Several strata are visible in this cliff.
Boring surveys were conducted to determine the age of the geological layers.
You can clearly see the layers of strata stacked on top of each other in this cliff.
The researchers closely examined the strata in this area.
Ancient fossils were found in this stratum.
The strata are exposed due to erosion by the river.
地層 refers to a layer of rock or sediment, while 断層 refers to a fault—a fracture where rock layers have shifted—so the two are easily confused in geology contexts.
地層 names a specific layer or stratum of rock/soil, whereas 地質 describes the general geological character of an area.
Compound of 地 (chi, 'earth, ground') and 層 (sō, 'layer, stratum').