Jurassic (201.3 +/-0.2 Ma)

Back to Time Scale

Representation 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 (201.3 +/-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

Subordinate units
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
    Age
    Oxfordian
    Show details

    • 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&nbsp;placed at the end of the Tithonian, is now considered as defining the start&nbsp;of the Berriasian.</p>
      In short

      Last stage of the Jurassic.

      Age
      Tithonian
      Show details

    • 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
      Show details

    • 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
      Show details

  • Middle Jurassic (174.1 +/-1.0 Ma)

    Rank
    chronostratigraphic Epoch
    Status
    valid formal name
    Age
    Aalenian
    Show details

    • 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
      Show details

    • 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
      Show details

    • 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
      Show details

      • 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
        Show details

    • 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
      Show details

  • Early Jurassic (201.3 +/-0.2 Ma)

    Rank
    chronostratigraphic Epoch
    Status
    valid formal name
    Age
    Hettangian
    Show details

    • Toarcian (182.7 +/-0.7 Ma)

      Name Origin

      Named after the town of Thouars (Deux-Sèvres, France), S Saumur. The protected stratotype lies in an old quarry.

      Rank
      chronostratigraphic Stage
      Status
      valid formal name
      Nomenclatorial Remarks
      <p>Latin: Toarcium</p>
      In short

      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
      Show details

      • Late Toarcian

        Rank
        chronostratigraphic Substage
        Status
        valid formal name
        Age
        late Toarcian
        Show details

      • 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
        Show details

      • 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
        Show details

        • 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.

          Show details

    • 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
      Show details

      • 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)
        Show details

      • 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)
        Show details

    • 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
      Show details

      • Lotharingian

        Name Origin

        Named after the Lorraine region (Lotharingium = carolingian province), NE France.

        Rank
        chronostratigraphy
        Status
        obsolete term (disused)
        In short

        Former chronostratigraphic subdivision corresponding to the Late Sinemurian substage.

        Age
        late Sinemurian
        Show details

    • 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
      Show details
Back to top