/V Dana (note that

the name of the vessel is italicised).

S , abbr. south, never lower case s, nOFull stop; see also under south-east and north

south and note the use of hyphen and dash.

S folds , two words, like Z folds .

G E U S

salt lake , salt marsh , salt tectonics , two words.
saltwater , one word.
sand dune , sand flat , sand flow , sand pipe , sand plain , sand sheet , sand spit , two

words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. sand-dune complex.

sandbank , sandbar , sandblast , sandhill , sandpit , sandstone , sandstorm , one word.
sand-laden , with hyphen, e.g. the sand-laden stream; the stream is sand-laden.
-scale , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. crustal-scale , large-scale , small-scale .
scenario , plural is scenarios .
sea bottom , sea cliff , sea floor , sea ice , sea level , sea mud , sea plain , two words, but

as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. sea-floor spreading, sea-ice barrier, sea-level changes,
sea-mud sequence.

seabed , seacoast , seamount , seaplane , seashore , seawater , one word.
seaward-dipping , seaward-inclined , with hyphen, e.g. the seaward-dipping reflectors; the

reflectors are seaward-dipping.

second-degree , second-generation , second-growth , second-hand , second-rate , as

adjectives with hyphen, e.g. second-hand equipment, but the second generation of
computers were much faster.

section , sector , not sektion, sektor (Danish).
SEDEX , abbr. sedimentary-exhalative mineralisation, capitals, nOFull stops; note the hy-

phen, not dash, joining sedimentary and exhalative.

self-evident , self-explanatory , self-financed , self-generating , self-imposed , self-

induced , with hyphen.

SEM , abbr. scanning electron microscopy, capitals, nOFull stops.
semi- , prefix meaning `half' used with or without hyphen, see examples below.
semianthracite , semiaquatic , semiarid , semicircular , semiconductor , semipelite , one

word.

semi-continuous , semi-fluid , semi-independent , semi-nunatak , semi-official , semi-

opaque , semi-permanent , semi-plastic , semi-precious , semi-rigid , semi-synthetic ,
with hyphen.

sense , senses , spelt so; the spelling `sence' has no meaning.
sensu (Lat.) `in the sense of', nOFull stop, in italics.
sensu lato (Lat.) `in a broad sense', nOFull stops, in italics, do not abbreviate.
sensu stricto (Lat.) `in the restricted sense', nOFull stops, in italics, do not abbreviate.
separate , spelt so; `seperate' has no meaning.
September , as all calendar months, with initial capital; abbr. Sept. , with full stop, not `Sep.'.
sequence , sequential , spelt so.
series , spelt so, both singular and plural (same as species ).
sever means `to divide, break or make separate'; do not confuse with serve or severe .
several means `more than two but not many' (= a few). Therefore, used in any context of

listing, e.g. there are several reasons for this, the list given must contain at least three
reasons.

severe , adjective, spelt so, means `rigorous, strict, serious, critical'; adverb: severely ;

noun: severity .

shale , shaly , spelt so (note no e before y).
shale oil , two words.
shallow-dipping , with hyphen, e.g. the shallow-dipping strata; the strata are shallow-

dipping.

G E U S

-shaped , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. cigar-shaped , dome-shaped , trough-

shaped .

shear zone , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. shear-zone tectonics.
sheet-like , with hyphen, e.g. sheet-like geometry.
shelf-to-trough , with hyphens, e.g. shelf-to-trough transition; note the alternative form

shelftrough transition, with dash (en rule / kort tankestreg).

shore ice , two words, like lake ice , sea ice , but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. shore-ice

compaction.

shoreface , shoreline , one word.
shore-fast , with hyphen, e.g. shore-fast ice.
short-lived , with hyphen, e.g. short-lived species.
shortwave , one word, like longwave .
SHRIMP , abbr. Sensitive High-Resolution Ion Microprobe, capitals, nOFull stops.
sideroad , sidestep , sidewall , sidewards , sideways , one word.
side-scan , with hyphen, e.g. side-scan sonar.
side-valley , with hyphen, means `a secondary valley to a main valley'; do not confuse with

side of valley or valleyside .

signal , signalled , signalling , not signaled, signaling (Amer.).
siliceous , spelt so.
silt , silty , spelt so.
silver , silvery , spelt so (note no e before y).
silver-grey , with hyphen (see under colour ).
silvery grey , two words (see under colour ).
size , sizeable or sizable , optional spelling.
Sjælland , use this Danish name not the English translation Zealand .
sketch map , two words.
ski , skiing , skidoo , spelt so.
skill , skilled , but skilful , not skillfull (Amer.).
Skov- og Naturstyrelsen (Copenhagen), English name is Danish Forest and Nature

Agency. Note the hyphen (-) and the `og' after Skov; cf. Forskningscentret for Skov &
Landskab that has an ampersand.

slack-water , with hyphen, e.g. slack-water periods.
slate , slaty , spelt so (note no e before y).
smoke , smoky , spelt so (note no e before y).
SNF , abbr. Statens Naturvidenskabelige Forskningsråd, capitals, nOFull stops; see under

the full name.

snow cover , snow sampler , snow survey , two words.
snowbank , snowdrift , snowfall , snowfield , snowflake , snowline , snowmelt , snowmo-

bile , one word.

so-called , adjective with hyphen, e.g. opinion differed about the origin of the so-called

gabbro.

soft coal , soft copy , soft focus , soft ground , soft mineral , soft ore , soft shore , soft

tissue , soft water , two words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. soft-coal sequence,
soft-rock geology.

software , softwood , one word.
solid state , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. solid-state microelectronics.
solifluction , preferred spelling is with c, not solifluxtion.

G E U S

somehow , something , somewhat , somewhere , one word.
sometime , sometimes , adverbs, one word, e.g. sometime during the Jurassic but it took

some time to map the granite.

someway , adverb, one word, but the rocks crop out some way from the church.
south-east , south-south-east , south-south-west , south-west , with hyphens, i.e. not

southeast, south-southeast, etc.; abbr. SE , SSE , SSW , SW , capitals, nOFull stops.

southern , southerly , spelt so; `southernly' is incorrect.
sp. nov. , abbr. (Lat.) species novum , `new species', with full stops and space, not italicised;

used in palaeontology; see also the alternative n. sp.

specialise , not specialize.
species , spelt so, both in the singular and plural (same as series ).
spectrum , not spektrum (Danish).
spillway , one word.
spindle-like , spindle-shaped , with hyphen.
spine , spineless , spinulose , spiny , spelt so (note no e before y).
spin-off , noun, with hyphen, meaning `a side benefit', e.g. the spin-off of the research pro-

ject was ...; the verb is to spin off meaning `to throw off by centrifugal force'.

Spitsbergen , the largest island in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard ; never use the

name Spitsbergen for the entire archipelago.

S-plunging , with capital and hyphen, e.g. S-plunging folds.
SPOT , abbr. Système Probatoire de l'Observation de la Terre, name of satellite used for

satellite imagery, capitals, nOFull stops.

sq. cm , sq. km , sq. m , abbr. square centimetre, square kilometre, square metre, small

letters, with full stop after sq. only and with space, not italicised. cm

, km

, m

can also

be used.

square centimetre , square kilometre , square measure , square metre , square number ,

square root , two words.

SSMS , abbr. spark source mass spectrometry, capitals, nOFull stops.
s-surface , with hyphen.
St , abbr. Saint or Street, initial capital, nOFull stop, e.g. St George, St Petersburg, Fleet St;

do not abbreviate in authorised/formalised names, e.g. Saint Andrew Bugt.

stabiliser , not stabilizer or stabilisator (Danish).
Statens Naturvidenskabelige Forskningsråd (Copenhagen), English name is Danish

Natural Science Research Council. Do not confuse with the Danish National Research
Foundation, see above.

step-like , with hyphen, e.g. step-like sheet.
stepwise , one word.
stillstand , stillwater , one word.
stone , stoneless , stony , spelt so (note no e before y).
stonewall , stonework , stoneworker , one word.
stony ground , two words, like coral ground .
Storebælt , use this Danish name not the English translation Great Belt .
straight angle (180°), straight chain , two words.
straight-cut , straight-edge , with hyphen.
straightforward , one word.
strandflat , strandline , strandplain , one word.
stratabound , one word.

G E U S

stratiform , spelt so.
stratosphere , stratovolcano , spelt so.
stratum , plural is strata which is often used incorrectly as the singular form.
strike-slip , with hyphen, e.g. strike-slip displacement, strike-slip fault, strike-slip move-

ments.

-striking , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. a west-striking belt, but a westerly

striking belt. In some geographic directions used in combination with dash (en rule / kort
tankestreg), e.g. the NS-striking rocks.

strip , stripped , spelt so, e.g. the outcrop is stripped of vegetation, see stripe .
stripe , striped , spelt so, e.g. the outcrop is striped in grey and black; avoid confusion with

stripped .

sub- , prefix meaning `to or from a lower level or position', seldom with hyphen, see exam-

ples below.

subaerial , subalpine , subangular , subaquatic , subaqueous , subarctic , subarea , sub-

crop , subdivide , subduction , subfabric , subfacies , subfamily , subfossil , subgroup ,
subhorizontal , sublevel , sublittoral , submarine , submerged , subophitic , suborder ,
subordinate , subparallel , subprovince , subsection , subsoil , subspecies , subsurface ,
subtidal , subunit , one word.

sub-basalt (strata), sub-basin , sub-bituminous , sub-Boreal , sub-bottom , sub-stan-

dard , sub-zero , with hyphen.

subcrop , not synonymous with `subsurface' or `poorly exposed surface outrop'. Refers to a

defined area in which a rock unit occurs directly beneath an unconformity.

substantial , not substantiel (Danish).
succeed , spelt so.
sulphide , sulphur , not sulfide, sulfur (Amer.).
summarise , not summarize.
super- , prefix meaning `above, beyond or over in place or time or conceptually', `to a great

or extreme degree', `extra good or large', and `of a higher kind', never with hyphen, see
examples below.

superabundant , superaqueous , supercharge , superclass , superconductor , super-

continent , supercool , supereminent , superfamily , supergroup , superimpose , su-
perincumbent , supernormal , superorder , supersaturate , supersede , superstruc-
ture , supervise , one word.

superficial means `of or on the surface of anything, lacking depth', `swift or cursory', `ap-

parent but not real', `trivial'. The word thus has a wider meaning than surficial that refers
to (the) Earth's surface. One can say that: the superficial deposits were only superficially
studied, but it is much better to say: the surficial deposits were only superficially studied.
See under surficial .

supersede , spelt so.
supervise , never with z.
supra- , prefix meaning `above, beyond, transcending', never with hyphen, see examples

below.

supracrustal , suprafluvial , supranational , supraordital , supratidal , one word.
surficial means `of or related to (the) Earth's surface'; in the context of surface deposits, it

has the same meaning as superficial , i.e. surficial or superficial sediments. But avoid in-
correct use, e.g. the study of the superficial deposits was surficial. See under superficial .

surmise , never with z.

G E U S

surprise , never with z.
Svalbard , group of islands in the North Atlantic; not synonymous with Spitsbergen .
symposium , plural is symposia .
syn- , prefix meaning `with, together, alike', never with hyphen, see examples below.
synchronous , synkinematic , synmetamorphic , synonymous , synorogenic , synsedi-

mentary , syntectonic , synthesis , syntype , one word.

synthesise , not synthesize.

T , abbr. temperature, capital, nOFull stop, in italics, e.g. P  T conditions.
table diamond , table mountain , table reef , two words.
tableland , one word.
tantalum , not tantalium (Danish).
technical , technician , technique , spelt so.
Technical University of Denmark , English name for Danmarks Tekniske Universitet

(Lyngby).

tectono-magmatic , tectono-metamorphic , tectono-stratigraphic , with hyphen.
TEM , abbr. transmission electron microscopy, capitals, nOFull stops.
tent camp , two words.
terrain , geomorphological or physiographical term to describe a region characterised by

distinctive landscape features, cf. terrane .

terrane , tectonic term to describe a fault-bounded body of rock of regional extent, charac-

terised by a geological history different from that of contiguous terranes. Often confused
with terrain .

Tertiary , spelt so, always initial capital. Note that the use of Tertiary in Survey publications

is being phased out, and the internationally recognised periods Palaeogene and Neo-
gene should be used (see Dawes & Glendal 1998, p. 45).

testhole , one word.
thank you , two words, but as a noun and adjective with hyphen, e.g. the author forwarded

a sincere thank-you to all who had supported her, a thank-you letter. Avoid using
thankfully in Acknowledgements since as well as meaning `in a thankful manner' it also
means `fortunately'.

thesis , plural is theses .
thick-bedded , with hyphen, e.g. the thick-bedded strata; the strata are thick-bedded.
thick-skinned , thin-skinned , with hyphen, e.g. thin-skinned tectonics.
thin section , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. a thin-section study.
thin-bedded , with hyphen, e.g. the thin-bedded member; the member is thin-bedded.
three-dimensional can be abbreviated to 3-D , with capital, nOFull stop, e.g. 3-D dunes.
threefold , one word, like twofold , fivefold .
three-phase , three-piece , three-quarter , three-way , with hyphen.
throw away , verb; the noun is throwaway , one word.
thrust block , thrust fault , thrust plane , thrust sheet , thrust slice , thrust zone , two

words, but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. thrust-fault system, thrust-zone breccias.

tide gauge , tide range , two words.

G E U S

tideland , tidemark , tidepool , tidewater , tideway , one word.
tie-in , tie-line , with hyphen.
-tilted , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. the north-tilted block, but the northerly

tilted block.

time frame , time span , two words.
timescale , one word.
today , tomorrow , tonight , one word.
ton is a weight of 20 cwt = 2240 lb (UK, long ton) or 2000 lb (US, short ton).
tonnage is weight in tons (any type).
tonne is a metric ton = 1000 kg or 2204.6 lb.
top-down-to-the-south , with hyphens, e.g. a fault with top-down-to-the-south sense of

displacement.

topset , one word, like bottomset, foreset.
topsoil , one word.
top-to-the-north , top-to-the-WSW , with hyphens, e.g. top-to-the-north displacement.
total , totalled , totalling , not totaled, totaling (Amer.).
traceable , spelt so.
transmit , transmitted , transmitting , spelt so.
transport is preferred to transportation which is primarily Amer.
travel , travelled , travelling , traveller , not traveled, traveling, traveler (Amer.).
travel time , two words, but as adjective with hyphen, e.g. travel-time curve.
treeline , one word, like pipeline , snowline , waterline .
tremolite-phlogopite-diopside- ( calcite ) vein , no hyphen before vein, brackets indicate

minor mineral.

-trending , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. the north-trending outcrops, but the

northerly trending outcrops. In some geographic orientations used in combination with
dash (en rule / kort tankestreg), e.g. NS-trending basic dykes.

tri- , prefix meaning `three or having three', like bi- seldom with hyphen, see examples below.
trialogue , triangular , tribasic , tricolour , triennium , tripartite , triploblastic , one word.
troy or troy weight , a system of weights used for precious metals and gems; 12 oz troy = 1

lb, 1 oz troy = 31.10 g.

true , trueness , truly , spelt so, see truly below.
true horizon , two words.
true north , two words, means `north according to (the) Earth's axis'; contrasts with mag-

netic north.

truly , spelt so, has several meanings, `sincerely, genuinely', `really, indeed', `faithfully, loy-

ally', `accurately, truthfully' and `rightly, properly'.

two-dimensional can be abbreviated to 2-D , with capital, nOFull stop, e.g. 2-D dunes.
two-edged , two-handed , two-man , two-phase , two-piece , two-sided , two-way , with

hyphen, e.g. two-man teams, two-phase system, two-dimensional section, two-way time.

twofold , one word, like threefold , fivefold .
-type , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. vein-type mineralisation.
tyre (of a wheel), not tire (Amer.).

G E U S

ubiquitous , spelt so.
UK , abbr. United Kingdom, capitals, nOFull stops. UK consists of four countries: England,

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England is not a synonym; see under that name.

ultra- , prefix meaning `beyond, on the other side of, extremely, excessively', seldom used

with hyphen, see examples below.

ultrabasic , one word, used in igneous petrology sensu stricto for a rock with less than 45%

Si0

; not a synonym of ultramafic . In system with acid/acidic , basic , intermediate .

ultra-high frequency , with hyphen.
ultralight , ultramarine , ultramicroscopic , ultrashort , ultrasonic , ultrasound , one word.
ultramafic , one word, used to describe a rock in which mafic minerals total more than 90%

in modal mineralogy (volumetric); also used simply to denote an igneous rock composed
chiefly of mafic minerals. It is not a synonym of ultrabasic .

ultraviolet , one word, see also UV .
un- , prefix meaning `not' or `the reverse', rarely with hyphen, see examples below.
unaltered , unanalysed , unauthorised , unavailable , unbalanced , unbiased , unbroken ,

uncertain , unchanged , uncoloured , unconstrained , uncontaminated , uncontrolled ,
uninterrupted , unmarked , unmixed , unnamed , unnatural , unparalleled , unresolved ,
unscientific , one word.

un-American , un-Scandinavian , with hyphen.
under- , prefix meaning `below, beneath, lower in status, subordinate, incomplete, insuffi-

cient', see examples below.

undercurrent , undercut , underestimate , underexpose , underflow , underground , un-

dergrowth , underlie , underline , undermanned , undermine , undersoil , underwater ,
one word.

under-explored , under-prepared , under-report , under-represent , under-resourced ,

with hyphen.

unique is an absolute concept, `only one, unequalled, having no like', therefore it cannot be

compared, and such terms as `rather unique' and `somewhat unique' are meaningless.
Adverbs such as absolute, most and quite are often used incorrectly as qualifications of
unique.

University of Aarhus , spelt so, an official name, not University of Århus, Aarhus University

or Århus University; see also under Aalborg University .

up-dip , up-section , up-slope , up-valley , with hyphen.
update , updoming , upend , uphold , upgrade , upgrowth , upland , uplift , uprate , upright ,

upriver , upstream , upthrust , upward ( s ), upwarp , upwell , one word.

uppermos t, one word, avoid `upmost'.
up-to-date , with or without hyphens, e.g. up-to-date analysis, but surely the report is up to

date or has been updated . Same construction as out-of-date .

upward(s)-coarsening , upward(s)-fining , see under coarsening-upward , fining-upward .
USA or US , abbr. United States of America, capitals, nOFull stops.
use , useable or usable , optional spelling.
U-shaped , always with capital and hyphen.
UTM , abbr. Universal Transverse Mercator projection, capitals, nOFull stops.
UV , abbr. ultraviolet, capitals, nOFull stops.

G E U S

vacuum , not vakuum (Danish).
valley , plural is valleys .
valley floor , valley glacier , valley head , valley system , valley wind , two words.
valley-fill , with hyphen like basin-fill , e.g. the valley-fill is 200 m thick.
valleyside , one word, like lakeside , riverside , waterside , means the side of the valley; do

not confuse with side-valley that has another meaning.

Vandrammedirektiv , English name is Water Framework Directive.
vaporise , not vaporize .
vapour , not vapor (Amer.).
varicoloured , variform , variegated , one word.
V-bar , with capital and hyphen.
vein-lode , vein-quartz , vein-rock , vein-type , with hyphen.
vein swarm , vein system , vein zone , two words.
-verging , as combined adjective with hyphen, e.g. a west-verging fold, but a westerly

verging fold.

vertebra , plural is vertebrae .
via (Lat.) way, road, meaning `by way of or through', nOFull stop, not italicised.
vigour , not vigor (Amer.) but vigorous .
visual , not visuel (Danish).
visualise , not visualize (Amer.).
viz. , abbr. (Lat.) videlicet , `namely', with full stop, not italicised.
vol. , abbr. volume, small letters, full stop. In the form vol.% note that there is no space

between vol. and %.

volatile-rich , with hyphen.
volcanic , volcanicity , volcaniclastic , volcanism , spelt so; do not use the variant vul-

canic, vulcanism, etc.

volcano , plural is volcanoes not volcanos; `vulcano' is incorrect, see vulcanology below.
volcanogenic , volcanology , spelt so.
volcano-tectonic , with hyphen.
vs. , abbr. (Lat.) versus , `against', with full stop, not italicised.
V-shaped , always with capital and hyphen.
vug , vuggy , spelt so.
vulcanology , volcanology , optional spelling, but `vulcano' is incorrect.

W , abbr. west, never lower case w, nOFull stop; see also under west-north-west and east

west and note the use of hyphen and dash.

wallchart , wallrock , one word.
water balance , water escape , water mass , water mound , water power , water rate , wa-

ter supply , water survey , water system , water treatment , two words, but as adjectives
with hyphen, e.g. water-escape structures, water-mound aquifer.

Water Framework Directive , English name for Vandrammedirektiv.

G E U S

watercourse , waterfall , waterlevel , waterline , waterpipe , waterside , watertable , wa-

terway , waterwell , one word.

water-repellant , water-resistant , water-vascular , with hyphen.
watershed , one word, means a drainage divide, i.e. a `water parting' or the line, ridge or

summit of high ground separating two drainage basins. However, in American usage the
word means a drainage basin or region drained by a watercourse. To avoid ambiguity the
term `watershed line' can be used.

wave erosion , wave spectrum , two words.
wave-cut platform , wave-ripple data , with hyphen.
wavefront , wavelength , wavemark , one word.
way-up , with hyphen, e.g. normal way-up sequence, except in the sense of the best way

up the mountain.

website , one word.
wedge-shaped , with hyphen, but the fault block has the shape of a wedge.
well means `better, best', as adjective with hyphen, e.g. well-defined boundary, well-

developed spines, well-equipped laboratory, well-established standards, well-known
section, well-preserved fossils, well-rounded pebbles, well-sorted texture, but when
used as adverb, without hyphen, e.g. the fossils are well preserved , the locality is well
known .

well , a completed borehole producing water or hydrocarbons. The hole may also be `dry',

i.e. not producing hydrocarbons (although containing water).

well data , well head , well location , well log , well name , well site , well spud , two words,

but as adjectives with hyphen, e.g. well-site services.

western , westerly , spelt so; `westernly' is incorrect.
west-north-west , west-south-west , with hyphens; abbr. WNW , WSW , capitals, nOFull

stops.

whatever , one word when modifying a noun, e.g. whatever material is available ...
whichever , always one word, e.g. whichever gives the best results.
whole-rock , adjective with hyphen, e.g. whole-rock analysis, but the whole rock was ana-

lysed.

wide-angle , wide-ranging , with hyphen.
widespread , one word.
wind abrasion , wind erosion , wind gap , wind gauge , wind load , two words.
windbreak , windward , one word, like landward , seaward .
wind-driven , wind-scoured , wind-shaped , with hyphen, e.g. wind-driven currents.
wire-line , with hyphen, e.g. wire-line drilling rig.
work area , work programme , two words.
workforce , workplace , workshop , workstation , one word.
world-class , world-famous , with hyphen.
worldwide , one word.
worthwhile , one word.
wt (not wt., primarily Amer.), abbr. weight, small letters, nOFull stop. In the form wt% note

that there is no space between wt and %.

www , abbr. World Wide Web, small letters, nOFull stops.

G E U S

Xerox (noun) / xerox (verb), this is a trademark and not recommended, use photocopy

instead.

X-ray , with initial capital and hyphen.
XRD , abbr. X-ray powder diffraction, capitals, nOFull stops.
XRF , abbr. X-ray fluorescence analysis, capitals, nOFull stops.
xylan is a plant carbohydrate.
xylem is plant tissue, the adjective is spelt xylary .

yellow-brown , yellow-orange , with hyphen, e.g. yellow-brown dolomites (see under col-

our ).

yellowish brown , two words (see under colour ).
young , verb, as applied to rock successions means `to become younger in age', cf. young-

ing-downwards .

young ice , young plain , young river , young valley , two words.
younging-downwards , younging-upwards , with hyphen; younging-downwards means

the succession is inverted, cf. young .

Y-shaped , always with capital and hyphen.

Z folds , two words, like S folds .
Zealand , do not use this English translation of the Danish name Sjælland .
zero curtain , zero energy , zero length , zero meridian , zero offset , zero time , but as

adjectives with hyphen, e.g. zero-energy coast, zero-offset section.

Zig-Zag Dal Basalt Formation , formal name, spelt so (i.e. with a hyphen in Zig-Zag).
zigzag , one word, e.g. zigzag folds.
zinc blende , two words, preferably use sphalerite .
Zinc-Zap , trade name of an identification (test) liquid, spelt so.
zone axis , zone fossils , zone symbol , two words.
zool. , abbr. zoological, zoology, small letters, with full stop.
zooplankton , one word.

G E U S

References

Allaby, A. & Allaby, M. (eds) 1999: A dictionary of earth sciences, 640 pp. Oxford: Oxford

University Press (a revised edition of The concise Oxford dictionary of earth sciences,
1991).

Dawes, P.R. & Glendal, E.W. 1998: Publishing in the scientific series of the Geological

Survey of Denmark and Greenland: a handbook for authors and editors. Danmarks og
Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport 1998/71 , 78 pp.

Dawes, P.R., Glendal, E.W. & Eriksen, B. 2001: An English glossary for GEUS publica-

tions: spelling and usage of troublesome words made easy. Danmarks og Grønlands
Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport 2001/98 , 55 pp.

Fowler, H.W. 1998: The new Fowler's modern English usage, 3rd edition, 873 pp. Oxford:

Clarendon Press (Fowler's original text revised by E. Gowers 1965 and R.W. Burchfield
1998).

Houmark-Nielsen, M. 1987: Pleistocene stratigraphy and glacial history of the central part

of Denmark. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark 36 (12), 189 pp.

Neuendorf, K.K.E., Mehl Jr., J.P. & Jackson, J.A. (eds) 2005: Glossary of geology, 5th edi-

tion, 779 pp. Alexandria, Virginia: American Geological Institute.

Pearsall, J. (ed.) 1998: The new Oxford dictionary of English, 2152 pp. Oxford: Clarendon

Press.

Pulvertaft, T.C.R. 1999: "Paleocene" or "Palaeocene". Bulletin of the Geological Society of

Denmark 46 (1), 52 only.

Rasmussen, J. & Noe-Nygaard, A. 1970: Geology of the Faeroe Islands (Pre-Quaternary).

Danmarks Geologiske Undersøgelse 1. Række 25 , 142 pp. + 1 map.

Rasmussen, J. & Noe-Nygaard, A. 1990: The origin of the Faeroe Islands in text, pictures

and on maps, 64 pp. + 6 map sheets at 1:50 000. Copenhagen: Geological Survey of
Denmark (also text in Faroese and Danish).

Sønderholm, M., Dawes, P.R. & Glendal, E.W. 1998: A standard bibliographic style for

GEUS' publications: a guide for authors and editors, 2nd edition. Danmarks og
Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport 1998/53 , 52 pp.

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A glossary for GEUS publications: spelling and usage of troublesome words and names made easy. 4th edition

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