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Formal Subdivision of the Holocene Series/Epoch : A Summary

Walker, Mike ; Gibbard, Phil ; Head, Martin J. ; Berkelhammer, Max ; Björck, Svante LU ; Cheng, Hai ; Cwynar, Les C. ; Fisher, David ; Gkinis, Vasilios and Long, Antony , et al. (2019) In Journal of the Geological Society of India 93(2). p.135-141
Abstract


The Holocene Series/Epoch is the most recent series/epoch in the geological timescale, spanning the interval from 11,700 yr to the present day. Together with the subadjacent Pleistocene, it comprises the Quaternary System/Period. The Holocene record contains diverse geomorphological, biological, climatological and archaeological evidence, within sequences that are often continuous and extremely well-preserved at decadal, annual and even seasonal resolution. As a consequence, the Holocene is perhaps the most intensively-studied series/epoch within the entire Geological Time Scale. Yet until recently little attention had been paid to a formal subdivision of the Holocene. Here... (More)


The Holocene Series/Epoch is the most recent series/epoch in the geological timescale, spanning the interval from 11,700 yr to the present day. Together with the subadjacent Pleistocene, it comprises the Quaternary System/Period. The Holocene record contains diverse geomorphological, biological, climatological and archaeological evidence, within sequences that are often continuous and extremely well-preserved at decadal, annual and even seasonal resolution. As a consequence, the Holocene is perhaps the most intensively-studied series/epoch within the entire Geological Time Scale. Yet until recently little attention had been paid to a formal subdivision of the Holocene. Here we describe an initiative by the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) to develop a formal stratigraphical subdivision of the Holocene, with three new stages/ages, two underpinned by Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs in an ice core, and a third in a speleothem. These stages/ages are defined together with their equivalent subseries/subepochs. The new stages/ages are the Greenlandian with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP2 ice core and dated at 11,700 yr b2k (before 2000 CE); the Northgrippian with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP1 ice core and dated to 8236 yr b2k; and the Meghalayan, with its GSSP in a speleothem from Mawmluh Cave, northeastern India, with a date of 4250 yr b2k. This subdivision was formally ratified by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) on 14
th
June 2018.

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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of the Geological Society of India
volume
93
issue
2
pages
7 pages
publisher
Geological Society of India
external identifiers
  • scopus:85062472340
ISSN
0016-7622
DOI
10.1007/s12594-019-1141-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8509fbe6-fb4a-484a-b7ea-a59ef7e5dd22
date added to LUP
2019-03-13 14:09:26
date last changed
2022-04-25 21:37:09
@article{8509fbe6-fb4a-484a-b7ea-a59ef7e5dd22,
  abstract     = {{<p><br>
                                                         The Holocene Series/Epoch is the most recent series/epoch in the geological timescale, spanning the interval from 11,700 yr to the present day. Together with the subadjacent Pleistocene, it comprises the Quaternary System/Period. The Holocene record contains diverse geomorphological, biological, climatological and archaeological evidence, within sequences that are often continuous and extremely well-preserved at decadal, annual and even seasonal resolution. As a consequence, the Holocene is perhaps the most intensively-studied series/epoch within the entire Geological Time Scale. Yet until recently little attention had been paid to a formal subdivision of the Holocene. Here we describe an initiative by the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) to develop a formal stratigraphical subdivision of the Holocene, with three new stages/ages, two underpinned by Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs in an ice core, and a third in a speleothem. These stages/ages are defined together with their equivalent subseries/subepochs. The new stages/ages are the Greenlandian with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP2 ice core and dated at 11,700 yr b2k (before 2000 CE); the Northgrippian with its GSSP in the Greenland NGRIP1 ice core and dated to 8236 yr b2k; and the Meghalayan, with its GSSP in a speleothem from Mawmluh Cave, northeastern India, with a date of 4250 yr b2k. This subdivision was formally ratified by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) on 14                             <br>
                            <sup>th</sup><br>
                                                          June 2018.                         <br>
                        </p>}},
  author       = {{Walker, Mike and Gibbard, Phil and Head, Martin J. and Berkelhammer, Max and Björck, Svante and Cheng, Hai and Cwynar, Les C. and Fisher, David and Gkinis, Vasilios and Long, Antony and Lowe, John and Newnham, Rewi and Rasmussen, Sune Olander and Weiss, Harvey}},
  issn         = {{0016-7622}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{135--141}},
  publisher    = {{Geological Society of India}},
  series       = {{Journal of the Geological Society of India}},
  title        = {{Formal Subdivision of the Holocene Series/Epoch : A Summary}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12594-019-1141-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s12594-019-1141-9}},
  volume       = {{93}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}