What term describes minerals dense enough to be separated from lighter ones by surface water action?

The term that describes minerals dense enough to be separated from lighter ones by surface water action is "heavy minerals." This classification is significant in geology and mineralogy because heavy minerals have a higher specific gravity compared to lighter minerals. When surface water flows over sediments, the heavier minerals, due to their weight, tend to settle more quickly and remain in place, whereas the lighter minerals are more easily transported by the water.

This separation process is essential in various geological contexts, such as the formation of sedimentary deposits and in the specification of certain types of mining operations where heavy minerals are sought after for their valuable properties or uses, such as zircon, ilmenite, and garnet, among others. The ability of heavy minerals to concentrate in certain areas due to water action leads to the formation of economically significant deposits, making the understanding of these terms very important.

Other options such as light minerals, floating minerals, and concentrated minerals do not appropriately describe the separation process involving density and surface water action, thus making "heavy minerals" the precise term in this context.