URI,prefLabel,Definition,Source
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/bed,Bed,The smallest formal lithostratigraphic unit; usually a distinctive lithic entity which can be distinguished from adjacent rocks by one or more physical characteristics.,North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature; 2005; Salvador; 1994
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/beds,,,
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/complex,Complex,A lithostratigraphic unit composed of diverse types of any class or classes of rock (sedimentary; igneous; metamorphic); and characterized by irregularly mixed lithology or by hightly complicated structure relations to the extent that the original sequence of the component rocks may be obscured and the individual rocks or rock sequence cannot be readily mapped.,Salvador; A.; ed. 1994. International Stratigraphic Guide: International Union of Geological Sciences; Trondheim; NO; 214 p.
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/formation,Formation,A body of rock identified by lithic characteristics and stratigraphic position; it is usually but not necessarily tabular and is mappable at the Earth's surface or traceable in the subsurface.,North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature; 2005; Salvador; 1994
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/group,Group,A group is the lithostratigraphic unit next higher in rank to either subgroup or formation. A groups may consist of two or more subgroups or two or more formations or a combination of both.,North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature; 2005;  Salvador; 1994
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/lithodeme,Lithodeme,A body of predominantly intrusivehighly deformed and/or highly metamorphosed rock; distinguished and delimited on the basis of rock characteristics.,North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature; 2005
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/megasequence,Megasequence,A succession of strata comprising two or more supersequences. A large-scale sequence-stratigraphic unit deposited during one distinct phase of basin evolution; separated by major unconformities that mark a change in fundamental basin-controlling processes.,Haq; B.U.hardenbol; J.; and Vail; P.R.; 1988; Mesozoic and Cenozoic chronostratigraphy an dcycles of sea-level changes; in Wilgus; C.K.; et al.; eds; Sea-level Changes: an Integrated Approach: Society of Sedimentary Geology Special Publication 42; p. 71-108.
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/member,Member,A formal lithostratigraphic unit next in rank below a formation; and always part of a formation. It is a named entity within a formation because it possesses characteristics distinguishing it from adjacent parts of the formation.,North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature; 2005; Salvador; 1994
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/rank_not_specified,Not specified,unit is not part of a defined stratigraphic hierarchy.,this vocabulary
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/sequence,Sequence,A genetically related succession of strata bounded by unconformites or their correlative conformable contacts; and typically having a thickness of 10-100 metres.,Van Wagoner; J.C.; Posamentierh.W.; Mitchum; R.M.; Vail; P.R.; Sarg; J.F.; Loutit; T.S.hardenbol; J.; 1988; An overview of sequence stratigraphy and key definitions. In: Wilgus; C.K.hastings; B.S.; Kendall; C.G.St.C.; Posamentierh.W.; Ross; C.A.; Van Wagoner; J.C. (Eds.); Sea Level Changes––An Integrated Approach; vol. 42. SEPM Special Publication; pp. 39–45.
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/subgroup,Subgroup,A subgroup is the lithostratigraphic unit next higher in rank to formation. A subgroup usually consists of several formations.,Salvador; 1994
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/suite,Suite,A formal lithodemic unit next higher in rank to lithodeme. It comprises two or more associated lithodemes of the same class (e.g.; plutonic; metamorphic).,North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature; 2005
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/supergroup,Supergroup,A supergroup is a formal assemblage of related or superposed groups or of groups and formations,North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature; 2005; Salvador; 1994
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/supersequence,Supersequence,A succession of strata comprising two or more sequences,Haq; B.U.hardenbol; J.; and Vail; P.R.; 1988; Mesozoic and Cenozoic chronostratigraphy an dcycles of sea-level changes; in Wilgus; C.K.; et al.; eds; Sea-level Changes: an Integrated Approach: Society of Sedimentary Geology Special Publication 42; p. 71-108.
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifier/cgi/stratigraphicrank/supersuite,Supersuite,A formal lithodemic unit next higher in rank to suite. It comprises two or more suites having a degree of natural relationship to one another,North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature; 2005
http://resource.geosciml.org/classifierscheme/cgi/201202/stratigraphicrank,CGI Stratigraphic Rank Term Vocabulary,This file contains the CGI StratigraphicRank vocabulary. This vocabulary contains categories used to classify geologic units in a generalization hierarchy from most local/smallest volume to most regional. Examples: group; subgroup; formation; member. No parent links because relation between e.g. formation and group is not 'is a' it is 'part of'. All formations are not groups; and a formation is not necessarily part of a group; therefore group is not a broader term than formation.;  skos:changeNote 2009-12-07 SMR Update metadata properties for version; creator; title; and format.  Change skos:HistoryNote to  for information on origin of terms and definitions.,