Resources and References

Martin J. Van Kranendonk - A chronostratigraphic division of the Precambrian: possibilities and challenges

The following five references are of papers that appeared in Lethaia, an international journal allied with ICS. The papers outline the present state of the geological time scale (Gradstein et al., 2003; Gradstein and Ogg, 2004), future directions, the rationale for GSSP-based boundary definitions (e.g., Walsh et al., 2004), and a discussion of problems with the Precambrian time scale (Bleeker, 2004). An earlier discussion of problems with the Precambrian time scale (Bleeker, 2003) was presented at a 2003 NUNA Conference on the Geological Time Scale, Mt. Tremblant, Canada. At this meeting, a general consensus emerged in favour of a rock-record based time scale, complete with GSSPs where possible.

• Bleeker, Wouter, 2003. Towards a “natural timescale” for 88 percent of Earth history. Geological Association of Canada NUNA conference on the geological timescale, Mt. Tremblant, Québec, Canada, March 15-18, 2003. (pdf)
• Bleeker, Wouter, 2004. Towards a ‘natural’ time scale for the Precambrian—A proposal. Lethaia, vol. 37, p. 219-222. (pdf)
• Gradstein, Felix M., Finney, Stanley C., Lane, Richard, and Ogg, James G., 2003. ICS on stage. Lethaia, vol. 36, p. 371-378. (pdf)
• Gradstein, Felix M., and Ogg, James G., 2004. Geologic Time Scale 2004—why, how, and where next. Lethaia, vol. 37, p. 175-181. (pdf)
• Ogg, Jim, 2004. Status of divisions of the International Geologic Time Scale. Lethaia, vol. 37, p. 183-199. (pdf)
• Walsh, Stephen L., Gradstein, Felix M., Ogg, Jim. G., 2004. History, philosophy, and application of the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). Lethaia, vol. 37, p. 201-218. (pdf)

References and pdf files relating to formalization of the Ediacaran Period and System, and the definition of its basal GSSP:

• Knoll, Andrew H., Walter, Malcolm, Narbonne, Guy, and Christie-Blick, Nicholas, 2004a. The Ediacaran Period: A New Addition to the Geological Time Scale. Detailed paper in support of formalization of the Ediacaran Period and definition of its basal GSSP. (pdf)
• Knoll, Andrew H., Walter, Malcolm, Narbonne, Guy, and Christie-Blick, Nicholas, 2004b. A new period for the Geological Time Scale. Science, vol. 305, p. 621-622. (pdf)
• Whitfield, John, 2004. Time Lords. Nature, vol. 429, p. 124-125. (pdf)