Zanclean

The Zanclean is the lowest stage or earliest age on the geologic time scale of the Pliocene. It spans the time between 5.332 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago) and 3.6 ± 0.005 Ma. It is preceded by the Messinian Age of the Miocene Epoch, and followed by the Piacenzian Age.

Zanclean
5.333 – 3.600 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
A map of the world 5 million years ago during the Zanclean Age.
Artistic interpretation of the Mediterranean's Zanclean flood 5.3 million years ago
Chronology
−24 — – −22 — – −20 — – −18 — – −16 — – −14 — – −12 — – −10 — – −8 — – −6 — – −4 — – −2 — C e n o z o i c P g N e o g e n e Q O C M i o c e n e P l i o. P C Chattian Aquitanian Burdigalian Langhian Serravallian Tortonian Messinian Zanclean Piacenzian Gelasian         ← Messinian salinity crisis[1] ← North American prairie expands[2] Subdivision of the Neogene according to the ICS, as of 2023.[3] Vertical axis scale: Millions of years ago
Formerly part of	Tertiary Period/System
Etymology
Name formality	Formal
Usage information
Celestial body	Earth
Regional usage	Global (ICS)
Time scale(s) used	ICS Time Scale
Definition
Chronological unit	Age
Stratigraphic unit	Stage
Time span formality	Formal
Lower boundary definition	Base of the Thvera magnetic event (C3n.4n), which is only 96 ka (5 precession cycles) younger than the GSSP
Lower boundary GSSP	Heraclea Minoa section, Heraclea Minoa, Cattolica Eraclea, Sicily, Italy 37.3917°N 13.2806°E / 37.3917; 13.2806
Lower GSSP ratified	2000[4]
Upper boundary definition	Base of Gauss/Gilbert (C2An/C2Ar) magnetic reversal
Upper boundary GSSP	Punta Piccola Section, Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Italy 37.2889°N 13.4933°E / 37.2889; 13.4933
Upper GSSP ratified	January 1997[5]

The Zanclean can be correlated with regionally used stages, such as the Opoitian of New Zealand,^[6] and the Tabianian or Dacian of Central Europe. It also corresponds to the late Hemphillian to mid-Blancan North American Land Mammal Ages. In California, the Zanclean roughly corresponds to the middle part of the Delmontian stage.^[7]

Definition

The Zanclean Stage was introduced by Giuseppe Seguenza in 1868. It is named after Zancle, the pre-Roman name for the Italian city of Messina on Sicily.

The base of the Zanclean (and the Pliocene Series) lies with the top of magnetic chronozone Cr3 (about 100,000 years before the Thvera normal subchronozone C3n.4n). The base is also close to the extinction level of the calcareous nanoplankton species Triquetrorhabdulus rugosus (the base of biozone CN10b) and the first appearance of nanoplankton Ceratolithus acutus. The GSSP for the Zanclean is in the vicinity of the ruins of the ancient city of Heraclea Minoa on Sicily, Italy.^[4]

The top of the Zanclean Stage (the base of the Piacenzian Stage) is at the base of magnetic chronozone C2An (the base of the Gauss chronozone and at the extinction of the planktonic forams Globorotalia margaritae and Pulleniatina primalis.

Events of the Zanclean

• The Zanclean flood marked the beginning of the age and the end of the Messinian, as water poured in from the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar to deluge the Mediterranean Basin and end the Messinian salinity crisis, a period about 5.96 Ma ago in the Messinian Age of the Miocene Epoch when the Mediterranean Sea had evaporated partly or completely.^[8]
• Deposits in the Everglades were deposited when high tropical water started to return in the late Zanclean.^[9]