Subseries/subepochs(e.g.,Lower/Early Eocene,Upper/Late Pleistocene)have yet to be formally defined despite their wide use in the Cenozoic literature.This has led to concerns about the stability of their definition and...Subseries/subepochs(e.g.,Lower/Early Eocene,Upper/Late Pleistocene)have yet to be formally defined despite their wide use in the Cenozoic literature.This has led to concerns about the stability of their definition and uncertainty over their status that has led to inconsistencies in capitalization.To address these issues,we propose for the Cenozoic that subseries/subepochs be defined formally by reference to Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points and ratified in the same way as for other formal chronostratigraphic units.Formalization of subseries/subepochs for the Cenozoic will respect their deep historical roots,recognise their chronostratigraphic nature,stabilize their definition,ensure consistency in application,embrace their de-facto use as formal terms within the Paleogene,Neogene and especially Quaternary communities,and resolve the question of capitalization:an upper-case initial letter without exception.展开更多
The Holocene is probably the most intensively studied series/epoch within the geological record,and embodies a wide array of geomorphological,climatic,biotic and archaeological evidence;yet little attention has hither...The Holocene is probably the most intensively studied series/epoch within the geological record,and embodies a wide array of geomorphological,climatic,biotic and archaeological evidence;yet little attention has hitherto been paid to a formal subdivision of this series/epoch.Here we report a tripartite division of the Holocene into the Greenlandian,Northgrippian and Meghalayan stages/ages and their corresponding Lower/Early,Middle,Upper/Late subseries/subepochs,each supported by a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP).The GSSP for the lowermost stage,the Greenlandian,is that of the Holocene as previously defined in the NGRIP2 Greenland ice core,and dated at 11,700 yr b2k(before 2000 CE).The GSSP for the Northgrippian is in the NGRIP1 Greenland ice core,and dated at 8236 yr b2k,whereas that for the Meghalayan is located in a speleothem from Mawmluh Cave,Meghalaya,northeast India with a date of 4250 yr b2k.The proposal on which this subdivision is based was submitted by the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy,approved by the International Commission on Stratigraphy,and formally ratified by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences on 14th June 2018.展开更多
The Calabrian Stage is now formally defined by the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)at Vrica,Calabria,Italy.This GSSP had previously defined the base of the Pleistocene Series.The Calabrian becomes th...The Calabrian Stage is now formally defined by the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)at Vrica,Calabria,Italy.This GSSP had previously defined the base of the Pleistocene Series.The Calabrian becomes the second stage of the Pleistocene Series and Quaternary System,following the Gelasian.The GSSP occurs at the base of the marine claystone conformably overlying sapropelic bed‘e’within Segment B in the Vrica section.This lithological level represents the primary marker for the recognition of the boundary,and is assigned an astronomical age of 1.80 Ma on the basis of sapropel calibration.It coincides with the transition from Marine Isotope Stage 65 to 64,and the underlying sapropel bed‘e’is assigned to the Mediterranean Precession-Related Sapropel layer 176.Secondary markers include calcareous plankton bioevents of widely distributed taxa.The boundary falls between the highest occurrence of Discoaster brouweri(below)and the lowest common occurrence of left-coiling Neogloboquadrina pachyderma(above),and below the lowest occurrences of medium-sized Gephyrocapsa(including G.oceanica)and Globigerinoides tenellus.The top of the Olduvai Subchron is identified c.8 m above the GSSP.Ratification of the Calabrian Stage effectively completes the Lower Pleistocene Subseries.展开更多
The base of the Quaternary System is defined by theGlobal Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)of theGelasian Stage at Monte San Nicola in Sicily,Italy,currently dated at 2.58 Ma.The base of the PleistoceneSeries is rede...The base of the Quaternary System is defined by theGlobal Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)of theGelasian Stage at Monte San Nicola in Sicily,Italy,currently dated at 2.58 Ma.The base of the PleistoceneSeries is redefined by the same GSSP,having previouslybeen defined by the GSSP at Vrica,Calabria,Italy,whichis dated at 1.806 Ma.These important changes to thegeological time scale were formulated through extensiveconsultation with the Quaternary community throughthe International Union for Quaternary Research(INQUA),proposed by the International Commission onStratigraphy’s(ICS)Subcommission on QuaternaryStratigraphy,endorsed by the voting membership of theICS,and ratified in June 2009 by the Executive Committeeof the International Union of Geological Sciences.Twocompeting proposals had been advanced:a‘Neogene’proposal advocated by the ICS Subcommission on NeogeneStratigraphy,and a‘Quaternary’proposal championedby the ICS Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy.The status quo position would have persisted hadneither proposal received a majority of votes.Theseproposals are compared and evaluated,the‘Quaternary’proposal is presented in detail,and future directions arediscussed.展开更多
The Anthropocene as a prospective new,ongoing series/epoch must be defensible against all relevant concerns.We address the seven,still-relevant challenges posed to the Anthropocene Working Group by the Chair,Internati...The Anthropocene as a prospective new,ongoing series/epoch must be defensible against all relevant concerns.We address the seven,still-relevant challenges posed to the Anthropocene Working Group by the Chair,International Commission on Stratigraphy(ICS),in 2014.(1)Concept or reality?The Anthropocene possesses a substantial,sharply distinctive stratigraphic record recognisable through many proxy signals from the mid-20th century onwards;(2)GSSP or GSSA?The Anthropocene can be defined by a GSSP and correlated globally;(3)Past or future?The Anthropocene unquestionably represents geological time,its transformations having already moved the Earth System beyond Holocene norms towards an irreversible future trajectory;(4)Utility?The Anthropocene’s distinctive material content allows useful delineation on geological sections/maps;(5)Indelibility?Many of the Anthropocene’s transformative effects cannot be subsequently effaced or overprinted;(6)Fit within the Geological Time Scale(GTS)?The Anthropocene represents a unique,youngest,interval in Earth history and strata of profound significance;(7)What is its value?The chronostratigraphic Anthropocene has conceptual usefulness even informally,but would then lack the clarity,stability and recognition that formalization provides.Without its formalization,the GTS would no longer accurately reflect Earth history,diminishing the relevance of geological science for analysis of ongoing planetary change.展开更多
文摘Subseries/subepochs(e.g.,Lower/Early Eocene,Upper/Late Pleistocene)have yet to be formally defined despite their wide use in the Cenozoic literature.This has led to concerns about the stability of their definition and uncertainty over their status that has led to inconsistencies in capitalization.To address these issues,we propose for the Cenozoic that subseries/subepochs be defined formally by reference to Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points and ratified in the same way as for other formal chronostratigraphic units.Formalization of subseries/subepochs for the Cenozoic will respect their deep historical roots,recognise their chronostratigraphic nature,stabilize their definition,ensure consistency in application,embrace their de-facto use as formal terms within the Paleogene,Neogene and especially Quaternary communities,and resolve the question of capitalization:an upper-case initial letter without exception.
文摘The Holocene is probably the most intensively studied series/epoch within the geological record,and embodies a wide array of geomorphological,climatic,biotic and archaeological evidence;yet little attention has hitherto been paid to a formal subdivision of this series/epoch.Here we report a tripartite division of the Holocene into the Greenlandian,Northgrippian and Meghalayan stages/ages and their corresponding Lower/Early,Middle,Upper/Late subseries/subepochs,each supported by a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP).The GSSP for the lowermost stage,the Greenlandian,is that of the Holocene as previously defined in the NGRIP2 Greenland ice core,and dated at 11,700 yr b2k(before 2000 CE).The GSSP for the Northgrippian is in the NGRIP1 Greenland ice core,and dated at 8236 yr b2k,whereas that for the Meghalayan is located in a speleothem from Mawmluh Cave,Meghalaya,northeast India with a date of 4250 yr b2k.The proposal on which this subdivision is based was submitted by the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy,approved by the International Commission on Stratigraphy,and formally ratified by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences on 14th June 2018.
文摘The Calabrian Stage is now formally defined by the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)at Vrica,Calabria,Italy.This GSSP had previously defined the base of the Pleistocene Series.The Calabrian becomes the second stage of the Pleistocene Series and Quaternary System,following the Gelasian.The GSSP occurs at the base of the marine claystone conformably overlying sapropelic bed‘e’within Segment B in the Vrica section.This lithological level represents the primary marker for the recognition of the boundary,and is assigned an astronomical age of 1.80 Ma on the basis of sapropel calibration.It coincides with the transition from Marine Isotope Stage 65 to 64,and the underlying sapropel bed‘e’is assigned to the Mediterranean Precession-Related Sapropel layer 176.Secondary markers include calcareous plankton bioevents of widely distributed taxa.The boundary falls between the highest occurrence of Discoaster brouweri(below)and the lowest common occurrence of left-coiling Neogloboquadrina pachyderma(above),and below the lowest occurrences of medium-sized Gephyrocapsa(including G.oceanica)and Globigerinoides tenellus.The top of the Olduvai Subchron is identified c.8 m above the GSSP.Ratification of the Calabrian Stage effectively completes the Lower Pleistocene Subseries.
文摘The base of the Quaternary System is defined by theGlobal Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)of theGelasian Stage at Monte San Nicola in Sicily,Italy,currently dated at 2.58 Ma.The base of the PleistoceneSeries is redefined by the same GSSP,having previouslybeen defined by the GSSP at Vrica,Calabria,Italy,whichis dated at 1.806 Ma.These important changes to thegeological time scale were formulated through extensiveconsultation with the Quaternary community throughthe International Union for Quaternary Research(INQUA),proposed by the International Commission onStratigraphy’s(ICS)Subcommission on QuaternaryStratigraphy,endorsed by the voting membership of theICS,and ratified in June 2009 by the Executive Committeeof the International Union of Geological Sciences.Twocompeting proposals had been advanced:a‘Neogene’proposal advocated by the ICS Subcommission on NeogeneStratigraphy,and a‘Quaternary’proposal championedby the ICS Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy.The status quo position would have persisted hadneither proposal received a majority of votes.Theseproposals are compared and evaluated,the‘Quaternary’proposal is presented in detail,and future directions arediscussed.
文摘The Anthropocene as a prospective new,ongoing series/epoch must be defensible against all relevant concerns.We address the seven,still-relevant challenges posed to the Anthropocene Working Group by the Chair,International Commission on Stratigraphy(ICS),in 2014.(1)Concept or reality?The Anthropocene possesses a substantial,sharply distinctive stratigraphic record recognisable through many proxy signals from the mid-20th century onwards;(2)GSSP or GSSA?The Anthropocene can be defined by a GSSP and correlated globally;(3)Past or future?The Anthropocene unquestionably represents geological time,its transformations having already moved the Earth System beyond Holocene norms towards an irreversible future trajectory;(4)Utility?The Anthropocene’s distinctive material content allows useful delineation on geological sections/maps;(5)Indelibility?Many of the Anthropocene’s transformative effects cannot be subsequently effaced or overprinted;(6)Fit within the Geological Time Scale(GTS)?The Anthropocene represents a unique,youngest,interval in Earth history and strata of profound significance;(7)What is its value?The chronostratigraphic Anthropocene has conceptual usefulness even informally,but would then lack the clarity,stability and recognition that formalization provides.Without its formalization,the GTS would no longer accurately reflect Earth history,diminishing the relevance of geological science for analysis of ongoing planetary change.
