Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Age
(Ma)
Eon
Era
Period, subera
Epoch, subperiod
Holocene
Quaternary Q
0.01
Pleistocene
1.8
Pliocene
Cenozoic
5.3
Miocene
23.8
Tertiary TT
Oligocene
33.7
Eocene
54.8
Palaeocene
65.0
Late
99.0
Cretaceous K
Early
144
Late
159
Mesozoic
Jurassic J
Middle
180
Early
206
Late
227
Triassic Tr
Middle
242
Early
248
Late
Permian P
256
Early
290
Pennsylvanian
Carboniferous C
323
Mississippian
354
Late
370
Devonian D
Middle
391
Early
Palaeozoic
417
Late
Silurian S
423
Early
443
Late
458
Ordovician O
Middle
470
Early
490
Cambrian
Merioneth
St David's
Caerfai
543
Late
Hadrynian
~1000
Middle
Helikian
1800
Early
Aphebian
(Canada)
2500
Late
Kenoran
Transvaal
Shamvaian
Middle
Witwatersrand Bulawayan
Early
Pongola
Belingwean
Pilbara
Barberton
Sebakwian
Isua
(Canada) (Australia) (S. Africa)
(Zimbabwe)(Greenland)
~4000
Zircons in Jack Hills
(Australia)
Origin of Earth
~4560
Note
: There is continuing debate about the ages assigned to various
boundaries (e.g. see Fig. 3.14). Precambrian names have no international
status and are illustrative examples only.
Source
: Based on Gradstein and Ogg (1996) and Palmer and Geissman
(1999).
