地層學(xué)是地學(xué)的核心學(xué)科。了解巖石單元的排列順序是了解感興趣地區(qū)地質(zhì)歷史的關(guān)鍵。地球科學(xué)家的一項共同任務(wù)是尋找某一巖石單位的地層背景資料，例如它的年齡、性質(zhì)及其在地層單位層次結(jié)構(gòu)中的位置。

Stratigraphy is a core discipline of the geological sciences. Understanding the order in which units of rock were emplaced is the key to understanding the geological history of an area of interest. A common task for earth scientists is the search for stratigraphic background information on a certain rock unit, e.g. its age and properties and its position within the hierarchy of stratigraphic units.