Meghalayan

Meghalayan
Meghalayan
Chronology
−12 — – −11 — – −10 — – −9 — – −8 — – −7 — – −6 — – −5 — – −4 — – −3 — – −2 — – −1 — – 0 —	Cenozoic Quaternary PC Holocene "Upper" Greenlandian Northgrippian Meghalayan
	Ages of the Holocene Epoch. ; Axis scale: thousands of years ago.;
Etymology
Name formality	Formal
Name ratified	14 June 2018
Usage information
Celestial body	Earth
Regional usage	Global (ICS)
Time scale(s) used	ICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unit	Age
Stratigraphic unit	Stage
Time span formality	Formal
Lower boundary definition	4.2 kiloyear event
Lower boundary GSSP	Mawmluh Cave, Meghalaya, India; 25°15′44″N 91°42′54″E / 25.2622°N 91.7150°E
Lower GSSP ratified	14 June 2018
Upper boundary definition	Ongoing
Upper boundary GSSP	N/A
Upper GSSP ratified	N/A

The Meghalayan age is the name given in 2018, by the International Commission on Stratigraphy, to the current age or latest geologic age – or uppermost stage of the Quaternary.^[3] It is also the upper, or latest, of three subdivisions of the Holocene epoch or series.^[4]^[5] This way of breaking down time is based only on geology; for example, it is unrelated to the three-age system of historical periods into which human development is sometimes divided.

The Meghalayan begins 4,200 years BP (c. 2251 BCE or 7750 HE),^[6] leaving room for the possible introduction of the Anthropocene.^[7]^[8] Helama & Oinonen (2019) dated the start of the Meghalayan to 2190–1990 BCE.^[9] The age began with a 200-year drought that impacted human civilizations in the Eastern Mediterranean, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley and the Yangtze River Valley.^[6] "The fact that the beginning of this age coincides with a cultural shift caused by a global climate event makes it unique," according to Stanley Finney, Secretary General of the International Union of Geological Sciences.^[8]

^ Walker, Mike; Head, Martin J.; Berkelhammer, Max; Björck, Svante; Cheng, Hai; Cwynar, Les; Fisher, David; Gkinis, Vasilios; Long, Anthony; Lowe, John; Newnham, Rewi; Rasmussen, Sune Olander; Weiss, Harvey (1 December 2018). "Formal ratification of the subdivision of the Holocene Series/ Epoch (Quaternary System/Period): two new Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs) and three new stages/subseries" (PDF). Episodes. 41 (4). Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS): 213–223. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2018/018016. Retrieved 28 August 2020. This proposal on behalf of the SQS has been approved by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and formally ratified by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).
^ Head, Martin J. (17 May 2019). "Formal subdivision of the Quaternary System/Period: Present status and future directions". Quaternary International. 500: 32–51. Bibcode:2019QuInt.500...32H. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2019.05.018.
^ Cohen, K. M.; Finney, S. C.; Gibbard, P. L.; Fan, J-X. (January 2020). "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
^ Radha-Udayakumar, Ganesh (19 July 2018). "Scientists call our era the Meghalayan Age. Here's what the world was like when it began". India Today. New Delhi: Living Media India Limited. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
^ "'Meghalayan Age': Latest phase in Earth's history named after Indian state, began 4,200 years ago". Scroll.in. 19 July 2018.
^ ^a ^b Jonathan Amos (18 July 2018). "Welcome to the Meghalayan Age – a new phase in history". BBC. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ International Commission on Stratigraphy. "Collapse of civilizations worldwide defines youngest unit of the Geologic Time Scale". News and Meetings. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
^ ^a ^b Michael Irving (19 July 2018). "Time for the Meghalayan: A new geological age has officially been declared". Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ Helama, Samuli; Oinonen, Markku (15 June 2019). "Exact dating of the Meghalayan lower boundary based on high-latitude tree-ring isotope chronology". Quaternary Science Reviews. 214: 178–184. Bibcode:2019QSRv..214..178H. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.04.013. hdl:10138/330959. ISSN 0277-3791. S2CID 150012152.

[FRS-1] Walker, Mike; Head, Martin J.; Berkelhammer, Max; Björck, Svante; Cheng, Hai; Cwynar, Les; Fisher, David; Gkinis, Vasilios; Long, Anthony; Lowe, John; Newnham, Rewi; Rasmussen, Sune Olander; Weiss, Harvey (1 December 2018). "Formal ratification of the subdivision of the Holocene Series/ Epoch (Quaternary System/Period): two new Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs) and three new stages/subseries" (PDF). Episodes. 41 (4). Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS): 213–223. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2018/018016. Retrieved 28 August 2020. This proposal on behalf of the SQS has been approved by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and formally ratified by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

[2] Head, Martin J. (17 May 2019). "Formal subdivision of the Quaternary System/Period: Present status and future directions". Quaternary International. 500: 32–51. Bibcode:2019QuInt.500...32H. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2019.05.018.

[ICS-3] Cohen, K. M.; Finney, S. C.; Gibbard, P. L.; Fan, J-X. (January 2020). "International Chronostratigraphic Chart" (PDF). International Commission on Stratigraphy. Retrieved 8 January 2021.

[4] Radha-Udayakumar, Ganesh (19 July 2018). "Scientists call our era the Meghalayan Age. Here's what the world was like when it began". India Today. New Delhi: Living Media India Limited. Retrieved 3 January 2021.

[5] "'Meghalayan Age': Latest phase in Earth's history named after Indian state, began 4,200 years ago". Scroll.in. 19 July 2018.

[:0-6] Jonathan Amos (18 July 2018). "Welcome to the Meghalayan Age – a new phase in history". BBC. Retrieved 19 July 2018.

[7] International Commission on Stratigraphy. "Collapse of civilizations worldwide defines youngest unit of the Geologic Time Scale". News and Meetings. Retrieved 15 July 2018.

[irving-8] Michael Irving (19 July 2018). "Time for the Meghalayan: A new geological age has officially been declared". Archived from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.

[9] Helama, Samuli; Oinonen, Markku (15 June 2019). "Exact dating of the Meghalayan lower boundary based on high-latitude tree-ring isotope chronology". Quaternary Science Reviews. 214: 178–184. Bibcode:2019QSRv..214..178H. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.04.013. hdl:10138/330959. ISSN 0277-3791. S2CID 150012152.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]