Advances in Earth Science ›› 2010, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (4): 365-373. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2010.04.0365

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Development of the Geomagnetical Polarity Time Scale: A Review

Xiao Guoqiao 1,2, Zhan Tao 2,3, Ge Junyi 1,2   

  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xi′an  710075, China; 2.Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing  100049, China; 3.Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing  100029, China
  • Received:2009-11-25 Revised:2010-02-24 Online:2010-04-10 Published:2010-04-10
  • Contact: Guo-Qiao XIAO E-mail:xgqiaocug@gmail.com
  • Supported by:

    National Natural Science Foundation of China

Xiao Guoqiao, Zhan Tao, Ge Junyi. Development of the Geomagnetical Polarity Time Scale: A Review[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2010, 25(4): 365-373.

For Middle Mesozoic to Quaternary times, the geomagnetic polarity record is central to the construction of geologic time scales. The precision of the standard geomagnetical polarity time scale (GPTS) strongly influences the development of related disciplines, such as stratigraphy,paleontology, paleoclimatology and so on. We review the history of the developments in GPTS, and mainly present the recent progress in calibration of the astronomical polarity time scale (APTS), as well the shortages of the present APTS. It can be divided into three stages according to the characteristics of the GPTS development: (1) early stage, during the 1960s, is characterized by K/Ar dating and measuring the magnetization of igneous rocks, constructed the recent 5 Ma GPTS| (2) middle stage, from late 1960s to early 1990s, is characterized by analysis of marine magnetic profiles from the world′s ocean basins, constructed the integrated GPTS since Middle Mesozoic| and (3) in the last three decades, with the developments of the Milankovitch theory (astronomical climate theory) and the astronomical calculation of the Earth′s orbit, the geological time scale can be constructed by orbital tuning, which have being successfully developed as a powerful geochronometer in calibration the APTS. The precise APTS is expected to replace the CK95 GPTS and will be widely used in related disciplines.

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