stratotype
Noun
Meaning
stratotype (plural stratotypes)
(geology) A stratigraphic section used to establish a reference point on a geologic time scale.
Synonym: type section
Examples
Boundaries of the Ediacaran The 'golden spike' (bronze disk in the lower section of the image) or 'type section' of the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of Ediacaran period.
For younger stages, a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP), a physical outcrop clearly demonstrates the boundary.