Scram
Scram turns up in 2 fields: nuclear, mining. Here is what it means to the people in each one.
Scram in nuclear
The rapid automatic or manual insertion of all control rods to shut a reactor down in seconds.
An emergency shutdown in which all control rods are driven into the core at once, by gravity in most pressurized water reactors and by hydraulic pressure from below in boiling water reactors. It is triggered automatically by the protection system on signals such as high flux, low coolant level or turbine trip, or manually by the operator, and takes roughly two to four seconds. Fission stops within moments, but decay heat continues and must be removed.
"Reactor scram at 1043 on low level, all rods in, entering the scram procedure."
Scram in mining
To extract the last remaining pockets of ore from a largely depleted mine.
To perform secondary or salvage mining operations in a working that has already been commercially exhausted by the primary operators. Miners scram by meticulously scraping out thin veins, floor pillars, or bypassed low-grade material. It is a labor-intensive process usually undertaken by independent contractors or tributers on a small scale.
"They bought the old lease hoping to scram enough silver out of the upper levels to pay for the drilling program."