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Fact Sheet 2010–3059

Notice: This USGS Publication has been superseded by https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20183054

Notice: This USGS Publication supersedes https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3015

Divisions of Geologic Time—Major Chronostratigraphic and Geochronologic Units

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Introduction.—Effective communication in the geosciences requires consistent uses of stratigraphic nomenclature, especially divisions of geologic time. A geologic time scale is composed of standard stratigraphic divisions based on rock sequences and is calibrated in years. Over the years, the development of new dating methods and the refinement of previous methods have stimulated revisions to geologic time scales.

Advances in stratigraphy and geochronology require that any time scale be periodically updated. Therefore, Divisions of Geologic Time, which shows the major chronostratigraphic (position) and geochronologic (time) units, is intended to be a dynamic resource that will be modified to include accepted changes of unit names and boundary age estimates. This fact sheet is a modification of USGS Fact Sheet 2007–3015 by the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Names Committee.

First posted July 20, 2010

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Suggested citation:

U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Names Committee, 2010, Divisions of geologic time—major chronostratigraphic and geochronologic units: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2010–3059, 2 p.


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