A Japanese place-name has for the first time been carved into Earth's geological history, which dates back 4.6 billion years. There are expectations this achievement will lead to further developments in geology.
The International Union of Geological Sciences has chosen "Chibanian" for the name of a geological age that spans from about 774,000 years ago to 129,000 years ago. This international scientific organization commended a geological stratum in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, that clearly shows the special characteristics of this period.
Chibanian means "Chiba age" in Latin. The adoption of this name is wonderful news for the Japanese scientific community.
It can be said that this international recognition of a Japanese name in a field of natural science follows in the footsteps of the name "nihonium" being approved for element 113, which was discovered by the RIKEN research institute. References to the Chibanian age will undoubtedly appear in science and earth science textbooks from now on.
Geology brims with a sense of adventure. By carefully and steadily examining strata and fossils, a geologist could unlock secrets about the history of Earth's formation or how living things evolved.
The naming of the Chibanian age will shine a spotlight on the hitherto largely inconspicuous field of geology and, hopefully, pique the interest of many children.
Earth's long history has been divided into geological ages based on factors such as the mass extinction of living things and climate change. Each age has been given a name. The Chibanian age was a period when Neanderthals and large mammals such as mammoths were alive.
The names of many geological ages have their origins in European place-names. For instance, the Jurassic Period, famous for its dinosaurs, is named after the mountains on the border between France and Switzerland. Many old strata remain in Europe and geology flourished there from around the 18th century. This history was the backdrop for the preponderance of European names.
In this latest case, Italy had been vying with Japan and called for the age to be named after a stratum in that country. Tenacious survey activities conducted by a Japanese research team proved to be a conclusive factor in the decision. The team assembled experts from about 20 research institutions across Japan.
The Chibanian age featured the last occurrence of geomagnetic reversal, in which Earth's north and south geomagnetic poles switch. The research team meticulously examined fossils of microorganisms and the properties of minerals found in the stratum to prove the geomagnetic reversal occurred.
In the 1920s, a Japanese researcher was the first to propound that the Earth's magnetic poles had switched in the past. It is admirable that the tradition of Japanese scientific research and the efforts of modern-day researchers bore fruit with the naming.
The stratum in Ichihara was found in a sheer cliff along a river, and patterns in the sediment are visible with the naked eye. The naming of the Chibanian age likely will result in more visitors to this area. This site must be used as a place where people can actually feel how interesting geology is.
-- This article appeared in the print version of The Yomiuri Shimbun on Jan. 23, 2020.
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