List of geomagnetic reversals explained

The following is a list of geomagnetic reversals, showing the ages of the beginning and end of each period of normal polarity (where the polarity matches the current direction).

Source for the last 83 million years: Cande and Kent, 1995.[1]

Ages are in million years before present (mya).

End/Top (mya)Beginning/Base (mya)Normal polarityName
0.0000.7801nBrunhes-Matuyama
0.9901.0701r.1nJaramillo
1.7701.9502nOlduvai
2.1402.1502r.1n
2.5813.0402An.1nGauss-Matuyama
3.1103.2202An.2n
3.3303.5802An.3nGauss/Gilbert
4.1804.2903n.1nCochiti
4.4804.6203n.2nNunivak
4.8004.8903n.3nSidufjall
4.9805.2303n.4nThvera
5.8946.1373An.1n
6.2696.5673An.2n
6.9357.0913Bn
7.1357.1703Br.1n
7.3417.3753Br.2n
7.4327.5624n.1n
7.6508.0724n.2n
8.2258.2574r.1n
8.6999.0254An
9.2309.3084Ar.1n
9.5809.6424Ar.2n
9.7409.8805n.1n
9.92010.9495n.2n
11.05211.0995r.1n
11.47611.5315r.2n
11.93512.0785An.1n
12.18412.4015An.2n
12.67812.7085Ar.1n
12.77512.8195Ar.2n
12.99113.1395AAn
13.30213.5105ABn
13.70314.0765ACn
14.17814.6125ADn
14.80014.8885Bn.1n
15.03415.1555Bn.2n
16.01416.2935Cn.1n
16.32716.4885Cn.2n
16.55616.7265Cn.3n
17.27717.6155Dn
18.28118.7815En
19.04820.1316n
20.51820.7256An.1n
20.99621.3206An.2n
21.76821.8596AAn
22.15122.2486AAr.1n
22.45922.4936AAr.2n
22.58822.7506Bn.1n
22.80423.0696Bn.2n
23.35323.5356Cn.1n
23.67723.8006Cn.2n
23.99924.1186Cn.3n
24.73024.7817n.1n
24.83525.1837n.2n
25.49625.6487An
25.82325.9518n.1n
25.99226.5548n.2n
27.02727.9729n
28.28328.51210n.1n
28.57828.74510n.2n
29.40129.66211n.1n
29.76530.09811n.2n
30.47930.93912n
33.05833.54513n
34.65534.94015n
35.34335.52616n.1n
35.68536.34116n.2n
36.61837.47317n.1n
37.60437.84817n.2n
37.92038.11317n.3n
38.42639.55218n.1n
39.63140.13018n.2n
41.25741.52119n
42.53643.78920n
46.26447.90621n
49.03749.71422n
50.77850.94623n.1n
51.04751.74323n.2n
52.36452.66324n.1n
52.75752.80124n.2n
52.90353.34724n.3n
55.90456.39125n
57.55457.91126n
60.92061.27627n
62.49963.63428n
63.97664.74529n
65.57867.61030n
67.73568.73731n
71.07171.33832n.1n
71.58773.00432n.2n
73.29173.37432r.1n
73.61979.07533n
83.000118.00034n

Notes and References

  1. Cande, S.C., and D.V. Kent, Revised calibration of the geomagnetic polarity timescale for the late Cretaceous and Cenozoic, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 6,093-6,095, 1995.