Stratigraphic Stages

Preliminary Remarks#

An interactive version of chronostratigraphic chart is maintain by ICS. Here the point will be on the major events together with associated theories and their reference, with time scale refined to stage/age, similar to what is provided in wikipedia.

For the most part, the stages recognized in Europe have become the standard stages with which stages defned elsewhere are correlated. Correlations remain imperfect, however, as do estimates of the absolute ages of stage boundaries.

Chronostratigraphic/geographic units are classified, from largest to smallest, by

1. Eonothem-Eon: Spanning several hundred milions (\(\gtrsim 10^8\)) of years.
2. Erathem-Era: Tens to hundreds hundred milions (\(10^7 \sim 10^8\)) of years.
3. System-Period: Millions of or tens of millions (\(10^6\sim 10^7\)) of years.
4. Series-Epoch: Hundred of thousands of years to tens of millions (\(10^4\sim 10^7\)) of years.
5. Subseries-subepoch: Thousands of years to millions (\(10^3\sim 10^6\)) of years.
6. Stage-age: Thousands of years to millions (\(10^3\sim 10^6\)) of years.

Meaning of affixes:

• -proteoro-: Earlier.
• -zoic: Life.
• Paleo-/Meso-/Neo-: old-middle-young

Condensed Exponential Stratigraphic Stages#

Eon	Era	Period		Starting From (Ma)
Hadean				4540
Archean				4000
Proterozoic				2500
Phanerozoic Eon	Paleozoic Era	Cambrian		541
		Ordovician		485
		Silurian		443
		Devonian		419
		Carboniferous	Mississippian	359
			Pennsylvanian	323
		Permian		229
	Mesozoic Era	Triassic		252
		Jurassic		201
		Cretaceous		145
	Cenozoic Era	Paleogene		66
		Neogene		23
		Quaternary		2.6

Precambrian Time#

Eonothem/Eon	Erathem/Era	System/Period	Numerical Age (Ma)
Hadean: Planet and moon formation. Bombardment. Ocean formation and carbon dioxide atmosphere.			4600-4000
Archean: Earlist uncontroversial living organisms (protocells, prokayotes). Age of plate tectonics (formation stabilization of most modern cratons).	Eoarchean		4000-3600
	Paleoarchean		3600-3200
	Mesoarchean		3200-2800
	Neoarchean		2800-2500
Proterozoic: Increased oxidation.  Eukaryotes. Algae.  First animals.	Paleoproterozoic	Siderian	2500-2300
		Rhyacian	2300-2050
		Orosirian	2050-1800
		Statherian	1800-1600
	Mesoproterozoic	Calymmian	1600-1400
		Ectasian	1400-1200
		Stenian	1200-1000
	Neoproterozoic	Tonian	1000-850
		Cryogenian	850-635
		Ediacaran	635-541

Phanerozoic Eon#

From 541 Ma - Present. Starting with major diversification of life and appearance of most of the animal phyla.

Erathem/Era	System/Period		Series/Epoch	Stage/Age	Numerical Age (Ma)
Paleozoic	Cambrian		Terreneuvian	Fortunian	541-529
				Stage 2	529-521
			Lower	Stage 3	521-514
				Stage 4	514-509
			Middle	Stage 5	509-504.5
				Drumian	504.5-500.5
				Guzhangian	500.5-497
			Upper	Paibian	497-494
				Jiangshanian	494-489.5
				Stage 10	489.5-485.4
	Ordovician		Lower	Tremadocian	485.4-477.7
				Floian	477.7-470.0
			Middle	Dapingian	470.0-467.3
				Darriwilian	467.3-458.4
			Upper	Sandbian	458.4-453.0
				Katian	453.0-445.2
				Hirnantian	445.2-443.4
	Silurian		Llandovery	Rhuddanian	443.4-440.8
				Aeronian	440.8-438.5
				Telychian	438.5-433.4
			Wenlock	Sheinwoodian	443.4-430.5
				Homerian	430.5-427.4
			Ludlow	Gorstian	427.4-425.6
				Ludfordian	425.6-423.0
			Pridoli		423.0-419.2
	Devonian		Lower	Lochkovian	419.2-410.8
				Pragian	410.8-407.6
				Emsian	407.6-393.3
			Middle	Eifelian	393.3-387.7
				Givetian	387.8-382.7
			Upper	Frasnian	382.7-372.2
				Famennian	372.2-358.9
	Carboniferous	Mississippian	Lower	Tournaisian	358.9-346.7
			Middle	Visean	346.7-330.9
			Upper	Serpukhovian	330.9-323.2
		Pennsylvanian	Lower	Bashkirian	323.2-315.2
			Middle	Moscovian	315.2-307.0
			Upper	Kasimovian	307.0-303.7
				Gzhelian	303.7-298.9
	Permian		Cisuralian	Asselian	298.9-295.0
				Sakmarian	295.0-290.1
				Artinskian	290.1-283.5
				Kungurian	283.5-272.3
			Guadalupian	Roadian	272.3-268.8
				Wordian	268.8-265.1
				Capitanian	265.1-259.8
			Lopingian	Wuchiapingian	259.8-254.14
				CHanghsingian	254.14-252.17
Mesozoic	Triassic		Lower	Induan	252.17-251.2
				Olenekian	251.2-247.2
			Middle	Anisian	247.2-242
				Ladinian	242-237
			Upper	Carnian	237-227
				Norian	227-208.5
				Rhaetian	208.5-201.3
	Jurassic		Lower	Hettangian	201.3-199.3
				Sinemurian	199.3-190.8
				Pliensbachian	190.8-182.7
				Toarcian	182.7-174.1
			Middle	Aalenian	174.1-170.3
				Bajocian	170.3-168.3
				Bathonian	168.3-166.1
				Callovian	166.1-163.5
			Upper	Oxfordian	163.5-157.3
				Kimmeridgian	157.3-152.1
				Tithonian	152.1-145.0
	Cretaceous		Lower	Berriasian	145.0-139.8
				Valanginian	139.8-132.9
				Hauterivian	132.9-129.4
				Barremian	129.4-125.0
				Aptian	125.0-113.0
				Albian	113.0-100.5
			Upper	Cenomanian	100.5-93.9
				Turonian	93.9-89.8
				Coniacian	89.8-86.3
				Santonian	86.3-83.6
				Campanian	83.6-72.1
				Maastrichtian	72.1-66.0
Cenozoic	Paleogene		Paleocene	Danian	66.0-61.6
				Selandian	61.6-59.2
				Thanetian	59.2-56.0
			Eocene	Ypresian	56.0-47.8
				Lutetian	47.8-41.3
				Barthonian	41.3-38.0
				Priabonian	38.0-33.9
			Oligocene	Rupelian	33.9-28.1
				Chattian	28.1-23.0
	Neogene		Miocene	Aquitanian	23.0-20.4
				Burdigalian	20.4-16.0
				Langhian	16.0-13.8
				Serravallian	13.8-11.6
				Tortonian	11.6-7.2
				Messinian	7.2-5.3
			Pilocene	Zanclean	5.3-3.6
				Piacenzian	3.6-2.588
	Quaternary		Pleistocene	Gelasian	2.588-1.806
				Calabrian	1.806-0.781
				Middle	0.781-0.126
				Upper	0.126-0.0117
			Holocene		0.0117 (11700 yrs ago)-Present