Era | Period [a] | Epoch | Age [b] | Start, mya [b] | Event | Notes |
---|
Cenozoic [c] | Quaternary | Holocene | | 0.0117 [d] | | |
Pleistocene | Upper | 0.126 | | |
Middle | 0.781 | Australasian strewnfield Lake Bosumtwi [4] | Brunhes–Matuyama reversal (778.7 ± 1.9) [5] Jaramillo reversal (1.07) |
Calabrian | 1.806* | | Olduvai reversal |
Gelasian | 2.588* | Chilcotin Plateau Basalts [e] | Ice age Gauss-Matuyama reversal (2.588) |
Neogene | Pliocene | Piacenzian/Blancan | 3.600* | | Gilbert-Gauss geomagnetic reversal (3.32) |
Zanclean | 5.333* | | Zanclean flood (5.333) |
Miocene | Messinian | 7.246* | Chilcotin Plateau Basalts [e] | |
Tortonian | 11.62* | | |
Serravallian | 13.82* | | |
Langhian | 15.97 | M. Miocene disruption (14.8–14.5) [f] Columbia River Basalt Group [g] Chilcotin Plateau Basalts [e] | Increased Antarctic deep waters Yellowstone hotspot Nördlinger Ries (14.5-14.3) |
Burdigalian | 20.44 | | |
Aquitanian | 23.03* | Shield volcanoes of Ethiopia [h] | Antarctic ice sheet complete |
Paleogene | Oligocene | Chattian | 28.1 | Ethiopian and Yemen traps (31–30) [h] | Fish Canyon Tuff (27.51) [i] |
Rupelian | 33.9* | Chesapeake Bay impact crater (35.5) [j] | Antarctic ice sheet expands Eocene–Oligocene extinction event |
Eocene | Priabonian | 38.0 | |
Bartonian | 41.3 | | |
Lutetian | 47.8* | | Antarctic ice sheet begins |
Ypresian | 56.0* | N. Atlantic IP Phase II (56–54) [k] (Brito-Arctic province) (~56) [l] | |
Paleocene | Thanetian | 59.2* | | |
Selandian | 61.6* | N. Atlantic IP (62–58) [k] (Brito-Arctic province) (~61) [l] (Thulean Plateau) | Iceland hotspot [m] |
Danian | 65.5 ± 0.3* | Chicxulub Crater (65.5 ± 0.3) [n] Deccan Traps (65.5 ± 0.3) [o] | Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event Shiva crater |
Mesozoic | Cretaceous | Upper | Maastrichtian | 72.1 ± 0.2* | | |
Campanian | 83.6 ± 0.2 | Caribbean LIP (76-74) [p] Caribbean LIP (82-80) [p] | |
Santonian | 86.3 ± 0.5 | | |
Coniacian | 89.8 ± 0.3 | High Arctic LIP (~90-80) [q] Caribbean LIP (90-88) [p] Ontong Java Plateau [r] | Galápagos hotspot |
Turonian | 93.5 ± 0.8* | Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event (91.5 ± 8.6) [s] Madagascar flood basalt (94.5±1.2) | |
Cenomanian | 100.5* | | |
Lower | Albian | c. 113.0 | Kerguelen Plateau (110) [t] Rajmahal Traps (118) [u] | Kerguelen hotspot |
Aptian | c. 125.0 | Selli Event (~120) [s] Ontong Java Plateau (125–120) [r] | Louisville hotspot |
Barremian | c. 129.4 | High Arctic LIP (130-120) [q] | |
Hauterivian | c. 132.9 | Abor volcanics (135) | Kerguelen hotspot |
Valanginian | c. 139.8 | Paraná and Etendeka traps (138-128) [v] | Tristan hotspot |
Berriasian | c. 145.0 | | Glaciations End-Jurassic extinction |
Jurassic | Upper | Tithonian | 152.1 ± 0.9 | | |
Kimmeridgian | 157.3 ± 1.0 | | |
Oxfordian | 163.5 ± 1.0 | | |
Middle | Callovian | 166.1 ± 1.2 | | |
Bathonian | 168.3 ± 1.3* | | |
Bajocian | 170.3 ± 1.4* | | |
Aalenian | 174.1 ± 1.0* | | |
Lower | Toarcian | 182.7 ± 0.7 | early Toarcian anoxic event Karoo-Ferrar (~183) [w] | Pliensbachian-Toarcian extinction Formed as Gondwana broke up |
Pliensbachian | 190.8 ± 1.0* | | |
Sinemurian | 199.3 ± 0.3* | C. Atlantic magmatic province (Recurrent)(197±1) [x] | |
Hettangian | 201.3 ± 0.2* | Central Atlantic magmatic province (199.5±0.5) [x] | Formed as Pangea broke up Triassic–Jurassic extinction event |
Triassic | Upper | Rhaetian | c. 208.5 | | |
Norian | c. 228 | Wrangellia flood basalts (231–225) [y] | Carnian pluvial episode |
Carnian | c. 235* | | |
Middle | Ladinian | c. 242* | | |
Anisian | 247.2 | | |
Lower | Olenekian | 251.2 | | |
Induan | 252.2 ± 0.5* | Siberian Traps (252.6) [z] | Permian–Triassic extinction event |
Paleozoic | Permian | Lopingian | Changhsingian | 254.2 ± 0.1* | | |
Wuchiapingian | 259.9 ± 0.4* | Emeishan Traps (258) [aa] | end-Capitanian/Guadalupian Extinction |
Guadalupian | Capitanian | 265.1 ± 0.4* | | |
Wordian/Kazanian | 268.8 ± 0.5* | | |
Roadian/Ufimian | 272.3 ± 0.5* | | Olson's Extinction |
Cisuralian | Kungurian | 279.3 ± 0.6 | | |
Artinskian | 290.1 ± 0.1 | | |
Sakmarian | 295.5 ± 0.4 | | |
Asselian | 298.9 ± 0.2* | Skagerrak-Centered LIP (297±4 Ma) [ab] | Pangaea |
Carbon- iferous [ac] / Pennsyl- vanian | Upper | Gzhelian | 303.7 ± 0.1 | | |
Kasimovian | 307.0 ± 0.1 | | Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse (~305) [ad] |
Middle | Moscovian | 315.2 ± 0.2 | | |
Lower | Bashkirian | 323.2 ± 0.4* | | |
Carbon- iferous [ac] / Missis- sippian | Upper | Serpukhovian | 330.9 ± 0.2 | | |
Middle | Viséan | 346.7 ± 0.4* | | |
Lower | Tournaisian | 358.9 ± 0.4* | Hangenberg event (358.9 ± 0.4) [ae] | Late Devonian extinction |
Devonian | Upper | Famennian | 372.2 ± 1.6* | Kellwasser_event (372.2 ± 1.6) [af] Viluy traps (373.4 ± 0.7) [ag] | Late Devonian extinction [ah] |
Frasnian | 382.7 ± 1.6* | | |
Middle | Givetian | 387.7 ± 0.8* | | |
Eifelian | 393.3 ± 1.2* | | |
Lower | Emsian | 407.6 ± 2.6* | | |
Pragian | 410.8 ± 2.8* | | |
Lochkovian | 419.2 ± 3.2* | | |
Silurian | Pridoli | (Stage 8) | 423.0 ± 2.3* | Lau event (423.0 ± 2.3) [ai] | |
Ludlow/Cayugan | Ludfordian | 425.6 ± 0.9* | | |
Gorstian | 427.4 ± 0.5* | Mulde event (427.4 ± 0.5) [aj] | |
Wenlock | Homerian/Lockportian | 430.5 ± 0.7* | | |
Sheinwoodian/Tonawandan | 433.4 ± 0.8* | Ireviken event (433.4 ± 2.3) [ak] | |
Llandovery/ Alexandrian | Telychian/Ontarian | 438.5 ± 1.1* | | |
Aeronian | 440.8 ± 1.2* | | |
Rhuddanian | 443.4 ± 1.5* | | Ordovician–Silurian extinction event |
Ordovician | Upper | Hirnantian | 445.2 ± 1.4* | Pre-Devonian Traps (~445) | |
Katian | 453.0 ± 0.7* | | |
Sandbian | 458.4 ± 0.9* | | |
Middle | Darriwilian | 467.3 ± 1.1* | | |
Dapingian | 470.0 ± 1.4* | | |
Lower | Floian (formerly Arenig) | 477.7 ± 1.4* | | |
Tremadocian | 485.4 ± 1.9* | | |
Cambrian | Furongian | Stage 10 | c. 489.5 | | Cambrian–Ordovician extinction event |
Jiangshanian | c. 494* | | |
Paibian | c. 497* | | |
Series 3 | Guzhangian | c. 500.5* | | |
Drumian | c. 504.5* | | |
Stage 5 | c. 509 | | |
Series 2 | Stage 4 | c. 514 | | |
Stage 3 | c. 521 | | |
Terreneuvian | Stage 2 | c. 529 | | Cambrian explosion |
Fortunian | 541.0 ± 1.0* | | End-Ediacaran extinction |
Neo- proterozoic [al] | Ediacaran | | | c. 635* | Long Range dikes (620) | formed as Iapetus Ocean began |
Cryogenian | | | 850 [am] | Franklin LIP (716.5) | Snowball Earth |
Tonian | | | 1000 [am] | Warakurna LIP (~1075) | |
Meso- proterozoic [al] | Stenian | | | 1200 [am] | Midcontinent Rift System (~1100) [an] Mackenzie LIP (~1270) | Rodinia |
Ectasian | | | 1400 [am] | | |
Calymmian | | | 1600 [am] | | |
Paleo- proterozoic [al] | Statherian | | | 1800 [am] | Circum-Superior Belt (1884-1864) [ao] Winagami sill complex (1890-1760) | |
Orosirian | | | 2050 [am] | Kapuskasing and Marathon dike swarm (2126-2101) Fort Frances dike swarm (2076-2067) Vredefort impact structure (2023±4) [ap] | |
Rhyacian | | | 2300 [am] | Ungava magmatic event | Huronian glaciation (2220) |
Siderian | | | 2500 [am] | Matachewan dike swarm (2500-2450) Mistassini dike swarm (2500) | Great Oxygenation Event |
Neoarchean [al] | | | | 2800 [am] | | |
Mesoarchean [al] | | | | 3200 [am] | | |
Paleoarchean [al] | | | | 3600 [am] | Kaapvaal craton (3600-3700) | Vaalbara |
Eoarchean [al] | | | | 4000 | | |
Early Imbrian [al] [aq] | | | | c. 3850 | | |
Nectarian [al] [aq] | | | | c. 3920 | | lunar basins form |
Basin Groups [al] [aq] | | | | c. 4150 | Acasta Gneiss | Late Heavy Bombardment |
Cryptic [ar] | | | | c. 4600 | | Oldest minerals. Earth surface solidifies. |