Type locality (geology)

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.

Rocks and minerals

 * Aragonite: Molina de Aragón, Guadalajara, Spain
 * Autunite: Autun, 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, 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 (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, US
 * Chazy Formation: Chazy, New York, US
 * Fort Payne Formation: Fort Payne, Alabama, US
 * Gault Formation: Copt Point, Folkestone, 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, Hampshire
 * Waulsortian mudmound: Waulsort, Namur, Belgium