Orosirian

The Orosirian Period ( /ˌɒrˈsɪəriən/; Greek: ὀροσειρά, romanized: oroseirá, meaning "mountain range") is the third geologic period in the Paleoproterozoic Era and lasted from 2050 Mya to 1800 Mya (million years ago).[1] Instead of being based on stratigraphy, these dates are defined chronometrically.

Vredefort crater is believed to have formed in this period
Orosirian
2050 – 1800 Ma
Chronology
Events of the Orosirian
-2060 
-2040 
-2020 
-2000 
-1980 
-1960 
-1940 
-1920 
-1900 
-1880 
-1860 
-1840 
-1820 
-1800 
Beginning of the Boring Billion
Sudbury Basin structure created by asteroid impact?
Vredefort crater created by asteroid impact
Supercontinent Columbia formed
Events of the Orosirian Period.
Axis scale: millions of years ago.
Etymology
Name formalityFormal
Usage information
Celestial bodyEarth
Regional usageGlobal (ICS)
Time scale(s) usedICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unitPeriod
Stratigraphic unitSystem
Time span formalityFormal
Lower boundary definitionDefined chronometrically
Lower boundary GSSPN/A
GSSP ratifiedN/A
Upper boundary definitionDefined chronometrically
Upper boundary GSSPN/A
GSSP ratifiedN/A

The later half of the period was an episode of intensive orogeny on virtually all continents.

Two of the largest known impact events on Earth occurred during the Orosirian. Early in the period, 2023 Mya, a large asteroid collision created the Vredefort impact structure. The event that created the Sudbury Basin structure occurred near the end of the period, 1850 Mya.

For the time period from about 2060 to 1780 Mya, an alternative period based on stratigraphy rather than chronometry, named the Columbian, was suggested in the geological timescale review 2012 edited by Gradstein et al.,[2] but as of February 2017, this has not yet been officially adopted by the IUGS.

Paleogeography

The supercontinent Columbia formed at the end of this period.

References

  • "Orosirian Period". GeoWhen Database. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  • James G. Ogg (2004). "Status on Divisions of the International Geologic Time Scale". Lethaia. 37 (2): 183–199. doi:10.1080/00241160410006492.
  1. David Huddart; Tim Stott (16 April 2013). Earth Environments: Past, Present and Future. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 1599–. ISBN 978-1-118-68812-0.
  2. Gradstein, F.M. et al. (editors) (2012). The Geologic Time Scale 2012. 1. Elsevier. pp. 361–365. ISBN 978-0-44-459390-0.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)


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