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Get geological timescale data

Source: R/get_scale_data.R
get_scale_data.Rd

This function takes a name of a geological timescale and returns data for the timescale. Valid names include those of built-in data.frames (periods(), epochs(), stages(), eons(), or eras()), partial matches of those names (e.g., "per" or "age"), and partial or exact matches to those hosted by Macrostrat (see Details below). Note that the colors in the built-in data.frames are according to the Commission for the Geological Map of the World. If you would like to obtain custom Macrostrat colors that are better for mapping, you should specify the full name of a timescale (e.g., "international periods") and set true_colors to FALSE. Note that these colors only vary for the Precambrian.

Usage

get_scale_data(name, true_colors = TRUE)

Arguments

name

The name of the desired timescale.

true_colors

Return original international time scale colors? (as opposed to custom Macrostrat plotting colors)

Value

A data.frame with the following columns:

name

the names of the time intervals

max_age

the oldest boundaries of the time intervals, in millions of years

min_age

the youngest boundaries of the time intervals, in millions of years

abbr

either traditional abbreviations of the names of the time intervals (if they exist) or custom abbreviations created with R

color

hex color codes associated with the time intervals (if applicable)

lab_color

default label colors for the time interals, either white or black, whichever has better contrast with the background color, based on recommendations by the International Telecommunication Union

Details

The following timescales are available from the Macrostrat API as of 2024-10-24:

  • international ages

  • international epochs

  • international periods

  • calcareous nannoplankton zones

  • New Zealand ages

  • custom COSUNA

  • North American land mammal ages

  • international intervals

  • COSUNA

  • international eras

  • international eons

  • Trilobite Zonation - Laurentia

  • Conodont Zonation

  • North American Regional

  • Ammonite Zonation - Boreal

  • Ammonite Zonation - Western Interior

  • international intervals covering all time

  • Scotese Reconstruction

  • Geomagnetic Polarity Chron

  • Geomagnetic Polarity Subchron

  • Planktic foraminiferal Primary Biozones

  • Planktic foraminiferal Secondary Biozones

  • Planktic foraminiferal datums

  • Martian Periods

  • Martian Epochs

  • Cretaceous Planktic foraminifer zonations

  • Low latitude radiolarian zonation

  • Neogene North Pacific Diatom Biochronology

  • Neogene North Pacific Diatom Biochronology Subzones

  • Siberian Regional

  • Australian Regional

  • Western Europe Regional

  • Russian Platform Regional Stages

  • Russian Precambrian Eras

  • Russian Precambrian Eons

  • Russian Epochs

  • Russian Stages

The most up-to-date list can be found via the Macrostrat API here.