A template for an improved rock-based subdivision of the pre-Cryogenian timescale

Author:

Shields Graham A.1ORCID,Strachan Robin A.2,Porter Susannah M.3ORCID,Halverson Galen P.4,Macdonald Francis A.3,Plumb Kenneth A.5,de Alvarenga Carlos J.6ORCID,Banerjee Dhiraj M.7ORCID,Bekker Andrey8,Bleeker Wouter9,Brasier Alexander10,Chakraborty Partha P.7,Collins Alan S.11ORCID,Condie Kent12ORCID,Das Kaushik13ORCID,Evans David A. D.14ORCID,Ernst Richard1516,Fallick Anthony E.17ORCID,Frimmel Hartwig18,Fuck Reinhardt6,Hoffman Paul F.1920,Kamber Balz S.21ORCID,Kuznetsov Anton B.22,Mitchell Ross N.23,Poiré Daniel G.24,Poulton Simon W.25ORCID,Riding Robert26,Sharma Mukund27,Storey Craig2ORCID,Stueeken Eva28ORCID,Tostevin Rosalie29,Turner Elizabeth30,Xiao Shuhai31ORCID,Zhang Shuanhong32,Zhou Ying1,Zhu Maoyan33ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK

2. School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

3. Department of Earth Science, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

4. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

5. Geoscience Australia (retired), Canberra, Australia

6. Instituto de Geociências, Universidade de Brasília, Brasilia, Brazil

7. Department of Geology, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

8. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA

9. Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada

10. School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

11. Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

12. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Albuquerque, NM USA

13. Department of Earth and Planetary System Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

14. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

15. Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada

16. Faculty of Geology and Geography, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia

17. Isotope Geosciences Unit, S.U.E.R.C., East Kilbride, UK

18. Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

19. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA

20. University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada

21. School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

22. Institute of Precambrian Geology and Geochronology, R.A.S., St. Petersburg, Russia

23. Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

24. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas–CONICET–FCNyM, (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina

25. School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

26. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA

27. Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India

28. Department of Earth Sciences, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK

29. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

30. Laurentian University, Sudbury, Canada

31. Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

32. Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China

33. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Nanjing, China

Abstract

The geological timescale before 720 Ma uses rounded absolute ages rather than specific events recorded in rocks to subdivide time. This has led increasingly to mismatches between subdivisions and the features for which they were named. Here we review the formal processes that led to the current timescale, outline rock-based concepts that could be used to subdivide pre-Cryogenian time and propose revisions. An appraisal of the Precambrian rock record confirms that purely chronostratigraphic subdivision would require only modest deviation from current chronometric boundaries, removal of which could be expedited by establishing event-based concepts and provisional, approximate ages for eon-, era- and period-level subdivisions. Our review leads to the following conclusions: (1) the current informal four-fold Archean subdivision should be simplified to a tripartite scheme, pending more detailed analysis, and (2) an improved rock-based Proterozoic Eon might comprise a Paleoproterozoic Era with three periods (early Paleoproterozoic or Skourian, Rhyacian, Orosirian), Mesoproterozoic Era with four periods (Statherian, Calymmian, Ectasian, Stenian) and a Neoproterozoic Era with four periods (pre-Tonian or Kleisian, Tonian, Cryogenian and Ediacaran). These proposals stem from a wide community and could be used to guide future development of the pre-Cryogenian timescale by international bodies.

Publisher

Geological Society of London

Subject

Geology

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3