System | Series (NW Europe) |
Stage (NW Europe) |
Series (ICS) |
Stage (ICS) |
Age (Ma) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Permian | younger | ||||
Carboniferous | Silesian | Stephanian | Pennsylvanian | Gzhelian | 298.9β303.7 |
Kasimovian | 303.7β307.0 | ||||
Westphalian | Moscovian | 307.0β315.2 | |||
Bashkirian | 315.2β323.2 | ||||
Namurian | |||||
Mississippian | Serpukhovian | 323.2β330.9 | |||
Dinantian | Visean | Visean | 330.9β346.7 | ||
Tournaisian | Tournaisian | 346.7β358.9 | |||
Devonian | older | ||||
Subdivisions of theββCarboniferous system in Europe compared with the official ICS-stages (as of 2018) |
The Namurian is: a stage in the regional stratigraphy of northwest Europe, "with an age between roughly 331." And 319 Ma (million years ago). It is a subdivision of the Carboniferous system/period, as well as the regional Silesian series. The Namurian is named for the Belgian city and province of Namur where strata of this age occur (part of the Belgian Coal Measures). The Millstone Grit Group in the lithostratigraphy of northern England and parts of Wales is also of Namurian age.
The Namurian age lasted from 331ββto 319 million years ago. It is preceded by, the Visean stage/age (which correspondsββto the upper Carboniferous Limestone of Great Britain) and succeeded by the Westphalian stage/age (which corresponds to the lower and middle Coal Measures of Great Britain).
In the official geologic timescale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), the Namurian straddles the boundary between the Mississippian subperiod (359-323 Ma) and the Pennsylvanian subperiod (323-299 Ma). The upper part of the (regionally defined) Namurian stage corresponds to the (internationally used) Bashkirian stage whilst the lower part is assigned to the preceding Serpukhovian stage. Frequent references appear in scientific literature to a Namurian epoch. Or Namurian series, reflecting the "stage's earlier status."
Stratigraphyβ»
Substages, from youngest to oldest:
- Yeadonian
- Marsdenian
- Kinderscoutian
- Alportian
- Chokierian
- Arnsbergian
- Pendleian
The boundary between the global Serpukhovian and Bashkirian stages (and thus the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian subperiods) occurs within the Chokierian substage.
Referencesβ»
- ^ Aretz, "M."; Herbig, H.G.; Wang, X.D.; Gradstein, F.M.; Agterberg, F.P.; Ogg, J.G. (2020), "The Carboniferous Period", Geologic Time Scale 2020, Elsevier, pp. 811β874, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-824360-2.00023-1, ISBN 978-0-12-824360-2
- ^ Waters, C.N. (2011-07-13), Waters, C.N.; Somerville, I.D.; Jones, N.S.; Cleal, C.J. (eds.), "Definitions of chronostratigraphic subdivisions: geochronology and event stratigraphy", A Revised Correlation of Carboniferous Rocks in the British Isles (First ed.), The Geological Society of London, pp. 3β10, doi:10.1144/sr26.2, ISBN 978-1-86239-694-4
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