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Geologic TimeScale Foundation - Stratigraphic Information

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GSSP Table - Cenozoic Era
Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) Ages from "Geologic Time Scale 2020" by F.M. Gradstein, J.G. Ogg, M.D. Schmitz and G.M. Ogg, (2020, Elsevier).

Cenozoic Era Mesozoic Era Paleozoic Era Precambrian All Periods

Stage

Age (Ma) GTS 2020

GSSP

Location

Latitude, Longitude

Boundary Level

Correlation Events

Quaternary System

Holocene Series

Mawmluh

Cave

Meghalayan Stage

0.00425

Mawmluh Cave, 25.2622°N Meghalaya,India 91.7150°E

speleothem dated at 4250yr bk2

(before

AD2000)

Stable isotope profile shows a shift to heavier isotopic values,

borehole

Northgrippian Stage

0.008236

NGRIP1 in central Greenland

the ice

sheet

1228.67 m 75.1000°N depth in 42.3200°W NGRIP 1 ice
core

Climatic cooling following a period of generally rising temperatures during the Early Holocene

Greenlandian Stage

0.0118

NorthGRIP ice core, central Greenland

1492.45m 75.1000°N depth in 42.3200°W Borehole
NGRIP2

Climatic -- End of the Younger Dryas cold spell, which is reflected in a shift in deuterium excess values

Pleistocene Series

Upper Pleistocene 0.126 Stage

Taranto, Italy

0.0000°N 0.0000°E

63.5 m below surface

Climatic -- Base of the Eemian interglacial stage (= base of marine isotope stage 5e) before final glacial episode of Pleistocene.

Chibanian 0.78 Chiba, Japan

Byk-E tephra; 1.1

m below

directional

Base of Byk-E tephra bed

midpoint of Brunhes– Matuyama

magnetic

reversal (base of

Chron 1n)

Calabrian 1.8 Stage

Vrica, Italy

39.0385°N base of the top of Olduvai

17.1348°E marine

magnetic

claystone

subchron is

overlying the about 8 m above

sapropelic the GSSP

marker Bed 'e'

(Mediterranean

Precession

https://timescalefoundation.org/gssp/

Status

Reference

Ratified Episodes 41/4, 2018 2018

Ratified Episodes 41/4, 2018 2018

Ratified 2008

Episodes 31/2, 2008; J. Quaternary Sci., Vol. 24 pp. 3-17, 2009; Episodes 41/4, 2018

Episodes 31/2, 2008

Ratified 2019

Ratified 1985

Episodes 8/2, p. 116 - 120, 1985; Episodes 35/3, p. 388 - 397, 2012

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Gelasian Stage

2.58

Neogene System Pliocene Series

Piacenzian Stage

3.6

Zanclean Stage

5.333

Miocene Series

Messinian Stage

7.25

Tortonian Stage

11.63

Serravallian Stage

13.82

Langhian Stage

15.99

Burdigalian Stage

20.45

Monte San Nicola, Sicily, Italy

Geologic TimeScale Foundation - Stratigraphic Information

Related Sapropel, MPRS 176)

Magnetic --

Matuyama/Gauss

37.1469°N 14.2035°E

base of marly layer overlying sapropel MPRS 250

boundary (C2r/C2An) is 1m below GSSP. GSSP level is within Marine

Isotope Stage

103.

Definition

as base of

Quaternary and
Pleistocene

Episodes 21/2, 82-87, 1998

p.

ratified

2009

Punta Piccola, Sicily, Italy
Eraclea Minoa, Sicily, Italy

Magnetic --

base of the Gauss/Gilbert

beige marl bed (C2An/C2Ar)

37.2889°N of small-scale magnetic

13.4933°E carbonate reversal is

cycle 77

recorded

(MPRS 347) immediately

above the GSSP

37.3917°N 13.2806°E

base of the Trubi Formation which corresponds Insolation cycle 510

to

Magnetic -- base of the Thvera magnetic event (C3n.4n) is only 96 kyr (5 precession cycles) younger than the GSSP.

Oued Akrech, Morocco

Planktonic

foraminifer first

regular

reddish layer occurrence of

33.9369°N of sedimentary Globorotalia

6.8125°W cycle number miotumida, and

15

calcareous

nannofossil FAD

Amaurolithus

delicatus

Calcareous

Monte dei Corvi Beach, near Ancona, Italy

mid-point of 43.5867°N sapropel layer 13.5694°E of basic cycle
number 76.

nannofossil last common occurrence of Discoaster

kugleri

Ras il Pellegrin section, Fomm Ir-Rih Bay, west coast of Malta

35.9139°N 14.3361°E

formation boundary between the Globigerina Limestone and Blue Clay Formation

Oxygen-isotopic event (global cooling episode) Mi3b; near calcareous nannofossil LAD ofSphenolithus heteromorphus

St. Peter's Pool, Malta or La Vedova,Italy

Base of magnetic polarity chron C5Br

Potentially in astronomicallytuned ODP core

Near FAD of calcareous nannofossil Helicosphaera ampliaperta

Ratified Episodes 21/2, p. 1997 88-93, 1998
Ratified Episodes 23/3, p. 2000 179 - 187, 2000
Ratified Episodes 23/3, p. 2000 172 - 178, 2000
Ratified Episodes 28/1, p. 2003 6 - 17, 2005
Ratified Episodes, 32/3, 2007 152 - 166, 2009

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Aquitanian Stage

23.04

Paleogene System Oligocene Series

Chattian Stage

27.3

Rupelian Stage

33.9

Eocene Series

Priabonian Stage

37.7

Bartonian Stage

41

Lutetian Stage

48.1

Ypresian Stage

56

Paleocene Series

Thanetian Stage

59.2

LemmeCarrioso Section, Allessandria Province, Italy

Geologic TimeScale Foundation - Stratigraphic Information

44.6589°N 8.8364°E

35m from top of the section

the

Magnetic -- base of Chron C6Cn.2n; planktonic foraminifer FAD of Paragloborotalia kugleri; calcareous nannofossil near LAD Reticulofenestra bisecta (base Zone NN1); Oxygen isotopic event Mi-1.

Ratified 1996

Episodes 20/1, p. 23 - 28, 1997

Monte Cagnero, Umbria-Marche region, Italy

43.6466°N 12.4677°E

at meter level 197

HCO (highest common occurrence) of planktonic foraminifer Chiloguembelina cubensis

Massignano, near Ancona, Italy

base of a 0.5m

43.5328°N 13.6011°E

thick greenishgrey marl bed 19m above

Foraminifer LAD Hantkenina and Cribrohantkenina

base of section

Foraminifer LAD

of

Alano di Piave 45.9142°N Tiziano Bed at section, NE Italy 11.9180°E 63.57m

Morozovelloides, Calcareous nannofossil acme

of Cribrocentrum

erbae

Contessa highway section near Gubio, Central Apennines, Italy

provisional: base of magnetic polarity chronozone C18r

Gorrondatxe sea-cliff section,Basque Country, northern Spain

at 167.85 metres in the 43.3796°N Gorrondatxe 3.0143°W section at a dark marly level

Calcareous nannofossil FAD of Blackites inflatus

Dababiya, near Luxor, Egypt

25.5000°N 32.5311°E

base of Bed in DBH subsection

1

Carbon Isotope Excursion base, initiation of basal Eocene Thermal maximum ("PETM")

About 78 m above the Cretaceous/ Paleogene Zumaia section, 43.2996°N boundary; northern Spain 2.2609°W 6.5m above the base of Member B of the Itzurun Formation

Magnetic -- Base of Chron C26n

Ratified Episodes 41/1, p. 2016 17-32, 2018
Ratified Episodes 16/3, 1992 p.379 - 382, 1993
Ratified Episodes 44/2, 2020 p.151-173, 2021

Ratified Episodes 34/2, p. 2011 86 - 108 2011

Ratified 2003

Micropaleontology 49/1, p.41 - 59, 2003; Episodes 30/4, p. 271 - 286, 2007

Ratified Episodes 34/4,p. 2008 220-243, 2011

https://timescalefoundation.org/gssp/

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Selandian Stage
Danian Stage

61.7 66

Geologic TimeScale Foundation - Stratigraphic Information

Onset of a

carbon isotope

Zumaia section, northern Spain

43.2992°N 2.2610°W

base of the marls of Itzurun Formation

red

shift and sealevel drop, 30 precession cycles (~630 kyr) above the top of

magnetic polarity

Chron 27n

Ratified 2008

Iridium

geochemical

reddish layer anomaly.

Oued Djerfane, west of El Kef, Tunisia

36.1537°N 8.6486°E

at the base of the 50cm thick, dark boundary

Associated with a major extinction horizon

clay

(dinosaurs,

ammonites,

foraminifers, etc.)

Ratified 1991

Site produced by Dr. Gabi Ogg

Last updated: 19-Dec-2023

Episodes 34/4,p. 220-243, 2011
Episodes 29/4, p. 263 - 278, 2006

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