Cretaceous (~ 145 Ma)

Back to Jurassic (201.3 +/-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), Crétacé, 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
    Age
    Cenomanian
    Show details

    • 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
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    • 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
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    • 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
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    • 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
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    • 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
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    • 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
      Show details

    • 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
      Show details

  • Early Cretaceous (~ 145 Ma)

    Rank
    chronostratigraphic Epoch
    Status
    valid formal name
    Age
    Berriasian
    Show details

    • 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
      Show details

      • 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 &gt;&lt; Rhotomagin = Vraconnien !</p>
        In short

        Local chronostratigraphic subdivision corresponding to the late Albian (and earliest Cenomanian).

        Age
        Latest Albian
        Show details

      • Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1d)

        Rank
        Oceanic Anoxic Event
        Status
        valid
        Age
        Latest Albian
        Show details

      • Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1c)

        Rank
        chemostratigraphy
        Status
        valid
        In short
        Oceanic anoxic event of the Late Albian.
        Age
        Middle Albian
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    • Paquier Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 1b)

      Rank
      Oceanic Anoxic Event
      Status
      valid
      In short

      Oceanic anoxic event of the Early Albian.

      Age
      Spätestes Aptien
      Show details

    • 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
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      • 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
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      • 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
        Show details

      • 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
        Show details

      • 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
        Show details

    • 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
      Show details

    • Hauterivian (~ 132.6 Ma)

      Name Origin

      Named after the village of Hauterive (NE), NE Neuchâtel.

      Rank
      chronostratigraphic Stage
      Status
      valid formal name
      Age
      Hauterivien
      Show details

      • Faraoni Oceanic Anoxic Event

        Rank
        Oceanic Anoxic Event
        Status
        valid
        Age
        Spätestes Hauterivien
        Show details

    • 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
      Show details

      • Weissert Oceanic Anoxic Event

        Rank
        Oceanic Anoxic Event
        Status
        valid
        Age
        Spätes Valanginien
        Show details

    • 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&nbsp;placed at the end of the Tithonian.</p>
      In short

      First stage of the Cretaceous.

      Age
      Berriasian
      Show details
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