Freethought & Rationalism Archive

nogods4me · 07-07-2003, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Note: the Pennsylvanian is a name sometimes used for the younger half of the Carboniferous (the older half is the Mississippian).

Why couldn't they name them after 2 easier to spell states, like Iowa and Ohio?

MrDarwin · 07-07-2003, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nogods4me
Why couldn't they name them after 2 easier to spell states, like Iowa and Ohio?

People would never be able to remember if it's "Ohian" or "Ohioan".

Skydancer · 07-08-2003, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nogods4me
Why couldn't they name them after 2 easier to spell states, like Iowa and Ohio?

Seriously? Because those two locations were the locations of the major coal deposits characteristic of the two periods. I'm not sure if Mississippian was named for the state or the river, though.

RBH · 07-08-2003, 08:42 PM

MrDarwin wrote

Quote:

People would never be able to remember if it's "Ohian" or "Ohioan".

Actually, out here in the boondocks it's "Ahia," and therefore "Ahian." Those who pronounce it "Ohio" are social climbers and Michigan immigrants.

RBH

lpetrich · 07-09-2003, 12:54 AM

Geological timespans are usually named after some locality where rocks from that timespan can be found. And such timespans are arranged in a hierarchy:

[Timespan name / Stratigraphic term]

eon / eonothem
era / erathem
period / system
epoch / series
age / stage
chron / chronozone

Precambrian / Cryptozoic
-- Hadean
-- Archean
-- Proterozoic
Phanerozoic
-- Paleozoic
---- Cambrian
---- Ordovician
---- Silurian
---- Devonian
---- Carboniferous (Mississippian, Pennsylvanian)
---- Permian
-- Mesozoic
---- Triassic
---- Jurassic
---- Cretaceous
-- Cenozoic
---- Tertiary
------ Paleocene
------ Eocene
------ Oligocene
------ Miocene
------ Pliocene
---- Quaternary
------ Pleistocene
------ Holocene / Recent

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07-09-2003, 12:54 AM	#15
lpetrich Contributor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Lebanon, OR, USA Posts: 16,829	Geological timespans are usually named after some locality where rocks from that timespan can be found. And such timespans are arranged in a hierarchy: [Timespan name / Stratigraphic term] eon / eonothem era / erathem period / system epoch / series age / stage chron / chronozone Precambrian / Cryptozoic -- Hadean -- Archean -- Proterozoic Phanerozoic -- Paleozoic ---- Cambrian ---- Ordovician ---- Silurian ---- Devonian ---- Carboniferous (Mississippian, Pennsylvanian) ---- Permian -- Mesozoic ---- Triassic ---- Jurassic ---- Cretaceous -- Cenozoic ---- Tertiary ------ Paleocene ------ Eocene ------ Oligocene ------ Miocene ------ Pliocene ---- Quaternary ------ Pleistocene ------ Holocene / Recent

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