Glossary Category: Rockhounding

An access easement is a legal right to cross or use part of someone else’s land. For collectors, it can determine whether you can reach a public parcel without trespassing.

Label and bag each find immediately with a unique number and micro-location so specimens never lose provenance in the field.

A direction note (compass bearing/azimuth) that tells you where you moved or which way a feature trends.

A quick record of how a layered rock unit tilts and trends at the spot you’re collecting.

Solid rock in place beneath soil and loose debris; collectors use bedrock exposures to confirm source rock and structures.

Walk a bench edge and check the lip, face, and toe for fresh breaks and concentrated fragments shed from the exposed level.

A boulder field sweep is a systematic scan across a boulder-strewn area, checking cracks, shaded sides, and contact points where material collects.

Linked notes that show how observations and decisions connect through a trip.