W7i7

NOTE: This post assumes familiarity with a few concepts that I have explained in my previous post: The new 'Meghalayan Age' of Earth's history . --- On 14th July, 2018, the IUGS -International Commission of Stratigraphy released the latest version of the Geologic Time Scale . There were three new Ages defined: the Greenlandian, the Northgrippian and the Meghalayan (older to younger). The Meghalayan emerged as the cool kid on the block (ironic, because it's the other two that are defined in ice cores). It made news headlines because: it's apparently the  Age we're living in now. (The kind of headlines that attract non-Earth-scientist Earthlings..) it's defined by the first GSSP from India, and the first GSSP in a stalagmite. there is a debate around the necessity for this definition, the efficacy of this definition, and if it cuts into the significance of the proposed Anthropocene Epoch. But I see no reason for neglecting the other two Ages. This p...

NOTE: This post assumes no prior knowledge  of Geology. ----- Scientists recently defined the new 'Meghalayan' age of the Earth's past, and it's (obviously) based on an Indian rock sample! To understand what this age is all about, we need a very brief introduction about the concept of GSSP s or more informally, the Golden Spike s.   How we talk about the Earth's history   The Earth is roughly 4.6 billion years old, and the vast history of the Earth is divided into various time intervals arranged in heirarchy. First, there are Eons , which are subdivided into various Eras , which are next subdivided into Periods , which are then subdivided into Epochs , which are finally subdivided into Ages. ( You may have guessed it right, that last subdivision is the 'Age' in the 'Meghalayan Age'.) To summarize the order of heirarchy: Eon → Era → Period → Epoch → Age Now the most famous example that people easily relate to is the Jurassic Period...