Table of Contents

Introduction; Planetary time scale; Precambrian period; Cambrian period; Ordovician period; Silurian period; Devonian period; Carboniferous period; Permian period; Triassic period; Jurassic period; Cretaceous period; Paleogene period; Neogene period; Quaternary period; Appendix. Standard colors of the international divisions of geologic time; References; Index.

Promotional Information

A concise summary of Earth's history and the International Geologic Time Scale - containing a handy, detachable laminated time scale chart.

About the Author

Gabi Ogg is a micropaleontologist and is responsible for the many time scale charts and other graphics in this book and numerous other publications. Jim Ogg is a Professor in the Department Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Purdue University and has served as Secretary-General of the International Commission on Stratigraphy since 2000. As part of this role he developed the TimeScale Creator databases and visualization system (freely available at www.stratigraphy.org). His research specialties include Mesozoic marine stratigraphy, paleomagnetism, and climate cycles. Felix Gradstein is Professor of Stratigraphy and Micropaleontology at the Geology Department of the Natural History Museum of Oslo University. He was chair of the International Commission on Stratigraphy from 2000 to 2008, and under his tenure major progress was made with the definition and ratification and international acceptance of chronostratigraphic units from Precambrian through to Quaternary.

Reviews

Reviews of A Geological Time Scale 2004 by Gradstein, Ogg and Smith (winner of the Mary B. Ansari Best Reference Work Award from the Geoscience Information Society): 'The publication of A Geologic Time Scale 2004, written by an international team of 40 scientists, is a milestone in our understanding of that past, and sets the standard in stratigraphy.' New Scientist 'One cannot help being struck by the amount of information in this volume ... a triumph of scholarship, that will serve the profession and the public well.' Episodes 'The book is an inspiring leader in practical stratigraphy, its philosophical roots, and its prime product: The Geologic Time Scale. It is a very important publication for graduate scholars, scientists, and sedimentologists, hydrogeologists, and petroleum geologists.' Environmental Geology 'The editors have succeeded admirably in compiling a work that is dense with information but is both beautiful in layout and extremely readable ... The book is a masterpiece of presentation ... an amazing work that provides a new standard for both geochronology, and for committee-driven scientific project reports.' The Leading Edge 'This is a volume that should be in all good geological libraries.' Geological Magazine