地层学作为地质学的一部分发展至今大致经过了三个阶段。十八世纪后期至十九世纪初期主要是一般性原理的建立阶段,其后各国地层学家在区域性的地层划分和对比的基础上,又不断地完善地层学和修正地层学的基本原理,但都限于五大洲的陆地范围之内。这一阶段可称为经典地层学的研究阶段,这也是地层学研究的基本范畴,目前绝大部分的地层学研究还限于这一范畴之内。第二次世界大战结束以后,大致从本世纪的四 Stratigraphy as part of the development of geology has gone through roughly three stages. From the late eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century, the establishment of the general principle was mainly followed. On the basis of the regional stratigraphic division and contrast, the stratigraphy masters of all countries continued to improve the basic principles of stratigraphy and stratigraphy correction, But are limited to the continents of the five continents. This stage can be called the stage of the study of the classic stratigraphy, which is also the basic category of stratigraphic research, most of the stratigraphic research is still limited to this category. After the end of World War II, roughly from the fourth of this century