Geological Time Table

This wallchart furnishes practising geoscientists, archaeologists, naturalists and Earth historians with a succinct source of reference to worldwide stratigraphic and chronostratigraphic nomenclature.

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The previous editions of this chart have been popular with scientists, students and teachers alike. This edition furnishes practising geoscientists, archaeologists, naturalists and Earth historians with a succinct source of reference to worldwide stratigraphic and chronostratigraphic nomenclature. The table provides rapid access to numerical ages, not only of the stratigraphic subdivisions, but also to the ages of prominent mountain-building, paleoceanographic, paleoclimatolological and evolutionary events in Earth history. The linear time scale has been thoroughly revised, taking into consideration recent developments in geochronology and radiochronology, especially for the Precambrian through Silurian interval where there have been major revisions in age dating. An attempt has been made to update all regional stratigraphic schemes based on the most recent information. The table also lists major orogenic events and geomagnetic polarity reversal and seafloor magnetic anomaly records, where available.
Major biotic events (first and last occurrences of major groups, as well as major extinctions), prominent geodynamic, oceanographic and geochemical events and glacial episodes of the Phanerozoic can also be found for rapid reference. A series of paleogeographic maps (for circa 500, 400, 240, 170, 95, 60, 30, 15, and 4 million years B.P.) showing major geographic and oceanographic changes (opening/closing of seaways, circulation patterns, loci of upwelling and high productivity) are included as an educational tool. Glacial and Archaeological Classifications complete the utility of the chart for paleoclimatology and archaeology.