Type locality, also called type area, is the
locality where a particular
rock type,
stratigraphic unit or
mineral species is first identified. If the stratigraphic unit in a locality is layered, it is called a
stratotype, whereas the standard of reference for unlayered rocks is the type locality.
The concept is similar to
type site
In archaeology, a type site (American English) or type-site (British English) is the site used to define a particular archaeological culture or other typological unit, which is often named after it. For example, discoveries at La Tène and H ...
in
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
.
Examples of geological type localities
Rocks and minerals
*
Aragonite:
Molina de Aragón, Guadalajara, Spain
*
Autunite:
Autun
Autun () is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region of central-eastern France. It was founded during the Principate era of the e ...
, France
*
Benmoreite:
Ben More (Mull), Scotland
*
Blairmorite:
Blairmore, Alberta, Canada
*
Boninite:
Bonin Islands, Japan
*
Comendite: Comende,
San Pietro Island,
Sardinia
*
Cummingtonite:
Cummington, Massachusetts
*
Dunite:
Dun Mountain, New Zealand
*
Essexite:
Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County is a County (United States), county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the total population was 809,829, making it the third-most populous county in the stat ...
, US
*
Fayalite: Horta,
Fayal Island, Azores, Portugal
*
Harzburgite:
Bad Harzburg, Germany
*
Icelandite: Thingmuli (Þingmúli), Iceland
*
Ijolite: Iivaara,
Kuusamo, Finland
*
Kimberlite:
Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa
*
Komatiite:
Komati River, South Africa
*
Labradorite:
Paul's Island, Labrador, Canada
*
Lherzolite:
Étang de Lers, France (Old spelling was: Étang de Lherz.)
*
Mimetite: ''Treue Freundschaft Mine'',
Johanngeorgenstadt, Germany
*
Mugearite:
Mugeary, Skye, Scotland
*
Mullite:
Isle of Mull, Scotland]
*
Pantellerite:
Pantelleria, off Sicily
*
Portlandite:
Scawt Hill, Ballygalley, Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
*
Rodingite:
Roding River, New Zealand
*
Sovite:
Norsjø, Norway
*
Strontianite:
Strontian, Scotland (also the element
strontium derived from the mineral)
*
Temagamite:
Copperfields Mine,
Temagami, Ontario, Canada
*
Tilleyite:
Crestmore Quarry, Riverside County, California
*
Tonalite:
Tonale Pass
*
Trondhjemite: Follstad,
Støren, Norway
*
Uraninite: Joachimsthal,
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
(now
Jáchymov, Czech Republic)
*
Websterite:
Webster in North Carolina.
*
Widgiemoolthalite:
Widgiemooltha, Western Australia, Australia
*
Ytterbite (a.k.a. ''gadolinite''):
Ytterby, Sweden
Formations
*
Bearpaw Formation:
Bear Paw Mountains, Montana, US
*
Burgess Shale: Burgess Pass on
Mount Burgess, Alberta–British Columbia, Canada
*
Calvert Formation:
Calvert Cliffs State Park, Maryland, US
*
Chapel Island Formation: Newfoundland, Canada
*
Chattanooga Shale:
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
, US
*
Chazy Formation:
Chazy, New York, US
*
Fort Payne Formation:
Fort Payne, Alabama, US
*
Gault Formation: Copt Point,
Folkestone
Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...
, UK
*
Holston Formation:
Holston River, Tennessee, US
*
Jacobsville Sandstone:
Jacobsville, Michigan, US
*
Ogallala Formation:
High Plains, US
*
St. Louis Limestone:
St. Louis, Missouri, US
*
Ste. Genevieve Limestone:
Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, US
*
Temple Butte Formation:
Temple Butte, Grand Canyon, US
*
Upper Greensand Formation:
Weald,
Sussex
Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
,
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
*
Waulsortian mudmound:
Waulsort, Namur, Belgium
See also
*
Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point
*
Type specimen
In biology, a type is a particular wikt:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to ancho ...
(biology)
*
Type specimen (mineralogy)
References
{{reflist
Stratigraphy