( ) 1-20 200 12 WESTERN PACIFIC EARTH SCIENCES, Vol., P.1-20, December, 200 2004 (Geological Time Scale GTS) ( ) (ISC) (INQUA) (1) (2)ICS (3) (4) Clague(2005) Pillans(2004) (1) (2) (Period/System) (3) Pleistocene (4)Pleistocene (1.81 Ma) Gelasian (2.6 Ma) 1. weiky@ntu.edu.tw 1
2 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. 1 ( Period) 2004 (Geological Time Scale GTS)(Gradstein et al., 2004a,b) Period Sub-Era Period System 196 (International Stratigraphic Guide)(Hedberg, 196) ( ) 2 ( ) Gibbard et al.(2005) Aubry et al.(2005) Arduino 160 Denoyers 1829 Primary-Secondary-Tertiary
Wei: status and boundary 3 Table 1. Chinese terminologies of chronostratigraphic and geochronologic units used in this article and their corresponding English terms. 180 Pleistocene (Lyell) 185 Newer Pliocene( Pleistocene) Diluvium Tertiary Newer Pliocene Pleistocene (1) Pleistocene (2) Pleistocene (Onset of Northern Hemisphere Glaciation) (Pleistocene) (Homo) G. S. Gruner 1806 Anthropogene( ) (, 2005) 1948 (International Geology Congress, IGC)
4 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. Pleistocene Calabrian Stage ( ) 1992 (International Association INQUA) Pleistocene Vrica 1.64 Ma 1.81 Ma(Lourens et al., 1996) 1.81 Ma Shackleton(199) Pleistocene 103 (MIS103) 2.4 Ma 2.6 Ma 1996 (International Commission on Stratigraphy ICS) Gela Monte San Nicola Gelasian Stage GSSP 2.588 Ma MIS103 2.6 Ma (Rio et al., 1998) INQUA 1998 Pleistocene GSSP(Global Standard Section and Point golden spike) Gelasian Stage ICS (moratorium) 2008 ICS 2004 INQUA 2008 3 2004 (Geological Time Scale GTS)
Wei: status and boundary 5 GTS (lithologic stratigraphy) (chronostratigraphy) (geochronology) GTS Gradstein 2004 (Gradstein et al., 2004a,b) GTS Neogene (Period/System) Miocene Pliocene Pleistocene Holocene( )(, 2005) (Paleogene Period) (Neogene Period)(, 2001) ( Pillans, 2006) Figure 1. Four schemes dealing with the status and boundaries of the proposed by various geological organizations in recent years (extracted from Pillans, 2006).
6 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. GTS2004 Gradstein ( Gradstein and Ogg, 2002 Ogg, 2004) Primary Secondary Tertiary (antiquated) Gradstein (ICS) GTS2004 ICS GTS2004 250 Tertiary (Giles, 2005) (International Union of Geological Sciences IUGS) Episodes INQUA GTS2004 (Clague, 2004) (ICS-INQUA Task Group) (Gradstein and Clague, 2005) 2005 9 Leuven 2006 3 INQUA (INQUA Executive) ICS (Gradstein et al., 200) 4 GTS1982 GTS1989 (Sub-Erathem) Pleistocene ( Pleistocene Series Holocene Series) 1994 (International Stratigraphic Guide)(Salvador, 1994) System GTS2004 Tertiary ( ) 2004 INQUA INQUA ICS ICS (Gibbard, 2006) ICS 2005 9 Leuven ( )(Clague, 2005) (1)
Wei: status and boundary Sub-Erathem/Sub-Era (2) Sub-Erathem Gelasian (2.6-1.8 Ma) Gelasian Pliocene Series (3) Sub-Erathem Neogene System ( Tertiary) ( Gelasian Neogene ) (1) Sub-Era (2.6 Ma ) Neogene System (23.03 Ma ) (2) Neogene System Miocene Pliocene Pleistocene Holocene Series (Sub-Era) Neogene System ( Pliocene Pleistocene Holocene) (3) Tertiary Pliocene Stages GTS 3 Ahmedahad ICS Gradstein INQUA 2006 INQUA 2006 (1) Neogene Paleogene (2) ( ) ( ) ( ) (3) Gelasian ( Gelasian ) (Gelasian ) (Lower, Middle and Upper Subseries)( ) INQUA 2006 (1) (2) (Lower Subseries) Geleasian Lower
8 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. Subseries (3) Pleistocene Pliocene (PP boundary) Gelasian GTS INQUA Pliocene ICS Gradstein 2006 20 INQUA (Gradstein et al., 200) (1) IGC 1948 Neogene 1948 (GSSP) (2) 1985 ICS INQUA Pleistocene (3) IUGS 1991 Paleogene GSSP 1996 Neogene GSSP Tertiary 20 IGC Tertiary Cenozoic (synonym) IGC Tertiary 1985 IGC INQUA Pleistocene ( Pleistocene ) (4) ICS INQUA MIS103 (2.59 Ma)( Shackleton 199 ) (2. Ma) C2r ( Matuyama Gauss 2.58 Ma) Gelasian ICS INQUA Gelasian (5) ICS IUGS IGC (6) (a) (b)pleistocene Gelasian
Wei: status and boundary 9 () ICS (Sub-Era) (Period) Pleistocene Gelasian Pleistocene IGC 1948 1998 INQUA IUGS 1948 IGC (8) Pleistocene Series GSSP(1985 ) ( Pt1 CN13b RN13 NALMA Irvingtonian ) ( C1r ) Gelasian (Matuyama) 5 INQUA 2005 INQUA (see the e-mail sent by late Nick Shackleton to Dr. Gradstein on 12 May, 2005, as cited in Gradstein. 200, p.130) (1) GTS (2) Tertiary (Sub-Era) Paleogene Neogene (3) 2.6 Ma INQUA 2006 3 Ahmedahad Paleogene Neogene INQUA 200 8 (Cairns) Alan Chivas ICS 2008 GTS 2008 8 (IGC) INQUA 2008 IUGS ICS
10 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. Pleistocene Pleistocene Gelasian Gelasian INQUA INQUA 2006 INQUA (International Council of Scientific Unions ICSU) (International Union of Geological Sciences, IUGS) ICS IUGS INQUA ICS IUGS IUGS IGC 6 GTS2004 Tertiary ( ) Walsh(2006) ICS (Guideline) C Tertiary (1)A (Pillans and Naish, 2004) GTS2004 Neogene Period Sub-Period INQUA (Pillans INQUA Stratigraphy and Chronology Commission ) GTS2004 Hornes (Vienna Basin) Neogene Neogene Quateranry Paleogene( Bowen and Gibbard, 200, p.3-4 Walsh, 2006, p.215)
Wei: status and boundary 11 A Pleistocene ICS Leuven 2005 INQUA ( ) A ICS Sub-Period GTS2004 (2)B (Aubry et al., 2005) Tertiary Sub-Era Neogene Paleogene Holocene Pleistocene Tertiary- Sub-Eras Paleogene-Neogene Periods Tertiary- Sub-Era ( Walsh, 2006) Figure 2. Three recently proposed schemes on the status and boundaries of the (from Walsh, 2006).
12 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. Neogene Period Sub- Era ICS Leuven 2005 ( ) Aubry et al.(2005) B W.A. Berggren Paleogene-Neogene Tertiary- GTS 2004 Aubry et al.(2005) (3)C (Gibbard et al., 2005) Neogene Paleogene (Period) Pleistocene Gelasian Age INQUA INQUA 2006 ( ) (1) Pleistocene Epoch Early Pleistocene earliest Gelasian Age Pleistocene Early Middle Late (2) (Tertiary) ( ) ( ).1 (GTS) (hierarchy) (hierarchical classification) ( Leuven 2005 Neogene System Sub-Erathem Tertiary Sub-Erathem ) )
Wei: status and boundary 13 Leuven(2005)( ) Aubry et al.(2005)( B) (1) Sub-Era Neogene Period Neogene Period Sub-Era Neogene Period (2) Pliocene Tertiary ( Pliocene) (subordinate).2 ISC (Remane et al., 1996, p.8) The Global Chronostratigraphic Scale must, however, comprise strictly contiguous units, without overlaps and with no gaps between them. ( ) ( Jurassic Cretaceous ) Aubry et al.(2005)( B) Gelasian Pliocene Epoch Sub-Era Tertiary Sub-Era (topological) Pliocene Tertiary Pliocene Sub-Era.3 (Simpson's rule) INQUA 2006( ) Pleistocene Series subseries stage
14 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. Pleistocene (Subseries vs. Stage).4 (convention of conterminosity) ISC (Remane et al., 1996, p.8) The lower boundaries of chronostratigraphic units of higher rank (series, systems etc.) are automatically defined by the base of their lowermost stage. ( ) (convention of conterminosity) (Harland et al., 1990, p.20) Pleistocene INQUA Pleistocene Pliocene Gelasian Leuven(2005)( ) Pillans and Naish(2004)( A) Aubry et al.(2005)( B) (1) INQUA2005 Sub-Era Sub-Era ( Sub-Era) (Tertiary Sub-Era) (Neogene) (2) INQUA ( ) Gelasian Gelasian INQUA2006 INQUA ICS Sub Era ICS (1) Pleistocene Gelasian (2)
Wei: status and boundary 15 Pleistocene INQUA (1) Sub Era (2) Pleistocene Gelasian Pleistocene ( ) Pleistocene Pleistocene (a) (b) (c) INQUA 2.6Ma ( Homo habilis H. rudolfensis) Neogene(Pliocene) 8 (1) (2) (Period) (3)Pleistocene Gelasian (4) Pleistocene Clague(2005) 3 (status quo) ( Salvador, 1994) Tertiary ( Tertiary System Paleogene System Neogene System ) Pillans(2004) present (1)Tertiary (2)
16 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. INQUA Paleogene Neogene ( ) (1)ISC (2)INQUA Pliocene Gelasian ICS ( Pillans and Naish, 2004) Figure 3. The recommended version adopted from Pillans and Naish (2004).
Wei: status and boundary 1 NSC96-252-M-002-012-PAE 59 2001 IX 2005 25 6 60-65 (2005) 5 4 1-9 Aubry, M.P., Berggren, W.A., van Couvering, J., McGowran, B., Pillans, B. and Hilgen, F. (2005) : status, ranks, definition, survival: Episodes, 28, 118-120. Bowen, D.Q. and Gibbard, P.L. (200) The is here to stay: J. Sci., 22 (1), 3-8. Clague, J. (2004) INQUA, IUGS, and the 32 nd International Geological Congress: Quat. Perspective, 14(2), 8-88. Clague, J. (2005) Status of the : Quat. Sci.Reviews, 24, 2424-2425. Gibbard, P.L. (2006) International Commission on Stratigraphy Workshop, Leuven, Belgium, 1-5 September 2005: Quat. Int., 14, 11-119. Gibbard, P.L., Smith, A.G., Zalasiewicz, J.A., Barry, T.L., Cantrill, D., Coe, A.L., Cope, J.C. W., Gale, A.S., Gregory, F.J., Powell, J.H., Rawson, P.F., Stone, P. and Waters, C.N. (2005) What status for the?: Boreas, 34, 1-6. Giles, J. (2005) Geologists call time on dating dispute: Nature, 435, 865. Gradstein, F.M. and Clague, J. (2005) Announcement of the ICS-INQUA joint task force on the : Quat. Int., 129, 91. Gradstein, F.M., Finney, S. and Ogg, J. (200) Current IUGS-IGC decision on and
18 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol. on Pleistocene: Quat. Int., 160, 129-131. Gradstein, F.M. and Ogg, J.G. (2002) Future directions in stratigraphy: Episodes, 25, 203-208. Gradstein, F.M., Ogg. J.G., Smith, A.G., Bleeker, W. and Lourens, L.J. (2004a) A new Geologic Time Scale, with special reference to Precambrian and Neogene: Episodes, 2, 83-100. Gradstein, F.M., Ogg, J.G., Smith, A.G. and others. (2004b) A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 589 p. Harland, W.B., Armstrong, R.L., Cox, A.V., Craig, L.E., Smith, A.G. and Smith, D.G. (1990) A Geologic Time Scale 1989, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 263 p. Hedberg, H.D. (196) International Stratigraphic Guide. A Guide to Stratigraphic Classification, Terminology and Procedure. (International Subcommittee on Stratigraphic Classification, IUGS Commission on Stratigraphy), John Wiley & Sons, New York, 200 p. Lourens, L.J., Antonarakou, A., Hilgen, F.J., Van Hoof, A.A.M., Vergnaud-Grazzini, C. and Zachariasse, W.J. (1996) Evaluation of the Plio-Pleistocene astronomical timescale: Paleoceanography, 11(4), 391-413. Ogg, J.G. (2004) Introduction to concepts and proposed standardization of the term "": Episodes, 2, 125-126. Pillans, B. (2004) Proposal to redefine the : Episodes, 2,12-12. Pillans, B. (2006) Defining the : where do we go from here?: Australia, 24(1), 2-4. Pillans, B. and Naish, T. (2004) Defining the : Quat. Sci.Reviews, 23, 221-2282. Remane, J., Bassett, M.G., Cowie, J.W., Gohrbandt, K.H., Lane, H.R., Michelson, O. and Naiwen, W. (1996) Revised guidelines for the establishment of global chronostratigraphic standards by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS): Episodes, 19, -81. Rio, D., Sprovieri, R., Castradori, D., Di Stefano, E. (1998) The Gelasian Stage Upper Pliocene: a new unit of the global standard chronostratigraphic scale: Episodes, 21, 82-8. Salvador, A. (Ed.) (1994) International Stratigraphic Guide, 2 nd ed. International Union of Geological Sciences and The Geological Society of America, Trondheim, Norway, and Boulder, CO. 214 p. Shackleton, N.J. (199) The deep sea record and the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary: Quat. Int., 40, 33-35. Walsh, S.L. (2006) Hierarchical subdivisions of the Cenozoic Era: a venerable solution, and a critique of current proposals: Earth Science Reviews, 8, 20-23.
Wei: status and boundary 19 ON THE SURVIVAL, RANK AND BOUNDARY OF THE QUATERNARY KUO-YEN WEI 1 1. Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. ABSTRACT The omission of the from the newly published Geologic Time Scale 2004 has caused hot debates on the survival, rank, definition and boundary of the among geoscientists and between geologic organizations, such as the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and International Union for Research (INQUA). This article comments on several proposals and options appeared in recent years. Based on consideration of (1) general rules of ranked hierarchy, (2) ICS guideline of no overlapping or gaps between units, (3) Simpson's rule, and (4) convention of conterminosity, the author suggests to adopt the option 3rd of the status quo version in Clague (2005) (same as the "present version" in Pillans, 2004), namely, (1) keeping the as a formal ranked chronostratigraphic unit, (2) retaining the rank as the Period/System, (3) coupling the lower boundaries of the and the Pleistocene and (4) retaining the current Pleistocene GSSP at 1.81 Ma without extending the lower Pleistocene boundary to the base of the Gelasian (2.6 Ma). Key words:, Pleistocene, Neogene, stratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, geologic time scale 1. Kuo-Yen Wei, e-mail: weiky@ntu.edu.tw
20 Western Pacific Earth Sciences, Vol.