Silesian (series)

System	Series (NW Europe)	Stage (NW Europe)	Sub-system (ICS)	Stage (ICS)	Age (Ma)
Permian					younger
Carboniferous	Silesian	Stephanian	Pennsylvanian	Gzhelian	298.9–303.7
				Kasimovian	303.7–307.0
		Westphalian		Moscovian	307.0–315.2
				Bashkirian	315.2–323.4
		Namurian
			Mississippian	Serpukhovian	323.4–330.3
	Dinantian	Visean		Visean	330.3–346.7
		Tournaisian		Tournaisian	346.7–358.9
Devonian					older
Subdivisions of the Carboniferous system in Europe compared with the official ICS-stages (as of 2024)

The Silesian is a subdivision (a series or epoch) of the Carboniferous system or period in the geologic timescale of western and central Europe. ^[1] It was named for Silesia, a region that stretches over the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany.

Geology

The Silesian follows or lies on top of the Dinantian epoch/series and lasted from roughly 330 to 299 Ma ago. ^[1]

The base of the Silesian was defined in 1958 as the first occurrence of the ammonoid Cravenoceras leion, ^[1] the top is defined by the first appearance of the conodont Streptognathodus isolatus .

Subdivisions

Carboniferous global and regional subdivisions comparison chart (as of 2006)

The Silesian is subdivided into three stages, from young (upper) to old (lower): ^[2]

• Stephanian
• Westphalian
• Namurian.

See also

• Carboniferous geochronology
• Carboniferous Europe

References

1. Aretz, M.; Herbig, H.G.; Wang, X.D.; Gradstein, F.M.; Agterberg, F.P.; Ogg, J.G. (2020). "The Carboniferous Period". In Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G.; Schmitz, M.D.; Ogg, G.M. (eds.). Geologic Time Scale 2020. Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 823–827. ISBN   978-0-12-824360-2.
2. Heckel, P.H.; Clayton, G. (2006). "The Carboniferous System. Use of the new official names for the subsystems, series, and stages". Geologica Acta. 4 (3): 403–407. doi:10.1344/105.000000354.