Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System: A Progress Report

There is no global standard set of chronostratigraphic/geochronologic subdivisions for the Ordovician System/Period. British series/epochs are often used as de facto nomenclature on stratigraphic correlation charts and geologic time scales. However, they were not widely adopted outside of the Britis...

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Main Author: S. FINNEY
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Geociències Barcelona (Geo3BCN), Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) 2005-01-01
Series:Geologica Acta
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/1872
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author S. FINNEY
author_facet S. FINNEY
author_sort S. FINNEY
collection DOAJ
description There is no global standard set of chronostratigraphic/geochronologic subdivisions for the Ordovician System/Period. British series/epochs are often used as de facto nomenclature on stratigraphic correlation charts and geologic time scales. However, they were not widely adopted outside of the British Isles because the high degree of biogeographic provincialism and ecologic differentiation of Ordovician faunas prevent the British series from being correlated with precision and high resolution. As a result, several independent and very different regional sets of series and constituent stages were established for the Ordovician System with each generally applicable to a different paleoplate or modern continent. Of course, this has greatly confused Ordovician chronostratigraphy/geochronology and often results in imprecise correlations of Ordovician stratigraphic successions. An example is the Argentine Precordillera where British series are traditionally used to correlate Ordovician strata that contain faunas of predominately Laurentian affinity. The Subcommission on Ordovician Stratigraphy of the International Commission on Stratigraphy is addressing this problem by developing a standard set of Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System. The Subcommission has made considerable progress, but it must complete its work expeditiously. The new global standard will facilitate reliable global correlation. It will provide a common language for discussing Ordovician strata, fossils, and geologic events. It will be of fundamental importance in advancing research on Ordovician rocks worldwide.
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publisher Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Geociències Barcelona (Geo3BCN), Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
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spelling doaj.art-1e7be12276df4f0fba7fb62877a3fd232023-10-20T07:09:46ZengUniversitat de Barcelona (UB), Geociències Barcelona (Geo3BCN), Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)Geologica Acta1696-57282005-01-013410.1344/104.000001381Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System: A Progress ReportS. FINNEY0University at Long BeachThere is no global standard set of chronostratigraphic/geochronologic subdivisions for the Ordovician System/Period. British series/epochs are often used as de facto nomenclature on stratigraphic correlation charts and geologic time scales. However, they were not widely adopted outside of the British Isles because the high degree of biogeographic provincialism and ecologic differentiation of Ordovician faunas prevent the British series from being correlated with precision and high resolution. As a result, several independent and very different regional sets of series and constituent stages were established for the Ordovician System with each generally applicable to a different paleoplate or modern continent. Of course, this has greatly confused Ordovician chronostratigraphy/geochronology and often results in imprecise correlations of Ordovician stratigraphic successions. An example is the Argentine Precordillera where British series are traditionally used to correlate Ordovician strata that contain faunas of predominately Laurentian affinity. The Subcommission on Ordovician Stratigraphy of the International Commission on Stratigraphy is addressing this problem by developing a standard set of Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System. The Subcommission has made considerable progress, but it must complete its work expeditiously. The new global standard will facilitate reliable global correlation. It will provide a common language for discussing Ordovician strata, fossils, and geologic events. It will be of fundamental importance in advancing research on Ordovician rocks worldwide.https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/1872OrdovicianChronostratigraphyPrecordilleraArgentina.
spellingShingle S. FINNEY
Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System: A Progress Report
Geologica Acta
Ordovician
Chronostratigraphy
Precordillera
Argentina.
title Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System: A Progress Report
title_full Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System: A Progress Report
title_fullStr Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System: A Progress Report
title_full_unstemmed Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System: A Progress Report
title_short Global Series and Stages for the Ordovician System: A Progress Report
title_sort global series and stages for the ordovician system a progress report
topic Ordovician
Chronostratigraphy
Precordillera
Argentina.
url https://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/1872
work_keys_str_mv AT sfinney globalseriesandstagesfortheordoviciansystemaprogressreport