reference section

A rock section, or group of sections, designated to supplement the type section, or sometimes to supplant it (as where the type section is no longer exposed), and to afford a standard for correlation for a certain part of the geologic column.

Related terms:

• section
• reference locality
• type section
• reference station
• structure section
• geologic section
• columnar section
• thin section
• collision cross section
• reference level