Piacenzian
The Piacenzian is in the international geologic time scale the upper stage or latest age of the Pliocene. It spans the time between 3.6 ± 0.005 Ma and 2.588 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago). The Piacenzian is after the Zanclean and is followed by the Gelasian (part of the Pleistocene).
| Piacenzian | |||||||||||
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| Chronology | |||||||||||
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| Formerly part of | Tertiary Period/System | ||||||||||
| Etymology | |||||||||||
| Name formality | Formal | ||||||||||
| Usage information | |||||||||||
| Celestial body | Earth | ||||||||||
| Regional usage | Global (ICS) | ||||||||||
| Time scale(s) used | ICS Time Scale | ||||||||||
| Definition | |||||||||||
| Chronological unit | Age | ||||||||||
| Stratigraphic unit | Stage | ||||||||||
| Time span formality | Formal | ||||||||||
| Lower boundary definition | Base of Gauss/Gilbert (C2An/C2Ar) magnetic reversal | ||||||||||
| Lower boundary GSSP | Punta Piccola Section, Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Italy 37.2889°N 13.4933°E | ||||||||||
| Lower GSSP ratified | January 1997 | ||||||||||
| Upper boundary definition |
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| Upper boundary GSSP | Monte San Nicola Section, Gela, Sicily, Italy 37.1469°N 14.2035°E | ||||||||||
| Upper GSSP ratified | 1996 (as base of Gelasian) | ||||||||||
The Piacenzian is roughly coeval with the European land mammal age MN 16, overlaps the late Chapadmalalan and early Uquian South American land mammal age and falls inside the more extensive Blancan North American land mammal age. It also correlates with the Astian, Redonian, Reuverian and Romanian regional stages of Europe, and the Waipipian and Mangapanian stages of New Zealand. Some authorities describe the British Red Crag Formation and Waltonian Stage as late Piacenzian, while others regard them as early Pleistocene.
Carbon dioxide levels during the Piacenzian were similar to those of today, making this age, with global mean temperature 2–3 °C higher and sea levels about twenty meters higher than today, an important analogue for predictions of the future of our world.