Proterozoic
Proterozoic
| Hierarchy: | Precambrian Proterozoic |
|---|---|
| Classification: | Eon (as per International Commission on Stratigraphy) |
| Top: | 541 ± 1.0 Ma |
| Base: | 2500 Ma |
| Preceeds: | Phanerozoic Paleozoic Cambrian Terreneuvian Fortunian |
| Follows: | Archean Neoarchean |
| Primary Divisions: | NeoproterozoicMesoproterozoicPaleoproterozoic |
| FGDC code: | < |
A geological eon spanning the time from the Great Oxygenation Event to just before the proliferation of complex life on Earth.
Geologic Events
| Event Name | Type | Age | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambrian explosion (begins) | Evolutionary event | 541 - 513 ± 3 Ma | Global |
| Gondwana formation (concludes) | Continental Assembly | ~550 - ~500 Ma | Global |
| Damara orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~550 - ~495 Ma | Namibia |
| Zambezi Belt orogeny (late) (concludes) | Orogeny | ~550 - ~520 Ma | Zambia and Zimbabwe |
| Ross orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~550 - ~480 Ma | Antarctica |
| Avalon explosion (concludes) | Evolutionary event | ~575 Ma | Global |
| Acraman impact (concludes) | Impact Event | ~590 Ma | South Australia |
| Beaverhead impact (concludes) | Impact Event | ~600 Ma | Montana, USA |
| Timanide orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~620 - ~550 Ma | Europe |
| Beardmore orogeny | Orogeny | 633 - 620 Ma | Antarctica |
| Marinoan glaciation ("Snowball earth") (concludes) | Glaciation Event | ~650 - ~635 Ma | Global |
| Cadomian orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~660 - ~540 Ma | Europe |
| Sturtian glaciation | Glaciation Event | 717.4 ± 0.1 - ~660 Ma | Global |
| Rodinia breakup | Continental Breakup | 750 - 633 Ma | Global |
| Pannotia supercontinent (begins) | Supercontinent | 750 - 530 Ma | Global |
| Pan-African orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~870 - ~550 Ma | Africa |
| Zambezi Belt orogeny (early) (concludes) | Orogeny | ~890 - ~880 Ma | Zambia and Zimbabwe |
| Late Ruker / Nimrod orogeny | Orogeny | 1000 ± 150 Ma | Antarctica |
| First sexual reproduction (concludes) | Evolutionary event | ~1200 Ma | Global |
| Grenville orogeny | Orogeny | 1250 - 980 Ma | Northern America, Scotland |
| Sveconorwegian orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~1250 - ~900 Ma | Europe |
| Rodinia assembly (concludes) | Continental Assembly | ~1300 - ~900 Ma | Global |
| Ur joins Rodinia (concludes) | Continental Assembly | ~1300 - 1071 Ma | Global |
| Kibaran orogeny | Orogeny | 1400 - 1000 Ma | Mid to Southern Africa |
| Columbia (Nuna) supercontinent breakup | Continental Breakup | 1425 ± 75 - 1250 ± 50 Ma | Global |
| Gothian orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~1750 - ~1500 Ma | Europe |
| Sudbury impact | Impact Event | 1850 ± 3 Ma | Sudbury, Ontario |
| Early Ruker orogeny | Orogeny | 2000 - 1700 Ma | Antarctica |
| Svecofennian orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~2000 - ~1750 Ma | Europe |
| Vredefort impact | Impact Event | 2023 ± 0.004 Ma | Free State Province, South Africa |
| Columbia (Nuna) supercontinent assembly | Continental Assembly | 2125 ± 125 - 1780 ± 70 Ma | Global |
| Eburnean orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~2200 - ~2000 Ma | West Africa |
| Huronian glaciation (concludes) | Glaciation Event | ~2400 - ~2100 Ma | Global |
| Algoman/Kenoran orogeny (concludes) | Orogeny | ~2700 - ~2500 Ma | North America |
| Great Oxygenation Event (concludes) | Major Climatic Event | ~3500 - ~850 Ma | Global |
Overview of geological time
List all geological events