The ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart

TLDR

The International Commission on Stratigraphy has long produced charts that define geological time units, providing a global standard that underpins the periods, epochs, and ages of the geological time scale and enables linking regional divisions. The primary objective of the ACS is to define precisely a global standard set of time‑correlative units (Systems, Series, and Stages) for stratigraphic successions worldwide. Status update on the International Chronostratigraphic Chart and its website www.stratigraphy.org.

Abstract

The International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) has a long tradition of producing international charts that communicate higher-order divisions of geological time and actual knowledge on the absolute numerical ages of their boundaries. The primary objective of ACS is to define precisely a global standard set of time-correlative units (Systems, Series, and Stages) for stratigraphic successions worldwide. These units are, in turn, the basis for the Periods, Epochs and Ages of the Geological Time Scale. Setting an international global standard is fundamental for expressing geological knowledge. It is also of considerable pragmatic importance as it provides the framework through which regional-scale higher-resolution divisions can be linked, equated and collated. This is a status update on the International Chronostratigraphic Chart and the ACs website www.stratigraphy.org.