| 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. |