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stratigraphy
noun
stra·tig·ra·phy
strə-ˈti-grə-fē
1
: geology that deals with the origin, composition, distribution, and succession of strata
2
: the arrangement of strata
Examples of stratigraphy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the other camp are those who argue that the Anthropocene, pretty much by definition, lies outside the purview of stratigraphy.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
These misconceptions lie at the heart, too, of the recent formal rejection of the Anthropocene epoch by the hierarchy of international stratigraphy.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
Under the rules of stratigraphy, each interval of Earth time needs a clear, objective starting point, one that applies worldwide.
—Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Geology — and specifically stratigraphy, or the study of rock layers — had rolled back the age of the Earth by hundreds of millions of years.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 22 June 2023
Westmoreland State Park Fossil Beach - Montross, Virginia About 70 miles south of the Natural History Museum, Westmoreland State Park’s Fossil Beach is another hotbed for prehistoric shark teeth, but what’s really eye-catching about the location is the stratigraphy—or rocky layers—of the cliffs.
—Rachael Lallensack, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Aug. 2020
Since Charles Darwin’s time, paleontology – especially the study of the marine invertebrates that make up most of the record – involved descriptive tasks such as classifying or correlating fossils with layers of the Earth (known as stratigraphy).
—David Sepkoski, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2018
When digging down, the team documented not just the layers with artifacts, but the entire stratigraphy of each meter-square excavation mini-site.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2017
Each layer of stratigraphy is a stark stripe of brown, beige, or gray, and some are flecked with white shells.
—Devon Bidal, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stratigraphy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
International Scientific Vocabulary
First Known Use
1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near stratigraphy
Cite this Entry
“Stratigraphy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stratigraphy. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
stratigraphy
noun
stra·tig·ra·phy
strə-ˈtig-rə-fē
: geology that deals with the beginnings, composition, distribution, and succession of the layers of rock in the earth's crust
Medical Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on stratigraphy
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stratigraphy
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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