Jurassic Chronostratigraphic Database and the TimeScale Creator Visualization System

Authors

  • James OGG
  • Piotr PRZYBYLSKI

Keywords:

Jurassic, integrated stratigraphy, timescale, Zones, datums, sequences, chart, visualization

Abstract

A joint project of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and CHRONOS database program is to provide detailed global and regional “reference” scales of Earth history. Such scales integrate biostratigraphy (zones, datums for marine and terrestrial realms), sea-level (curves, sequences), geochemistry (trends, events), magnetic polarity chrons and astronomical cycles. The current Jurassic scale contains over 1000 events and zones correlated to Tethyan and Boreal ammonite zones with approximate numerical ages from Geologic Time Scale 2004 (Gradstein et al. 2004). This public database will be progressively enhanced through the efforts of the Jurassic Subcommission of the ICS and by other stratigraphic and regional experts. On-screen display and production of usertailored time-scale charts is provided by the TimeScale Creator, a Java package freely available from the ICS Subcommission for Stratigraphic Information or the TS-Creator websites (http://stratigraphy.science.purdue.edu or www.tscreator.org). After specifying the time interval and vertical scale, a user selects a subset of stratigraphic columns and trends. In addition to screen views and a scalable-vector graphics (SVG) file for importation into popular graphics programs, the on-screen display also has “hot-curser-points” to open windows providing additional information on events, zones and boundaries. The database and visualization package are envisioned as a convenient reference tool, chart-production assistant, and a window into the geologic history of our planet.

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