golden spike

English

The golden spike marking the Ediacaran GSSP

Noun

golden spike (plural golden spikes)

1. (geology) A geologic marker created by a global event that leads to long lasting global changes recorded in the geologic record that can be used to indicate a change in a geologic time division such as an epoch, age, era.
   • 2009, Susan Turner, David Oldroyd, chapter 13, in The Paleobiological Revolution: Essays on the Growth of Modern Paleontology, page 261:

     There was a further special problem when looking for a marker or definition of the Precambrian-Cambrian golden spike.

   • 2022 December 13, McKenzie Prillaman, “Are we in the Anthropocene? Geologists could define new epoch for Earth”, in Nature‎^[1], →DOI:

     The AWG is working backwards, Finney says: normally, geologists identify strata that should enter the geological timescale before considering a golden spike; in this case, they’re seeking out the lower boundary of an undefined set of geological layers.