Benchmark

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Geology

• Benchmark (surveying)
  Benchmark (surveying)
  
  The term benchmark originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in future....
  , a point of reference for a measurement
• Benchmark (crude oil), a reference for and discussion of cost and/or pricing of petroleum, such as Brent Crude and West Texas Intermediate in terms of benchmarks based on classification differences.
• Benchmarking (geolocating)
  Benchmarking (geolocating)
  
  Benchmarking is an activity in which individuals or teams of participants go out and find Benchmark . They typically then log their finds online....
  , a sport similar to geocaching in which participants individually go out and find benchmarks
• Benchmarks (geology)
  Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point
  
  A Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point, abbreviated GSSP, is an internationally agreed upon stratigraphy section which serves as the reference section for a particular boundary on the geologic time scale....
  , signposts in the geologic record
  Geologic record
  
  At a certain locality on the Earth's surface, the rock column provides a cross section of the natural history of in the area during the time covered by the age of the rocks....
   known as Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Points (GSSP
  Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point
  
  A Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point, abbreviated GSSP, is an internationally agreed upon stratigraphy section which serves as the reference section for a particular boundary on the geologic time scale....
  ) and also Global Standard Stratigraphic Age
  Global Standard Stratigraphic Age
  
  In the Stratigraphy sub-discipline of Geology, a Global Standard Stratigraphic Age, officially abbreviated GSSA, is a chronological reference point and criteria in the geologic record used to define the boundaries between different geological geologic period, epoch s or age on the overall geologic time scale in a stratigraphy useful...
  s (GSSA).

Other uses

• Benchmark (computing)
  Benchmark (computing)
  
  In computing, a benchmark is the act of running a computer program, a set of programs, or other operations, in order to assess the relative performance of an object, normally by running a number of standard tests and trials against it....
  , the result of running a computer program, or a set of programs, in order to assess the relative performance of an object by running a number of standard tests and trials against it
• Benchmarking
  Benchmarking
  
  Benchmarking is the process of comparing the cost, cycle time, productivity, or quality of a specific process or method to another that is widely considered to be an industry standard or best practice....
  , the process used in management in which organizations evaluate various aspects of their processes in relation to the best practice, usually within their own sector
• Benchmark Capital
  Benchmark Capital
  
  Benchmark Capital is a venture capital firm responsible for the early stage funding of some very successful startups. In 1997, the firm invested $6.7 million in eBay, which became worth more than $5 billion by the spring of 1999....
  , a venture capital firm behind various startups, such as (and including) eBay.