Glossary

This Glossary was created at the request of the Task Force. It provides definitions for technical or mining-specific terms to facilitate understanding of the various documents presented to the communities.

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Core inventory:	Building used by geologists to describe, sample and store drill core.
Claim :	Mining rights under which the holder has the exclusive right to explore for and exploit any mineral substance in a given area.
Line cutting :	A grid of narrow lines about one meter long, cut with a machete or chainsaw to allow geophysical equipment to move through wooded areas, or rows of stakes in open ground, in preparation for exploration work.
Soil stripping :	Exposing rock with a mechanical shovel, then cleaning it with water, to better see and understand the geology and structure of the rock.
Basic exploration :	Walking, taking soil or rock samples.
Advanced exploration :	Activities that may include drilling and excavating surface trenches, sampling or constructing mine shafts, adits and drifts for underground exploration to determine the size, grade and physical and/or metallurgical characteristics of the mineral deposit.
Drilling :	Action or process of making a circular hole with a bit or drill to prospect, explore or evaluate.
Surface geophysics :	Use of man-portable geophysical instruments equipped with a transmitter and receiver that circulate a current to measure the physical characteristics of the rock to help identify drilling targets.
Groove :	A small line in the rock, usually cut with a diamond saw after stripping, to collect samples.
Mineral reserve :	Mineral reserves refer to the economically mineable portion of measured or indicated mineral resources, demonstrated by at least one preliminary feasibility study.
Mineral resource :	A natural concentration of diamonds, a natural solid inorganic substance including base metals and precious metals in quantity or quality high enough to present reasonable prospects for profitable extraction.

Sources:

Government of Canada, Glossary of Mining Terminology
Government of Canada, Advanced Exploration
Quebec Mining association, What are mineral resources and mineral reserves? What is the difference between them?
Task Force and neighbourhood meeting reports