The geologic time scale / Геологическая временная шкала

This study presents the science community with a new geologic time scale for circa 3850 million years of Earth history. The scale encompasses many recent advances in stratigraphy, the science of the layering of strata on Earth. The new scale closely links radiometric and astronomical age dating, and provides comprehensive error analysis on the age of boundaries for a majority of the geologic divisions of time. Much advantage in time scale construction is gained by the concept of stage boundary definition, developed and actively pursued under the auspices of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), that co-sponsors this study. <...>