Re: [Geology2] The Haboobs of Arizona -the How's and Why's

Wow, I had forgotten about caliche.  It is a desert pavement, but when it gets wet, it become mud.  Mud with an attitude.  It clings to everything and almost impossible to get off.  Doesn't matter if it's wet or dry.  Be prepared to toss out whatever you were wearing when you got it on you.  Sometimes we used the word ravine instead of arroyo for a dry or wet stream bed. 

 

 

In a message dated 10/13/2011 10:12:45 P.M. Central Daylight Time, linkerns@gmail.com writes:

 

Language often defines the real desert folk. Bre knows, as she's been there and done that, re: the haboob. So have I, but at a later age. For example, caliche is the word I use for desert pavement; just try putting a shovel in it. Ha! Bajada is a word I use for an alluvial fan at the base of a mountain or range. I've seen some really gorgeous ones, too.

More common terminology contributed to the Spanish in geology are butte, canyon, playa, and mesa. Don't have to define those for you. Also, caldera, from the Sp. word for caldron. Arroyo is a word you either recognize right away for just don't know; but I use the term for desert stream beds whether they are wet or dry.

A coquina is a type of sedimentary rock that forms a concretion and is common in fossil sites in the lower states of the SE US. A Savanna(h) is common all over the US, but it, too, is Spanish based.

That's all I can remember for the moment. At least I didn't spend 4 years in Spanish class for nothing. lol  Learning loanwords from other languages is really fun and of course, the Icelandic folks contributed their lot to geology, too. Next time, kiddies. :-)

Lin

 

 

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