WorldWide Drilling Resource

37 JANUARY 2014 Frequently-Used Geological Terms Part 26 Glossary Adapted from the Dictionary of Geological Terms H - Continued Heterochthonous - Said of a trans- ported rock or sediment, or one not formed in the place where it now occurs. High-grading - 1. Theft of valuable ore or mineral specimens by employees in a mine. 2. Working a mine without a plan or system, removing only the high-grade ore. Hilt’s Law - The generalization that, in a vertical succession at any point in a coal field, coal rank increases with depth. Historical Geology - A major branch of geology concerned with the evolution of earth and its life-forms from its origins to the present day. Homeomorph - A crystal resembling another in form and habit, but having a different chemical composition. Homogranular - Type of rock having crystals of the same size or nearly the same size. Hoodoo - Acolumn or pinnacle of weath- ered rock. Hooke’s Law - A statement in physics: the stress within an elastic solid is pro- portional to the strain responsible for it. Horn - A high pyramidal peak with steep sides formed by the intersecting walls of three or more deep, steep-walled basins. Hornfels - A fine-grained nonfoliated metamorphic rock produced by contact metamorphism. Horse - A displaced rock mass caught between the walls of a fault. Hot Spot - A volcanic center, approxi- mately 60 to 120 mi les across, and persistent for at least a few tens of mil- lions of years; thought to be the sur- face expression of a rising plume of hot mantle material. Hot Spring - A thermal spring whose water has a higher temperature than the human body (above 98°F, 36°C). Humic Acid - Black acidic organic matter extracted from soils, low-rank coals, and other decayed plant sub- stances by alkalis. Humus - The generally dark, more or less stable part of the organic matter of the soil, so well decomposed the origi- nal sources cannot be identified. Huttonian - Of or relating to James Hutton, the Scottish geologist who intro- duced the geologic cycle and empha- sized the indefinite length of geologic time. Hydraulic Fracturing - The forcing open of fissures in subterranean rocks by introducing liquid at high pressure, especially to extract oil or gas. Hydraulics - The aspect of engineer- ing dealing with the flow of water in rivers and canals, and the works of machinery for conducting or using it. Hydrocarbon - Any organic compound, gaseous, liquid, or solid consisting solely of carbon and hydrogen. Crude oil is essentially a complex mixture of hydro- carbons. Hydrolic Cycle - The constant circula- tion of water from the sea, through the atmosphere, to the land, and its even- tual return to the atmosphere by way of Hoodoos of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Image courtesy of uncp.edu transpiration and evaporation from the land and evaporation from the sea. More terms to come next month! & ! $ # & # " ! $ # & # & " & ! " & " $ # & & ! & " & & "! " ! & " " !! ! ! !% $ # "! ! Here are some unique uses for sodium bicarbon- ate, better known as bak- ing soda: Stinky Shoes - Fill a pair of old socks with baking soda and tie a knot in the top of each sock. Place the socks in a pair of shoes or slip- pers you want to freshen. Stinky Car - Forget the pine tree air fresheners! If your car, truck, or rig smells musty or smoky, fill the ashtray with baking soda. This will absorb the odors and freshen the interior. WorldWide Drilling Resource ®