Early Jurassic

Early/Lower Jurassic
201.3 ± 0.2 – 174.7 ± 0.8 Ma
A map of Earth as it appeared 190 million years ago during the Early Jurassic Epoch, Pliensbachian Age
Chronology
Etymology
Chronostratigraphic nameLower Jurassic
Geochronological nameEarly Jurassic
Name formalityFormal
Usage information
Celestial bodyEarth
Regional usageGlobal (ICS)
Time scale(s) usedICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unitEpoch
Stratigraphic unitSeries
Time span formalityFormal
Lower boundary definitionFAD of the Ammonite Psiloceras spelae tirolicum.
Lower boundary GSSPKuhjoch section, Karwendel mountains, Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria
47°29′02″N 11°31′50″E / 47.4839°N 11.5306°E / 47.4839; 11.5306
Lower GSSP ratified2010[2]
Upper boundary definitionFAD of the Ammonites Leioceras opalinum and Leioceras lineatum
Upper boundary GSSPFuentelsaz, Spain
41°10′15″N 1°50′00″W / 41.1708°N 1.8333°W / 41.1708; -1.8333
Upper GSSP ratified2000[3]

The Early Jurassic Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event, 201.3 Ma (million years ago), and ends at the start of the Middle Jurassic 174.7 ±0.8 Ma.

Certain rocks of marine origin of this age in Europe are called "Lias" and that name was used for the period, as well, in 19th-century geology.[4] In southern Germany rocks of this age are called Black Jurassic.

  1. ^ "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy.
  2. ^ Hillebrandt, A.v.; Krystyn, L.; Kürschner, W.M.; Bonis, N.R.; Ruhl, M.; Richoz, S.; Schobben, M. A. N.; Urlichs, M.; Bown, P.R.; Kment, K.; McRoberts, C.A.; Simms, M.; Tomãsových, A (September 2013). "The Global Stratotype Sections and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Jurassic System at Kuhjoch (Karwendel Mountains, Northern Calcareous Alps, Tyrol, Austria)". Episodes. 36 (3): 162–198. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.736.9905. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2013/v36i3/001. S2CID 128552062.
  3. ^ Cresta, S.; Goy, A.; Arias, C.; Barrón, E.; Bernad, J.; Canales, M.; García-Joral, F.; García-Romero, E; Gialanella, P.; Gómez, J.; González, J.; Herrero, C.; Martínez2, G.; Osete, M.; Perilli, N.; Villalaín, J. (September 2001). "The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Toarcian-Aalenian Boundary (Lower-Middle Jurassic)" (PDF). Episodes. 24 (3): 166–175. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2001/v24i3/003. Retrieved 13 December 2020.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Rudwick, M.J.S (1992): Scenes from Deep Time: Early Pictorial Representations of the Prehistoric World, University of Chicago Press, 280 pages. Except from Google Books