Etymology of geological time units - type localities

Deutsche Version
Etymology of local formation names in an around Austria

CONTENTS:

Cenozoic
Mesozoic
Paleozoic
Precambrian

Note:
According to the International Union of Geological Sciences, the geological timeline should be sectioned as follows: erathem - system - series - stage - formation - member - horizon.
Furthermore, international compatibility should be achieved by adding the Latin ending "-ium" to stratigraphic names (especially series, stages etc.) which are derived from sites or ancient peoples. This prevents stratigraphic names being mixed up with places (e.g. stage: Maastrichtium, but place: Maastricht).
Although those names may sound unfamiliar to many scientists and the ending "-ian" is very common in English literature, this could contribute significantly to international literature.


Erathem: CENOZOIC

(Gr.kainòs... new; zôon...living being)

System: QUARTARY

(Lat. quartum...fourth)

System: TERTIARY

(Lat. tertium...third)

Subsystem: Neogene

(Gr. néos...new; génos...gender, origin)

Subsystem: Paleogene

(Gr. palaîos...old; génos...gender, origin)

Erathem: MESOZOIC / SECONDARY

(Gr. mésos...medium; zôon...living being / Lat. secundum...second)

System: CRETACEOUS

(Lat. creta...chalk; referring to chalk deposits common in the Baltic Sea and S-England)

System: JURA

(mountains in E-France and W-Switzerland)

System: TRIAS

(referring to the three sections common in Germany (Buntsandstein, Muschelkalk and Keuper);
Gr. triàs...trinity)

Erathem: PALEOZOIC / PRIMARY

(Gr. palaîos...old; zôon...living being / Lat. primum...first)

System: PERM

(City in Russia W of Ural Mts.)

System: CARBONIFEROUS

(Lat. carbo...coal; ferre...carry; referring to frequent coal beds in this system)

System: DEVONIUM

(County in England)

System: SILURIUM

(ancient Celtic tribe in Wales GB)

System: ORDOVICIUM

(ancient celtic tribe in Wales)

CAMBRIUM

(Roman name for N-Wales, mountains in N-Wales GB)

PRAECAMBRIUM:

(Lat. prae...before)

Erathem: PROTEROZOICUM = ALGONKIUM

(Gr. próteros...early; zôon...living being; Algonkin: Indian tribe in Ontario CDN)

System: LATE PROTEROZOICUM

System: MIDDLE PROTEROZOICUM

System: EARLY PROTEROZOICUM

Erathem: ARCHAICUM

(gr. archaîos...ancient)

Resources:
MURAWSKI/MEYER (1998), Geologisches Wörterbuch
GEMOLL, W. (1954), Griechisch-Deutsches Schul- und Handwörterbuch
STOWASSER, J.W. (1985), Lateinisch-Deutsches Schulwörterbuch


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Last modified: Sept 11, 2010