Piacenzian

Piacenzian
3.600 – 2.58 Ma
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Chronology
Formerly part ofTertiary Period/System
Etymology
Name formalityFormal
Usage information
Celestial bodyEarth
Regional usageGlobal (ICS)
Time scale(s) usedICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unitAge
Stratigraphic unitStage
Time span formalityFormal
Lower boundary definitionBase of Gauss/Gilbert (C2An/C2Ar) magnetic reversal
Lower boundary GSSPPunta Piccola Section, Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Italy
37°17′20″N 13°29′36″E / 37.2889°N 13.4933°E / 37.2889; 13.4933
Lower GSSP ratifiedJanuary 1997[4]
Upper boundary definition
Upper boundary GSSPMonte San Nicola Section, Gela, Sicily, Italy
37°08′49″N 14°12′13″E / 37.1469°N 14.2035°E / 37.1469; 14.2035
Upper GSSP ratified1996 (as base of Gelasian)[5]

The Piacenzian is in the international geologic time scale the upper stage or latest age of the Pliocene. It spans the time between 3.6 ± 0.005 Ma and 2.58 Ma (million years ago). The Piacenzian is after the Zanclean and is followed by the Gelasian (part of the Pleistocene).

The Piacenzian is roughly coeval with the European land mammal age MN 16, overlaps the late Chapadmalalan and early Uquian South American land mammal age and falls inside the more extensive Blancan North American land mammal age. It also correlates with the Astian, Redonian, Reuverian and Romanian regional stages of Europe, and the Waipipian and Mangapanian stages of New Zealand. Some authorities describe the British Red Crag Formation and Waltonian Stage as late Piacenzian,[6][7] while others regard them as early Pleistocene.[8][9]

Carbon dioxide levels during the Piacenzian were similar to those of today, making this age, with global mean temperature 2–3 °C higher and sea levels about twenty meters higher than today, an important analogue for predictions of the future of our world.[10]

  1. ^ Krijgsman, W.; Garcés, M.; Langereis, C. G.; Daams, R.; Van Dam, J.; Van Der Meulen, A. J.; Agustí, J.; Cabrera, L. (1996). "A new chronology for the middle to late Miocene continental record in Spain". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 142 (3–4): 367–380. Bibcode:1996E&PSL.142..367K. doi:10.1016/0012-821X(96)00109-4.
  2. ^ Retallack, G. J. (1997). "Neogene Expansion of the North American Prairie". PALAIOS. 12 (4): 380–390. doi:10.2307/3515337. JSTOR 3515337. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
  3. ^ "ICS Timescale Chart" (PDF). www.stratigraphy.org.
  4. ^ Castradori, D.; D. Rio; F. J. Hilgen; L. J. Lourens (1998). "The Global Standard Stratotype-section and Point (GSSP) of the Piacenzian Stage (Middle Pliocene)" (PDF). Episodes. 21 (2): 88–93. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/1998/v21i2/003. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  5. ^ Rio, Domenico; R. Sprovieri; D. Castradori; E. Di Stefano (1998). "The Gelasian Stage (Upper Pliocene): A new unit of the global standard chronostratigraphic scale". Episodes. 21 (2): 82–87. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/1998/v21i2/002.
  6. ^ "Red Crag Formation". British Geological Survey. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Global Chronostratigraphical Correlation Table for the Last 2.7 Million Years. v.2011". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  8. ^ "The Naze citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  9. ^ Allaby, Michael (2013). Oxford Dictionary of Geology & Earth Sciences (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 626. ISBN 978-0-19-96530 6-5.
  10. ^ de la Vega, E.; Chalk, T. B.; Wilson, P. A.; Bysani, R. P.; Foster, G. L. (2020). "Atmospheric CO2 during the Mid-Piacenzian Warm Period and the M2 glaciation". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 11002. Bibcode:2020NatSR..1011002D. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67154-8. PMC 7347535. PMID 32647351.