Cretaceous (~ 145 Ma)
Back to Jurassic (201.4 +/-0.2 Ma)Representation and status
- Color CMYK
- 50 / 0 / 75 / 0
- Color RGB
- R: 127 G: 198 B: 78
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Period
- Validity
- Unit is in Use
- Status
- valid formal name
Nomenclature
- Deutsch
- Kreide
- Français
- Crétacé
- Italiano
- Cretacico
- English
- Cretaceous (~ 145 Ma)
- Origin of the Name
-
Named derived from the characteristic chalk deposits (Latin: creta = craie, Kreide) of the Paris-London Basin.
- Historical Variants
-
terrain crétacique (d'Omalius d'Halloy 1822), Système crétacique (Mayer-Eymar 1888), Terrain crétacé (Sornay et al. 1957), Cretaceo (?), Kreidezeit
Hierarchy and sequence
- Subordinate units
- Units at roof
Age
- Age at top
-
- Maastrichtian
- Age at base
-
- Berriasian
Geography
- Type area
- Bassin de Paris (France)
-
Late Cretaceous (100.5 Ma)
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Epoch
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
The Late Cretaceous is the last geochronologic subepoch of the Cretaceous, starting with the Cenomanian age (at the transition from the Early Cretaceous subepoch) and ending with the Maastrichtian age (at the transition to the Plaeocene subepoch). It is subdivided in six ages (Cenomanian, Turonian, Coniacian, Santonian, Campanian and Maastrichtian).
- Age
- Cenomanian
-
Maastrichtian (72.1 +/-0.2 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Maastricht (Netherlands).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
Last stage of the Cretaceous (and hence of the Mesozoic as well).
- Age
- Maastrichtian
-
Campanian (83.6 +/-0.2 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the Champagne de Saintonge (Charentes, France), near Cognac.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Age
- Campanian
-
Santonian (86.3 +/-0.5 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the former province of Saintonge (Charentes, France).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Age
- Santonian
-
Coniacian (89.8 +/-0.3 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Cognac (Charente-Maritime, France), where the historical stratotype lies.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
Initially defined as the basal stage of the «Craie supérieure» (chalk ; cf. Cretaceous).
- Age
- Coniacian
-
Turonian (93.9 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after Turonia, the Latine name for Tours (France), Indre-et-Loire.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Age
- Turonian
-
Bonarelli level (OAE-2)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the Italian geologist Guido Bonarelli (1871-1951).
- Rank
- Oceanic Anoxic Event
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
Oceanic anoxic event at the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary (around 93 Ma ago) with a major impact on the chemistry of the oceans worldwide. This event correlates with a marine extinction event.
- Age
- Late Cenomanian
-
Cenomanian (100.5 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named atfer Cenomanum, the Latine name for Le Mans (France), Sarthe.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
First stage of the Late Cretaceous.
- Age
- Cenomanian
-
Early Cretaceous (~ 145 Ma)
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Epoch
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
The Early Cretaceous is the first geochronologic subepoch of the Cretaceous, starting with the Berriasian age (at the transition from the Late Jurassic subepoch) and ending with the Albian age (at the transition to the Late Cretaceous subepoch). It is subdivided in six ages (Berriasian, Valanginian, Hauterivian, Barremian, Aptian and Albian).
- Age
- Berriasian
-
Albian (~ 113.0 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the Aube region (France).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>Latin: Alba</p>
- In short
-
Last stage of the Early Cretaceous.
- Age
- Albian
-
Vraconnien
- Name Origin
-
La Vraconnaz = La Vraconne (VD), Saint-Croix
- Rank
- chronostratigraphy
- Status
- obsolete term (disused)
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>Vraconnin (Mayer-Eymar 1885) = Albien moyen à tardif >< Rhotomagin = Vraconnien !</p>
- In short
-
Local chronostratigraphic subdivision corresponding to the late Albian (and earliest Cenomanian).
- Age
- Latest Albian
-
Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1d)
-
Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1c)
- Rank
- chemostratigraphy
- Status
- valid
- In short
- Oceanic anoxic event of the Late Albian.
- Age
- Middle Albian
-
Paquier Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1b)
- Rank
- Oceanic Anoxic Event
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
Oceanic anoxic event of the Early Albian.
- Age
- Spätestes Aptien
-
Aptian (~ 121.4 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Apt (Vaucluse, France).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
Stage of the Early Cretaceous.
- Age
- Aptien
-
Clansayésien
- Name Origin
-
Named after the village of Clansayes (Drôme, France).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphy
- Status
- local name (informal)
- In short
- Local chronostratigraphic substage corresponding to the Late Aptian.
- Age
- Late Aptian
-
Gargasian
- Name Origin
-
Named after the village of Gargas (Vaucluse, France).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Substage
- Status
- local name (informal)
- In short
- Local chronostratigraphic subdivision corresponding to the latest Early Aptian and to the Middle Aptian.
- Age
- Early Aptian
-
Bedoulian
- Name Origin
-
Named after the village of La Bédoule (Bouches-du-Rhône, France), near Cassis.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphy
- Status
- local name (informal)
- Valid term
- Aptian
- In short
- Local chronostratigraphic subdivision designating the Early Aptian. The Bedoulian, based on pelagic deposits (Marno-calcaires de la Bedoule), is approximately equivalent to the Rhodanian, which is based on littoral deposits.
- Age
- Early Aptian
-
Selli level (OAE 1a)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the Italian geologist Raimondo Selli (1916-1983).
- Rank
- Oceanic Anoxic Event
- Status
- valid
- In short
-
Oceanic anoxic event at the base of the Aptian (around 120 Ma ago) with a major impact on the chemistry of the oceans worldwide.
- Age
- Early Aptian
-
Barremian (~ 129.4 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the village of Barrême (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
... based on the Marno-calcaires de Barrême.
- Age
- Barrémien
-
Hauterivian (~ 132.6 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the village of Hauterive (NE), NE Neuchâtel.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Age
- Hauterivien
-
Valanginian (~ 139.8 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the village of Valangin (NE), at the upper end of the Gorges du Seyon (see also inventory of Swiss geotopes n°245).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>Valendis = ancien nom allemand de Valangin</p>
- In short
-
Second stage of the Early Cretaceous.
- Age
- Valanginien
-
Berriasian (~ 145 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the village of Berrias (Ardèche, France).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>The Berriasella jacobi Zone was previously placed at the end of the Tithonian.</p>
- In short
-
First stage of the Cretaceous.
- Age
- Berriasian