TIME CONCEPT IN

GEOLOGY
Geologic Concepts
 MEASURING TIME
Time is measured by observation of change:
CYCLIC PROCESSES
UNIDIRECTIONAL PROCESSES
GEOLOGIC CYCLES AS TIME
MEASUREMENT
Astronomical cycles: Earth rotation, etc
Sedimentary Cycles: Varves, Sealevel
changes
Magnetic Reversals (binary scale)
Tectonic Cycles?
 UNIDIRECTIONAL PROCESSES AS
TIME MESUREMENT
Salinity of oceans
Earth heat decay (Cooling curve)
Organic Evolution
Isotope/ Radio-activity Decay
Assumption: rate of decay is known and a
closed system
 STANDARD
INTERNATIONAL TIME UNIT
SOLAR SECOND: mean 1/(60X60X24) of
a solar day
EPHEMERIAL SECOND: 1/
(31556925.9747) of the tropical year at
January 1, 12 hrs epehemeric time
ATOMIC SECOND: duration of
9192631770 periods (Htz) of radiation of
the atom Cesium-133
GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE

Geological Concepts
 Development of Geologic Time Scale
and Stratigraphic Classification
Smiths Stratigraphic Classification of England
Contributions to the Geologic Timescale
Nomenclature
International Geological Congress Paris 1878 and
Bologna 1881 ( 1-fold classification
Ashely Report (1933) (2 fold classification
North American Stratigraphic Code (1956) and
IGC (1961) (3 fold classification)
North American Stratigraphic Code (1986) and
IGC (1990) (multi-fold classification)
 TIME AND GEOLOGIC TIME
Chronometric: duration of events with no
reference to geologic boundaries
Geochronometry /geochronology: duration
of events in reference to geologic
boundaries
Chronostratigraphy/Chronostratic: sequence
of rocks bounded by time
GEOLOGIC
TIME
SCALE
Geologic Time Scale
GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE