Update to the South African Stratigraphic Code and Guidelines for Standardised Lithostratigraphic/Lithodemic Descriptions

Abstract

Summary The South African Committee for Stratigraphy (SACS) is the official body in South Africa which regulates the nomenclature and definition of lithostratigraphic and lithodemic rock units, unconsolidated deposits and soils. The robust framework set in the existing stratigraphic code and guide for publication by the Council for Geoscience (CGS) have for many years provided leadership in this field, but there are a number of aspects in need of reconsideration. One example is the non-compliance of our nomenclature for high-grade supracrustal rocks with international (and South African) stratigraphic codes and another is manuscript format changes necessitated by publishing SACS descriptions in the SAJG. Any stratigraphic code is a living document that should be able to accommodate changing views and circumstances. This review provides a consensus opinion from experts on how to deal with changing needs.