Revised magnetic polarity time scale for Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic time

Abstract

A revision of the Heirtzler and others magnetic reversal time scale is presented. In addition to incorporating published studies which have increased the resolution and accuracy of their time scale, we have revised the relative lengths of anomalies 4A to 5 and 29 to 34 and have eliminated anomaly 14. We have calibrated the time scale by choosing an age of 3.32 m.y. B.P. for the older reversal boundary of anomaly 2A and 64.9 m.y. B.P. for the older reversal boundary of anomaly 29. The resulting magnetic reversal time scale is in reasonable agreement with the biostratigraphic ages from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) drill holes.