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Eon
System,Subsystem or
Period,Subperiod
Erathem or Era
Series or Epoch
Holocene
11,477 years ago (+/- 85
years) to the Present
Quaternary
1.8 million years ago to the Present
An epoch of the
Quaternary period. It is
named after the Greek
words "holos" (entire) and
"ceno" (new).
Pleistocene
The several geologic eras were originally
named Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and
Quaternary. The first two names are no longer
used. Tertiary and Quaternary have been
retained but used as period designations.
Pliocene
5.3 to 1.8 million years ago
Cenozoic
P
h
a
n
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Miocene
The Cenozoic,
Mesozoic, and
Paleozoic Eras are
part of the
Phanerozoic Eon
Oligocene
33.9 to 23.0 million years ago
An epoch of the early
Tertiary period. It is
named after the Greek
words "oligos" (little, few)
and "ceno" (new).
Tertiary
65.5 to 1.8 million years ago
The first period of the Cenozoic era (after the
Mesozoic era and before the Quaternary
period).
Eocene
55.8 to 33.9 million years ago
An epoch of the lower
Tertiary period. Its name
is from the Greek words
"eos" (dawn) and
"ceno" (new).
Paleocene
65.5 to 58.8 million years ago
Earliest epoch of the
Tertiary period. It is
named after the Greek
words "palaois" (old) and
"ceno" (new).
Eon
Erathem or Era
System,Subsystem or Period,Subperiod
Series
or
Epoch
Cretaceous
145.5 to 65.5 million years ago
Late or
Upper
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from the Latin word for chalk ("creta") and was first applied
to extensive deposits of this age that form white cliffs along
the English Channel between Great Britain and France.
P
h
a
n
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o
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o
i
c
Early or
Lower
Mesozoic
251.0 to 65.5 million years ago
Jurassic
Late or
Upper
Middle
Early or
Lower
Triassic
251.0 to 199.6 million years ago
The earliest period of the Mesozoic era. The name Triassic
refers to the threefold division of rocks of this age in
Germany.
Late or
Upper
Middle
Early or
Lower
Eon
Erathem or Era
System,Subsystem or Period,Subperiod
Series or
Epoch
Permian
299.0 to 251.0 million years ago
Lopingian
Guadalupian
NOTE: all series/epochs of the Silurian and the
Permian have been named. Although the usage of
these names is preferred, "lower/early", "middle",
and "upper/late" are still acceptable as informal
units (lowercase) for these two systems/periods.
Cisuralian
Pennsylvanian
318.1 to 299.0 million years
ago
Late or
Upper
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Early or
Lower
Carboniferous
359.2 to 299.0 million
years ago
Mississippian
A period of time in the
Paleozoic era that
includes the
Pennsylvanian and
Mississippian periods.
Paleozoic
Late or
Upper
Middle
Early or
Lower
P
h
a
n
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o
i
c
Devonian
416.0 to 359.2 million years ago
Middle
Early or
Lower
The Cenozoic,
Mesozoic, and
Paleozoic Eras are
part of the
Phanerozoic Eon
Late or
Upper
Silurian
443.7 to 416.0 million years ago
A period of the Paleozoic. It is named after a Celtic tribe
called the Silures.
Pridoli
Ludlow
Wenlock
Llandovery
Ordovician
488.3 to 443.7 million years ago
The second earliest period of the Paleozoic era. It is named
after a Celtic tribe called the Ordovices.
Late or
Upper
Middle
Early or
Lower
Cambrian
Late or
Upper
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Middle
Early or
Lower
Precambrian ***
approximately 4 billion years ago to 542.0 million years ago
*** The name "Precambrian" means "before Cambrian". According to the Divisions of Geologic Time -- Major
Chronostratigraphic and Geochronologic Units (USGS Fact Sheet 2007-3015, March 2007), for many years the term
"Precambrian" was used for the division of time older than the Phanerozoic Eon (which includes the Cenozoic, Mesozoic, and
Paleozoic Eras, see above). Today however the term is considered to be informal and without specific stratigraphic rank. The
"Precambrian" covers the Proterozoic, Archean, and Hadean Eons.
Resources:
Table compiled and/or modified by: Lyn Topinka, USGS/CVO, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2008, with names and ages modified in 2008
to match U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2007-3015, "Divisions of Geologic Time -- Major Chronostratigraphic and
Geochronologic Units", March 2007.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2007-3015: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Names Committee, 2007, Divisions of
geologic timeMajor chronostratigraphic and geochronologic units: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2007-3015, 2 p.
Geological Society of America (GSA) 1999 Geologic Timescale, GSA Website, 2006
U.S. Geological Survey, Paleontology Website: http://geology.er.usgs.gov/paleo/, 1997 and January 2001
Newman, Geologic Time Online Edition: USGS General Interest Publication, version 1.2
Newhall and Dzurisin, 1988, Historical Unrest at Large Calderas in the World: USGS Bulletin 1855
Schlee, Our Changing Earth: USGS General Interest Publication, Online Version, January 2001
Swanson, et.al., 1989, Cenozoic vulcanism in the Cascade Range and Columbia Plateau, Southern Washington and
Northermost Oregon, AGU Field Trip Guidebook T106
University of California Museum of Paleontology Website, 2008.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, The
Geologic History of the Columbia River Gorge: Information Broshure
The Geologic Story of the Ocoee River: USGS General Interest Publication, July 1996
U.S. National Park Service Website - Geology Fieldnotes; Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, April 2000
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