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GY 111: Physical Geology Lecture 20: Geological Time Instructor: Dr. Douglas W. Haywick UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
GY 111: Physical Geology
Lecture 20: Geological Time
Instructor: Dr. Douglas W. Haywick
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA
Today’s Agenda
Web notes 20
A) How long is long? B) Geological time divisions
The problem is that we have to deal with a lot of time.
Geological Time
The problem is that we have to deal with a lot of time.
4.6 GA = 4,600,000,000 years
Geological Time
Demo time
Geological Time
http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/govdocs/text/greatplains/fig05.jpg
Time
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Geological Time
Time Eon
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Eons: the largest division of geological time
Geological Time
Time Eon Time
0 MA (today) 4.6 GA Hadean 4.6 Ga to 4.2* Ga
Geological Time
* the upper age boundary varies as the oldest rocks on the planet change. The shift from 4.1 to 4.2 GA occurred in October 2008 following the discovery of really old rocks in northern Canada.
Time Eon Time
0 MA (today) 4.6 GA
Archean 4.2 Ga to 2.5 Ga
Hadean 4.6 Ga to 4.2 Ga
Geological Time
Time Eon Time
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Proterozoic 2.5 GA to 550 Ma
Archean 4.2 Ga to 2.5 Ga
Hadean 4.6 Ga to 4.2 Ga
Geological Time
Time Eon Time
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Phanerozoic 550 MA to 0 MA
Proterozoic 2.5 GA to 550 Ma
Archean 4.2 Ga to 2.5 Ga
Hadean 4.6 Ga to 4.2 Ga
Geological Time
Time Eon Era Time
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Phanerozoic
Proterozoic
Archean
Hadean
Eras: the 3-fold division of the eons
Geological Time
Time Eon Era Time
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Phanerozoic
Proterozoic
Archean Early, Middle,
Late
4.2 Ga to 2.5 Ga
Hadean 4.6 Ga to 4.2 Ga
Geological Time
Time Eon Era Time
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Phanerozoic
Proterozoic Neoproterozoic 900 MA to 550 Ma Mesoproterozoic 1.6 GA to 900 MA Paleoproterozoic 2.5 GA to 1.6 GA
Archean 4.2 Ga to 2.5 Ga Hadean 4.6 Ga to 4.2 Ga
Geological Time
Time Eon Era Time
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Phanerozoic Cenozoic 65 MA to 0 MA Mesozoic 245 MA to 65 MA Paleozoic 550 MA to 245 MA
Proterozoic Neoproterozoic 900 MA to 550 Ma Mesoproterozoic 1.6 GA to 900 MA Paleoproterozoic 2.5 GA to 1.6 GA
Archean 4.2 Ga to 2.5 Ga Hadean 4.6 Ga to 4.2 Ga
Geological Time
Time Eon Era Time
0 MA (today)
4.6 GA
Phanerozoic Cenozoic 65 MA to 0 MA Mesozoic 245 MA to 65 MA Paleozoic 550 MA to 245 MA
Proterozoic Neoproterozoic 900 MA to 550 Ma Mesoproterozoic 1.6 GA to 900 MA Paleoproterozoic 2.5 GA to 1.6 GA
Archean 4.2 Ga to 2.5 Ga Hadean 4.6 Ga to 4.2 Ga
Geological Time
Periods: the most useful subdivisions of (mostly) the Phanerozoic eon
Geological Time Era Period
Cenozoic (0 to 65 Ma)
Quaternary (0 to 2 Ma)
Tertiary (2 MA to 65 Ma)
Mesozoic (65 to 251 Ma)
Cretaceous (65 to 144 Ma)
Jurassic (144 to 208 Ma)
Triassic (208 to 251 Ma)
Paleozoic (251 to 542 Ma)
Permian (251 to 286 Ma)
Pennsylvanian (286 to 320 Ma)
Mississippian (320 to 362 Ma)
Devonian (362 to 418 Ma)
Silurian(418 to 441 Ma)
Ordovician (441 to 505 Ma)
Cambrian (505 to 542 Ma)
Proterozoic (2500 Ma to 542 Ma)
Periods: the most useful subdivisions of (mostly) the Phanerozoic eon
Geological Time Era Period
Cenozoic (0 to 65 Ma)
Quaternary (0 to 2 Ma)
Tertiary (2 MA to 65 Ma)
Mesozoic (65 to 251 Ma)
Cretaceous (65 to 144 Ma)
Jurassic (144 to 208 Ma)
Triassic (208 to 251 Ma)
Paleozoic (251 to 542 Ma)
Permian (251 to 286 Ma)
Pennsylvanian (286 to 320 Ma)
Mississippian (320 to 362 Ma)
Devonian (362 to 418 Ma)
Silurian(418 to 441 Ma)
Ordovician (441 to 505 Ma)
Cambrian (505 to 542 Ma)
Proterozoic (2500 Ma to 542 Ma)
Ediacarin* (600 to 542 Ma)
Cryogenian* (850 to 600 Ma)
Periods: the most useful subdivisions of (mostly) the Phanerozoic eon
Geological Time Era Period Epoch
Cenozoic (0 to 65 Ma)
Quaternary (0 to 2 Ma)
Holocene (0 to 10 Ka)
Pleistocene (10 Ka to 2 Ma)
Tertiary (2 MA to 65 Ma)
Pliocene (2 Ma to 5 Ma)
Miocene (5 Ma to 24 Ma)
Oligocene (24 to 37 Ma)
Eocene (37 Ma to 58 Ma)
Paleocene (58 to 65 Ma)
Mesozoic (65 to 251 Ma)
Cretaceous (65 to 144 Ma)
Lots of Epochs in
All Periods
Jurassic (144 to 208 Ma)
Triassic (208 to 251 Ma)
Paleozoic (251 to 542 Ma)
Permian (251 to 286 Ma)
Pennsylvanian (286 to 320 Ma)
Mississippian (320 to 362 Ma)
Devonian (362 to 418 Ma)
Silurian(418 to 441 Ma)
Ordovician (441 to 505 Ma)
Cambrian (505 to 542 Ma)
Proterozoic (2500 Ma to 542 Ma)
Ediacarin* (600 to 542 Ma)
Cryogenian* (850 to 600 Ma)
Geological Time (It’s still be revised)
http://www.quaternary.stratigraphy.org.uk/images/GeolAug.jpg
Today’s Homework 1. Groundwater Assignment due soon
Next Time Rock deformation
Note: Last day to drop is tomorrow by 4:59 PM
GY 111: Physical Geology
Lecture 20: Geological Time
Instructor: Dr. Doug Haywick
This is a free open access lecture, but not for commercial purposes. For personal use only.
