Paleozoic-Mesozoic Chronostratigraphic Framework for Deep-time Paleoclimate Research

Snyder, Walter S.¹, Vladimir Davydov¹, Mark D. Schmitz¹ (1) Boise State University, Boise, ID

The development of a comprehensive understanding of paleoclimate process for the Paleozoic and Mesozoic requires a level of temporal resolution that has not been previously available. Now however, we are developing the ability to provide resolutions of 100 ky, and perhaps even 20 ky with high-resolution geochronology and the emergence of cyclostratigraphy, and the continued development of other chronostratigraphic methods. The construction of this deep-time "chronostratigraphic framework" requires two things: 1) a highly resolved chronostratigraphic calibration of the rock record, and 2) a geoinformatics system that captures and delivers the complete suite of relevant geologic data. The community needs a "chronostratigraphic framework" which provides the tools for assessing the age and duration of regional and global geologic events at the resolution necessary to understand the underlying physical, chemical and biologic processes that caused these events. This framework consists of the multi-proxy calibration of the rock record. These proxies include: radiometric ages, sequence stratigraphy, cyclo-, chemo-, magneto-, and biostratigraphy. This "framework" requires the development of a geoinformatics system that hosts and links these detailed data. It is envisioned that this geoinformatics system will be web-based and comprised of linked databases and data systems (e.g., www.PaleoStrat.org, www.Stratigraphy.net, and others). It has become widely acknowledged that geoinformatics is the platform from which our future science will be conducted, but it is more than just databases, and should be viewed as a community information system. It is not easy to build a geoinformatics system, nor is it inexpensive - but it is critical to our science. We emphasize that the combination of chronostratigraphy and geoinformatics is what makes the "chronostratigraphic framework" possible - you cannot do the former without the latter.