GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE v. 6.

0
CENOZOIC MESOZOIC PALEOZOIC PRECAMBRIAN
MAGNETIC MAGNETIC BDY.
AGE POLARITY PICKS AGE POLARITY PICKS AGE PICKS AGE
PERIOD EPOCH AGE PERIOD EPOCH AGE PERIOD EPOCH AGE EON ERA PERIOD AGES
(Ma) (Ma) (Ma) (Ma) (Ma) (Ma)

CHRON.
(Ma)
CHRON.

ANOM.
ANOM.

HIST
HIST.

(Ma)
1 C1 QUATER- *
HOLOCENE
0.012 30 C30 66.0 541
CALABRIAN
NARY PLEISTOCENE* 1.8 31 C31 MAASTRICHTIAN 251.90 EDIACARAN
2 C2 GELASIAN
2.58 70 Lopin- CHANGHSINGIAN 254.14
PIACENZIAN 32 C32 72.1 635
2A C2A
PLIOCENE 3.600 gian WUCHIAPINGIAN
259.51 CRYOGENIAN
ZANCLEAN 260 720
33
CAMPANIAN CAPITANIAN NEOPRO-

PERMIAN
5 3 C3 Guada- 264.28 750
5.333

CRETACEOUS
C33
80 WORDIAN 266.9 TEROZOIC
3A C3A MESSINIAN LATE lupian ROADIAN TONIAN
7.246 83.6 273.01
4
SANTONIAN KUNGURIAN
C4 86.3 280 283.5
CONIACIAN
NEOGENE

4A
TORTONIAN 90 89.8 Cisura- 1000

PROTEROZOIC
C4A
ARTINSKIAN 1000
10 5 TURONIAN lian
C5 93.9 290.1
STENIAN
MIOCENE

11.63 SAKMARIAN
CENOMANIAN 293.52
SERRAVALLIAN ASSELIAN 298.9
5A 100 34 C34
100.5 300 GZHELIAN 1200
C5A
13.82 LATE 303.7

CARBONIFEROUS
KASIMOVIAN

PENNSYL-
307.0 1250 MESOPRO-

VANIAN
15 5B C5B LANGHIAN ALBIAN MOSCOVIAN ECTASIAN
MIDDLE TEROZOIC
5C C5C
15.97 110 315.2
1400
5D C5D ~113 320 EARLY BASHKIRIAN
BURDIGALIAN 323.2
5E C5E
LATE SERPUKHOVIAN 1500 CALYMMIAN
6 C6
120 APTIAN 330.9
20 20.44 1600

SIPPIAN
MISSIS-
6A C6A EARLY
6B C6B AQUITANIAN
M0r
M1 ~125 340 MIDDLE VISEAN
23.03 M3 BARREMIAN STATHERIAN
6C C6C 130 M5 ~129.4 346.7 1750
HAUTERIVIAN EARLY TOURNAISIAN 1800
OLIGOCENE

7 C7 ~132.6
25 7A C7A M10 358.9
8 C8 CHATTIAN VALANGINIAN
M12 360
TERTIARY

140 M14 ~139.8 FAMENNIAN OROSIRIAN

9 C9
27.82
M16
BERRIASIAN 2000
M18 PALEOPRO-

DEVONIAN
10 C10
~145.0 LATE 372.2 2050
M20
11 TEROZOIC
30 C11
150 M22 TITHONIAN FRASNIAN
380
12
C12
RUPELIAN LATE 152.1 382.7 RHYACIAN
M25
KIMMERIDGIAN GIVETIAN 387.7
MIDDLE 2250
JURASSIC
M29 157.3 EIFELIAN 393.3 2300
13 C13 33.9 160 OXFORDIAN
35 15 C15 163.5 400 EMSIAN SIDERIAN
16 C16 PRIABONIAN CALLOVIAN 166.1
RAPID POLARITY CHANGES

BATHONIAN EARLY 407.6

17 MIDDLE 168.3 PRAGIAN 410.8 2500 2500
C17
37.71 170 BAJOCIAN 170.3
AALENIAN LOCHKOVIAN
PALEOGENE

18 174.1 419.2
40 C18 BARTONIAN 420 PRIDOLI 423.0 NEOARCHEAN

ORDOVICIAN SILURIAN
19 LUDLOW LUDFORDIAN 425.6
C19 41.2 180 TOARCIAN GORSTIAN
HOMERIAN
427.4
WENLOCK SHEINWOODIAN
430.5 2750
EOCENE

182.7 433.4 2800

©2022 The Geological Society of America | www.geosociety.org

20
TELYCHIAN
LLANDO- 438.5
C20 PLIENSBACHIAN 440 AERONIAN 440.8
LUTETIAN EARLY VERY

ARCHEAN
45 190 RHUDDANIAN 443.8
190.8 HIRNANTIAN
445.2
KATIAN MESO-
SINEMURIAN LATE 453.0 3000
21
C21 47.8 SANDBIAN ARCHEAN
200 199.3 458.4
HETTANGIAN 201.3 460
DARRIWILIAN
22 C22 MIDDLE 467.3
50 RHAETIAN DAPINGIAN 3200
470.0 3250
23 C23
YPRESIAN 210 ~208.5 FLOIAN
TRIASSIC

EARLY 477.7
480 TREMADOCIAN
24 PALEO-
485.4
55
C24 LATE NORIAN FURON- AGE 10
489.5 ARCHEAN
220 JIANGSHANIAN
56.0 GIAN ~494 3500
PAIBIAN ~497
PALEOCENE

25
C25
THANETIAN 500 GUZHANGIAN 3600
CAMBRIAN
MIAOLIN- ~500.5
~227 DRUMIAN
26
230 GIAN ~504.5
59.2 WULIUAN
C26 ~509
60 SELANDIAN CARNIAN AGE 4
3750
~514
~237
Epoch 2
AGE 3 EOARCHEAN
27 61.6 520
C27 240 MIDDLE
LADINIAN ~521
~242 AGE 2
28 C28
DANIAN ANISIAN TERRE- ~529 4000 4000
65
29 247.2 NEUVIAN FORTUNIAN
C29 OLENEKIAN 251.2 HADEAN
66.0 250 EARLY
540 541.0
30 C30 INDUAN 251.90

*The Pleistocene is divided into four ages, but only two are shown here. What is shown as Calabrian is actually three ages: Calabrian from 1.8 to
0.774 Ma, Chibanian from 0.774 to 0.129 Ma, and Late from 0.129 to 0.0117 Ma. The Holocene is divided into three ages: Greenlandian from 0.0117
to 0.0082 Ma, Northgrippian from 0.0082 to 0.0042 Ma, and Meghalayan from 0.0042 to present. The geologic community broadly recognizes the
Anthropocene as a proposed new time interval of Earth history, partly coincident with the Holocene. Currently, the Anthropocene has an informal
designation, with a proposed age span extending from the present to a beginning point between ca. 15,000 yr B.P. and as recent as 1960 CE.
The Cenozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic are the Eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Names of units and age boundaries usually follow the Gradstein et al.
(2012), Cohen et al. (2012), and Cohen et al. (2013, updated) compilations. Numerical age estimates and picks of boundaries usually follow the
Cohen et al. (2013, updated) compilation. The numbered epochs and ages of the Cambrian are provisional. A “~” before a numerical age estimate
typically indicates an associated error of ± 0.4 to more than 1.6 Ma.
Walker, J.D., and Geissman, J.W., compilers, 2022, Geologic Time Scale v. 6.0: Geological Society of America, https://doi.org/10.1130/2022.CTS006C.
(Walker—University of Kansas; Geissman—University of Texas–Dallas, University of New Mexico.)
REFERENCES CITED
Cohen, K.M., Finney, S., and Gibbard, P.L., 2012, International Chronostratigraphic Chart: International Commission on Stratigraphy, https://stratigra-
phy.org/ICSchart/ChronostratChart2012.pdf (accessed Sept. 2022).
Cohen, K.M., Finney, S.C., Gibbard, P.L., and Fan, J.-X., 2013 (updated), The ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart: Episodes, v. 36, p. 199–204,
http://www.stratigraphy.org/ICSchart/ChronostratChart2021-10.pdf (accessed Sept. 2022).
Gradstein, F.M, Ogg, J.G., Schmitz, M.D., et al., 2012, The Geologic Time Scale 2012: Boston, USA, Elsevier,
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-59425-9.00004-4.