cantos aplanados

English translation: Flattened or oblate pebbles

17:54 Feb 18, 2010
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Science - Geography / Rivers and Flooding
Spanish term or phrase: cantos aplanados
SPAIN: This is to settle an argument I'm having with a colleague. It's a description of a river basin area.
"Consiste en un estrato de 2 metros de potencia de arenas gruesas de color gris con estratificación cruzada planar, cantos aplanados y conchas rodadas."
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:44
English translation:Flattened or oblate pebbles
Explanation:
Flattened is better than flat because it indicates the sedimentation and the interaction of water and soil on the river basin. Also, oblate indicates they have been "flattened" around the edges.
Selected response from:

Carolina Zuniga
Local time: 09:44
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for helping. This job was made harder because the author thinks that just because he's seen something published it must be right.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2Flattened or oblate pebbles
Carolina Zuniga
4flattened / levelled pebbles
Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
3 +1flat pebbles
Bubo Coroman (X)
3weathered pebbles
Lucano Alvares


  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
weathered pebbles


Explanation:
...

Lucano Alvares
India
Local time: 19:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
flattened / levelled pebbles


Explanation:
Babylon Spanish-English

aplanar
v. flatten; roll; planish

Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
Ecuador
Local time: 08:44
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Flattened or oblate pebbles


Explanation:
Flattened is better than flat because it indicates the sedimentation and the interaction of water and soil on the river basin. Also, oblate indicates they have been "flattened" around the edges.

Example sentence(s):
  • "Its elongated and flattened pebbles, which are mostly of quartzite and occasionally of marble, lie in a subgraywacke matrix."
  • "The pebbles are ovoid and often flattened in one plane."

    Reference: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/626380
    Reference: http://www.soton.ac.uk/~imw/chespeb.htm
Carolina Zuniga
Local time: 09:44
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks to everyone for helping. This job was made harder because the author thinks that just because he's seen something published it must be right.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Muriel Vasconcellos
2 hrs
  -> Thank you, Muriel!

agree  Kevin G
15 hrs
  -> Thanks, Kevin
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
flat pebbles


Explanation:
perhaps the "aplanados" is referring back to the "estratificación...planar"

En el fondo de los cauces se observan depósitos de cantos redondeados que ponen en evidencia las distintas litologías presentes en las regiones de aguas arriba: ortocuarcitas blancas y rosadas; areniscas rosadas, marrón y violeta, atravesadas por vetillas de cuarzo; ***cantos aplanados*** de limolitas y lutitas rojas y grises; cantos esferoidales y cristales poliédricos de cuarzo.
http://www.monografias.com/trabajos52/cuenca-alta-asisa/cuen...

"cantos" can also be "boulders" but that may be too big here.

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Note added at 47 minutos (2010-02-18 18:41:25 GMT)
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well Neil, gravel is one size up from the "arenas gruesas" so it sounds logical. Why not ask the author to define how big in cm these "cantos" are and then decide between gravel/pebbles?

Bubo Coroman (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 58
Notes to answerer
Asker: One of the (Spanish) authors says "gravel" but I say "pebbles"...


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  bigedsenior: kids call them skippers, because when thrown properly they will skip across the water several times until they sink.
2 days 3 hrs
  -> many thanks Ed, wishing you a pleasant Sunday! - Deborah
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