To Scale Geological Timescale

Brief description

A simple to scale geological timescale suitable for printing at A4 size and displaying on the wall of a classroom. Activities that utilise this timescale are explained in a separate document. The geological timescale is one of the major achievements of geoscience over the last two centuries. The timescale subdivides the 4.6 billion years since the planet formed into a series of time units (e.g. Jurassic). Rocks and particularly the fossils within them have been compared across the world to work out their age relative to each other. This information has been calibrated against an absolute ages of rocks are usually calculated by measuring the natural radioactive decay of minerals. The international standard timescale allows geoscientists to determine the ages of events in Earth history and so understand the evolution of the planet from its formation to the present day.

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