Confusing Words #1 – Carbonaceous

Some geology words just add confusion to the reader.

Confusing word:
Carbonaceous – Relating to the organic or carbon content of the rock. Example: “This siltstone is really carbonaceous!” when referring to an organic-rich siltstone.

Could be confused with:
Carbonate or derivative – Being made up of a carbonate compound (usually calcium carbonate). Example: “The carbonate shale was very thick” when referring to a mix of clay and limestone minerals.

Since “Carbonate” is a word many geologists learn much earlier than “Carbonaceous”, I think the latter should fall out of use. “Organic-rich” is a much more descriptive term.

Merging 2 or more SMF Forums

I suppose I will throw it out there that I have figured out how to do this. It worked very well, although I still need to eliminate duplicate members by hand (there does not seem to be a way to merge the accounts offhand, but for what I did, I didn’t have to worry about it). You can see the results at Campus Dakota – Forums for university students at UND and NDSU.

I will do this for other people, if they pay me, price negotiable. This is about all ther advertising I am going to do for it though–I’m busy enough right now as it is, but I need money too.

UPDATE: Since I keep getting requests at SMF, I just posted the script. If you like it, please drop me a line (and maybe a dollar or two for all the time I saved you). Look at the script here.