Jurassic (201.4 +/-0.2 Ma)
Back to Time ScaleRepresentation and status
- Color CMYK
- 80 / 0 / 5 / 0
- Color RGB
- R: 52 G: 178 B: 201
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Period
- Validity
- Unit is in Use
- Status
- valid formal name
Nomenclature
- Deutsch
- Jura
- Français
- Jurassique
- Italiano
- Giurassico
- English
- Jurassic (201.4 +/-0.2 Ma)
- Origin of the Name
-
Named after the Jura Mountains (France, Switzerland).
- Historical Variants
-
calcaire du Jura (von Humboldt 1795), terrain jurassique (Brongniart 1830, d'Omalius d'Halloy 1831), système Jurassique = période Jurassique (Haug 1910), Jurazeit
Hierarchy and sequence
- Units at roof
Age
- Age at top
-
- Tithonian
- Age at base
-
- Hettangian
Geography
- Type area
- Jura Mountains (France, Switzerland)
-
Late Jurassic (163.5 +/-1.0 Ma)
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Epoch
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
The Late Jurassic is the last geochronologic subepoch of the Jurassic, starting with the Oxfordian age (at the transition from the Middle Jurassic subepoch) and ending with the Tithonian age (at the transition to the Early Cretaceous subepoch). It is subdivided in three ages (Oxfordian, Kimmeridgian and Tithonian).
- Age
- Oxfordian
-
Tithonian (152.1 +/-0.9 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named derived from the Greek mythology: Tithon was the son of Laomedon of Troy, who fell in love with Eos, Greek goddess of the dawn (thus prefiguring the Cretaceous system).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>The Berriasella jacobi Zone, previously placed at the end of the Tithonian, is now considered as defining the start of the Berriasian.</p>
- In short
-
Last stage of the Jurassic.
- Age
- Tithonian
-
Kimmeridgian (157.3 +/-1.0 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Kimmeridge on the Dorset coast (UK). The Kimmeridge Clay Formation is the main oil source rock in the North Sea petroleum province.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Age
- Kimmeridgian
-
Oxfordian (163.5 +/-1.0 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the city of Oxford (UK).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
First stage of the Late Jurassic.
- Age
- Oxfordian
-
Middle Jurassic (174.1 +/-1.0 Ma)
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Epoch
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
The Middle Jurassic is the middle geochronologic subepoch of the Jurassic, starting with the Aalenian age (at the transition from the Early Jurassic subepoch) and ending with the Callovian age (at the transition to the Late Jurassic subepoch). It is subdivided in four ages (Aalenian, Bajocian, Bathonian and Callovian).
- Age
- Aalenian
-
Callovian (166.1 +/-1.2 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named derived from the old spelling of Kellaways Bridge (UK), Wiltshire, 2 miles NE Chippenham.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
Last stage of the Middle Jurassic.
- Age
- Callovian
-
Bathonian (168.3 +/-1.3 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Bath (Somerset, UK), near Bristol. The city itself is largely built of Bath Stone, a bright white oolithic limestone that is quarried nearby.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
Third stage of the Middle Jurassic.
- Age
- Bathonien
-
Bajocian (170.3 +/-1.4 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Bayeux (Calvados, France) in Normandy.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>Latin: Bajocium</p>
- In short
-
Second stage of the Middle Jurassic.
- Age
- Bajocien
-
Gaetani Oceanic Anoxic Event
- Name Origin
-
Named in recognition of Maurizio Gaetani's work on Jurassic sedimentary successions of the Lombardy Basin.
- Rank
- Oceanic Anoxic Event
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
Black shale interval locally developped at the transition betwenn the Rosso Ammonitico Lombardo and the Radiolarite Group.
- Age
- early Bajocian
-
Aalenian (174.1 +/-1.0 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Aalen (Germany), Baden-Württemberg
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
First stage of the Middle Jurassic.
- Age
- Aalenian
-
Early Jurassic (201.3 +/-0.2 Ma)
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Epoch
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
The Early Jurassic is the first geochronologic subepoch of the Jurassic, starting with the Hettangian age (at the transition from the Late Triassic subepoch) and ending with the Toarcian age (at the transition to the Middle Jurassic subepoch). It is subdivided in four ages (Hettangian, Sinemurian, Pliensbachian and Toarcian).
- Age
- Hettangian
-
Toarcian (184.2 +/-0.3 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Thouars (Deux-Sèvres, France), south of Saumur. The protected stratotype lies in an old quarry. Its GSSP is located at Peniche (Portugal).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>Latin: Toarcium</p>
- In short
-
The Toarcian is the youngest geochronologic age of the Early Jurassic. Its base, at the transition from the Pliensbachian, is placed at the first appearance of the ammonite genus Eodactylites and the base of the Aalenian (first appearance of the ammonite genus Leioceras) defines its end.
The Pliensbachian/Toarcian boundary is marked by a major faunal turnover and regional stratigraphic gaps, followed by a global Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) recorded as black shales (such as the well-known «Posidonienschiefer» of Southern Germany, equivalent to the French «schistes-carton»).
- Age
- Toarcian
-
Late Toarcian
-
Middle Toarcian
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Substage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
- The Middle Toarcian is defined biostratigraphically by the ammonite genera Hildoceras and Haugia.
- Age
- middle Toarcian
-
Early Toarcian
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Substage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
The Early Toarcian is characterized almost worldwide by black shales (among which the well-known «Posidonienschiefer» of Southern Germany, and the French «schistes-carton») with an ammonite fauna composed mainly of dactylioceratids, harpoceratids and early hildoceratids.
- Age
- early Toarcian
-
Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event
- Rank
- Oceanic Anoxic Event
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
Major oceanic anoxic event of the Early Toarcian (around 183 Ma ago), documented by black shale deposits found on all major continents (no oceanic drilling cores have recovered black shales of this age as there is little or no Toarcian ocean crust remaining in the world ocean). This event correlates with a marine extinction event.
-
Pliensbachian (190.8 +/-1.0 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the village of Pliensbach (Baden-Württemberg, S Germany), 30 km E Stuttgart.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Age
- Pliensbachien
-
Domerian
- Name Origin
-
Named after Monte Domaro (Italia), Val Trompia / Lombardia.
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Substage
- Status
- informal term
- In short
-
Informal substage corresponding to the late Pliensbachian.
- Age
- spätes Pliensbachien (= Domérien)
-
Carixian
- Name Origin
-
Named after Charmouth (Dorset, UK).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Substage
- Status
- informal term
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- Latin: Carixium
- In short
- First, informal substage of the Pliensbachian.
- Age
- frühes Pliensbachien (= Carixien)
-
Sinemurian (199.3 +/-0.3 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Sémur-en-Auxois (Côte-d'Or, France).
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- Nomenclatorial Remarks
- <p>Latin: Sinemurium</p>
- Age
- Sinémurien
-
Hettangian (201.3 +/-0.2 Ma)
- Name Origin
-
Named after the town of Hettange (Moselle, N France), just south of the border with Luxembourg,
- Rank
- chronostratigraphic Stage
- Status
- valid formal name
- In short
-
First stage of the Jurassic.
- Age
- Hettangian