Listing of standard nomenclature types (typus) and publication statuses that may characterize fossil, mineral or meteorite samples/specimens held in the Geological Survey of Western Australia's collections. These terms should only be applied to physical items, and are not applicable to derived results or data. This vocabulary includes terms for type specimens as recognized under several international nomenclature codes (see History Note for details).

The status of a sample or specimen in relation to curation processes (e.g. the recording and organization of items in a collection), both before and after storage/archiving, and with respect to its display or storage location at a specific point in time.

List of terms describing the condition, completeness and risk/hazard profile of individual samples/specimens, including any specific requirements needed for the preservation of the object.

Compilation of terms that described geometry (i.e. the shape, distribution and configuration) of alteration in rocks and minerals as observed at the macro-, meso- and microscopic scale, and applying to the specific area of observation. Alteration in this context is defined as a modification of the original lithology caused by meteoric, connate, metamorphic, or magmatic-derived fluids, excluding the weathering environment, mineralization and direct magmatic or metamorphic processes. Definitions are largely taken from Pirajno (2009) and the Glossary of geology (Neuendorf et al., 2011).

A compilation of terms that describe the degree to which (i.e. how much) a rock or a mineral has been affected by alteration. Alteration in this context is considered as a modification of the original lithology caused by meteoric, connate, metamorphic or magmatic-derived fluids, excluding the weathering environment, mineralization and direct magmatic or metamorphic processes. These concepts are generally used as convenient field or petrographic descriptive terms. Definitions are largely from Pirajno (2009) and the Glossary of geology (5th edition revised; Neuendorf et. al., 2011).

Compilation of terms that describe the classification of alteration in a rock, with a focus on hydrothermal processes (i.e. mineralogical, chemical and textural changes resulting from the interaction of hot aqueous fluids with the rocks through which they circulate, under evolving physico-chemical conditions), and excluding weathering, mineralization and direct metamorphic or magmatic processes. Classification is based on the identification of the most important alteration mineral, the distinctive mineral assemblage, or the chemical changes that have occurred during alteration.