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Subdividing the Holocene Series/Epoch : formalization of stages/ages and subseries/subepochs, and designation of GSSPs and auxiliary stratotypes

Walker, Mike ; Head, Martin J. ; Lowe, John ; Berkelhammer, Max ; BjÖrck, Svante LU ; Cheng, Hai ; Cwynar, Les C. ; Fisher, David ; Gkinis, Vasileios and Long, Antony , et al. (2019) In Journal of Quaternary Science 34(3). p.173-186
Abstract

The Holocene, which currently spans ~11 700 years, is the shortest series/epoch within the geological time scale (GTS), yet it contains a rich archive of evidence in stratigraphical contexts that are frequently continuous and often preserved at high levels of resolution. On 14 June 2018, the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences formally ratified a proposal to subdivide the Holocene into three stages/ages, along with their equivalent subseries/subepochs, each anchored by a Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). The new stages are the Greenlandian (Lower/Early Holocene Subseries/Subepoch) with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP2 ice core and dated at 11 700 a b2k (before 2000 CE); the... (More)

The Holocene, which currently spans ~11 700 years, is the shortest series/epoch within the geological time scale (GTS), yet it contains a rich archive of evidence in stratigraphical contexts that are frequently continuous and often preserved at high levels of resolution. On 14 June 2018, the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences formally ratified a proposal to subdivide the Holocene into three stages/ages, along with their equivalent subseries/subepochs, each anchored by a Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). The new stages are the Greenlandian (Lower/Early Holocene Subseries/Subepoch) with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP2 ice core and dated at 11 700 a b2k (before 2000 CE); the Northgrippian (Middle Holocene Subseries/Subepoch) with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP1 ice core and dated at 8236 a b2k; and the Meghalayan (Upper/Late Holocene Subseries/Subepoch) with its GSSP in a speleothem from Mawmluh Cave, north-eastern India, with a date of 4250 a b2k. We explain the nomenclature of the new divisions, describe the procedures involved in the ratification process, designate auxiliary stratotypes to support the GSSPs and consider the implications of the subdivision for defining the Anthropocene as a new unit within the GTS.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
auxiliary stratotypes, Greenlandian, Holocene subdivision, Meghalayan, Northgrippian.
in
Journal of Quaternary Science
volume
34
issue
3
pages
14 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:85066290135
ISSN
0267-8179
DOI
10.1002/jqs.3097
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3b83ce76-f946-4a22-acd9-20a97fc410f8
date added to LUP
2019-09-02 14:35:40
date last changed
2022-04-26 03:52:35
@article{3b83ce76-f946-4a22-acd9-20a97fc410f8,
  abstract     = {{<p>The Holocene, which currently spans ~11 700 years, is the shortest series/epoch within the geological time scale (GTS), yet it contains a rich archive of evidence in stratigraphical contexts that are frequently continuous and often preserved at high levels of resolution. On 14 June 2018, the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences formally ratified a proposal to subdivide the Holocene into three stages/ages, along with their equivalent subseries/subepochs, each anchored by a Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). The new stages are the Greenlandian (Lower/Early Holocene Subseries/Subepoch) with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP2 ice core and dated at 11 700 a b2k (before 2000 CE); the Northgrippian (Middle Holocene Subseries/Subepoch) with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP1 ice core and dated at 8236 a b2k; and the Meghalayan (Upper/Late Holocene Subseries/Subepoch) with its GSSP in a speleothem from Mawmluh Cave, north-eastern India, with a date of 4250 a b2k. We explain the nomenclature of the new divisions, describe the procedures involved in the ratification process, designate auxiliary stratotypes to support the GSSPs and consider the implications of the subdivision for defining the Anthropocene as a new unit within the GTS.</p>}},
  author       = {{Walker, Mike and Head, Martin J. and Lowe, John and Berkelhammer, Max and BjÖrck, Svante and Cheng, Hai and Cwynar, Les C. and Fisher, David and Gkinis, Vasileios and Long, Antony and Newnham, Rewi and Rasmussen, Sune Olander and Weiss, Harvey}},
  issn         = {{0267-8179}},
  keywords     = {{auxiliary stratotypes; Greenlandian; Holocene subdivision; Meghalayan; Northgrippian.}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{173--186}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Journal of Quaternary Science}},
  title        = {{Subdividing the Holocene Series/Epoch : formalization of stages/ages and subseries/subepochs, and designation of GSSPs and auxiliary stratotypes}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3097}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/jqs.3097}},
  volume       = {{34}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}