Radiometric Dating – geochronologic units
Stratigraphic record can be subdivided according to a variety of criteria including lithology
(lithostratigraphy), fossils (biostratigraphy, ecostratigraphy), seismic profiles (sequence
stratigraphy), magnetic polarity (magnetostratigraphy), event deposits (event stratigraphy).
Types of  Rock units
1. Chronostratigraphic units (time-rock units) - all strata in the world deposited during a given
time interval (example: Upper Devonian Series)
2. Biostratigraphic units - stratigraphic units of rocks defined by their fossil content
3. Lithostratigraphic units - stratigraphic units (usually spatio-temporally restricted, three
dimensional rock bodies) defined by lithology and/or physical and chemical characteristics of rocks
(Group, Formation, Member, Tongue, Bed)
(Event Stratigraphic Units - Units based on short-term events that had widespread depositional
effects, that is,events that produced an isochronous event deposit; useful in regional (basin-wide)
stratigraphic correlations)
4. Magnetostratigraphic units (polarity time units) - stratigraphic units based on magnetic
reversals of the Earth's poles
5. Sequences (Sequence Stratigraphy) - basin wide stratigraphic sequences that are separated by
regional unconformities or their correlative conformities
Relative dating

table1



eon
era
perioda
epocha
věk
chron

1



Fossil study tools



1. Lithostratigraphy
a. description of unit properties (e.g. color, texture, particle shape, stratification, lithology)
b. named after dominant grain size fraction
c. hierarchy of lithostratigraphic units
(1) group: consists of 2 or more formations
(2) formation: a main unit that has considerable lateral extent
(3) member: a named unit within a formation; names are geographical
Biostratigraphic Zones Biozones - the most fundamental biostratigraphic units. A zone is a body of
rock whose lower and upper boundaries are based on the ranges of one or more taxa




Bio-Events
¡First appearances of new species
¡First appearances of new higher taxa
¡Extinctions of species
¡Mass extinctions of multiple taxa
¡Bio-events are unique points in geologic time

Index Fossils
¡Some fossils are more useful than others for relative age determinations
¡Fossils that are most useful are called INDEX FOSSILS
¡What factors would maximize a fossil’s usefulness? (i.e., What makes a good index fossil?)

Index Fossils Guide Fossils (other terms used: Zone Fossil, Index Fossil)
A good index fossil must be:
1. Independent of environment
2. Fast to evolve
3. Geographically widespread
4. Abundant
5. Readily preserved
6. Easily recognised
Examples: Graptolites, Ammonites, Foraminiferans, Pollen, Nannoplankton




Units of the Geological Time Scale
Time-stratigraphic units- defined mainly on biostratigraphic criteria
¡ Erathem
¡ System
¡ Series
¡ Stage
¡ Zone (Biozone)
Consist of rocks and fossils
Geochronologic units – calibrated by radiometric dating
¡ Era
¡ Period
¡ Epoch
¡ Age
¡ Chron
Consists of time intervals - years before present

¡Commission on Stratigraphy of the International Union of Geological Sciences
¡Time-stratigraphic units defined by internationally agrees boundary stratotype sections
¡
Geological time scale

Definition of the Time Scale
¡Each unit’s base defined by a particular stratigraphic level at one type section
lGlobal Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP)
lthe “Golden Spike”
¡That stratigraphic level is marked by first or last appearance of one or more “index” taxa – base
of a zone
¡Other sedimentary rocks of that age determined by biostratigraphic (and other!) correlation with
that type section
¡Many time-rock units are still not formally defined
¡
¡





Requirements for a GSSP
¡Continuous sedimentation.
¡Completeness of exposure.
¡Thick enough to work with.
¡Abundant and diverse fossils.
¡Favourable facies
¡Structurally simple, no metamorphism, etc.
¡No unconformities.
¡Amenable to magnetostratigraphy/geochronometry

Index Fossils and
International Stratotypes
The Case of the Silurian – Devonian Boundary

Definition of
the S-D Boundary
¡Stratotype: Klonk, near Suchomasty, Czech Republic
¡
bed20
damonatbed20

S-D GSSP
bed20closeup
¡GSSP = Global Stratotype Section and Point
¡First appearance of Monograptus uniformis uniformis
¡Bed 20
¡Klonk, Czechia

Index Fossils and the
Silurian - Devonian Boundary
¡Graptolites *
¡Conodonts *
¡Chitinozoans *
¡Trilobites
¡Brachiopods
¡Cephalopods
conodont monograptus