Stratigraphy and GSSPs

Italy preserves an amazing Quaternary stratigraphic record of terrestrial and marine sediments, the latter especially significant to define global units of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart and to set global standards for the International Geologic Time Scale (GTS).

This is a truly unique opportunity to discover the Italian marine successions that significantly contributed to the development of the modern GTS, among them, namely:

Monte San Nicola (Sicily), where the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Gelasian (Early Pleistocene Subseries) has been ratified (in the figure);

Vrica (Crotone Basin, Calabria), where the GSSP of the Calabrian (Early Pleistocene Subseries) has been defined;

Valle di Manche (Crotone Basin, Calabria) and Montalbano Jonico (Southern Apennines Foredeep, Basilicata), both now candidates for hosting the GSSP of the “Ionian” (Middle Pleistocene Subseries)

Il Fronte (Taranto, Apulia), candidate for the GSSP of the “Tarentian” (Upper Pleistocene Subseries).