A new version of the Global Paleomagnetic Database – GPMDB V 4.6 – is available here.
 Global Paleomagnetic Database (GPMDB4-6 ) - Feb 2005
[download: 1.99mb zip file]
[download: 1.99mb zip file]
Administrated by S.A. Pisarevsky
MS ACCESS 2000 is required
This version contains 9259 paleomagnetic poles from 7513 rock units published in 3673 articles up to December 2004 inclusive.
This version has just been also completely updated using the latest International Stratigraphic Chart published by the International Commision on Stratigraphy on their website (www.stratigraphy.org). This new timescale is significantly different from the timescale which has been used in the database for the past decade. ALL entries in the database based on biostratigraphic ages have had their absolute minimum and maximum age limits revised according to this new scale. Therefore users of the database who have compiled their own files based on the old database should be aware that the assigned absolute ages have now changed.
Sometimes these changes are significant, especially for the Permian and Devonian. The following highlights some of the major changes from the previous timescale.
1. The Quaternary no longer exists! Instead the epochs from Miocene to the present are referred to as Neogene 1-4 (N1 - Miocene, N2 - Pliocene, N3 - Pleistocene, and N4 - Holocene).
2. The Paleogene is now labelled as E1 - Paleocene, E2 - Eocene and E3 - Oligocene.
3. The symbols for the System Periods follow that used by the ICS. For example the Triassic is labelled T1 (245-251 Ma), T2 (228-245 Ma) and T3 (200-228 Ma).
4. The Permian is now divided into 3 epochs: P1 - Cisuralian (271-299 Ma), P2 - Guadalupian (260-271 Ma) and P3 - Lopingian (251-260 Ma).
5. The Devonian has significant changes to the limits of the epochs: D1 (398-416 Ma), D2 (385-398 Ma) and D3 (359-385 Ma), making the lengths of the Frasnian and Famennian stages much longer.
6. The base of the Cambrian is now 542 Ma.
7. The Vendian has been eliminated and is now part of the Neoproterozoic, which is divided into 3 epochs, NP1 - Tonian (850-1000 Ma), NP2 - Cryogenian (600-850 Ma) and NP3 - Ediacaran (542-600 Ma).
A lot of new geochronological data has been published in recent years. Many of these come from rocks subjected previously to paleomagnetic studies and represented in the GPMDB. The ages of these paleomagnetic poles have been updated accordingly, so users should be aware of this, especially those interested in Precambrian data.
There are also several improvements in the location coordinates for some previously published paleomagnetic data.
The GIS-based Visual Paleomagnetic Database announced in EOS 84, No 20, p.192 is also updated accordingly. New ArcView shape files can be downloaded here.
ArcView (3.x) users who are interested in obtaining the Visual Paleomagnetic Database are welcome to contact me at spisarevsky@tsrc.uwa.edu.au. All data are free. All instructions and short manual are available in EOS 84, No 20, p.192 and in the Electronic Supplement.
Please send your requests, questions, and comments to me at the address above.
Sergei Pisarevsky
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