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Adit identification and geology

A horizontal or nearly horizontal entrance to a mine, driven into the side of a hill or mountain to intersect an ore body or provide access, drainage, or ventilation for underground workings. Unlike a shaft which is vertical , an adit allows gravity drainage of water and easier transport of ore. Adits are typically found in mountainous mining districts where topography permits lateral access to mineralized zones. Field: economic geology. Example: The Sutro Tunnel in Nevada was a 6.3 km adit driven into the side of the Virginia Range to drain hot water from the deep levels of the Comstock Lode silver-gold mines.. Related terms: Shaft, Drift, Stope, Ore body.

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Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.127987+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Adit mean in geology?
A horizontal or nearly horizontal entrance to a mine, driven into the side of a hill or mountain to intersect an ore body or provide access, drainage, or ventilation for underground workings. Unlike a shaft which is vertical , an adit allows gravity drainage of water and easier transport of ore. Adits are typically found in mountainous mining districts where topography permits lateral access to mineralized zones.
What is an example of Adit?
The Sutro Tunnel in Nevada was a 6.3 km adit driven into the side of the Virginia Range to drain hot water from the deep levels of the Comstock Lode silver-gold mines.
Which earth-science field uses the term Adit?
Adit is used in economic geology.
Which terms are related to Adit?
Related terms in this reference are Shaft, Drift, Stope, Ore body.

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