El Cuaternarioun "nuevo" periodo en la escala Geocronológica global

Resumen

The knowledge of the Quaternary, its climatic evolution and the reasons for its subdivisions become a prioritizing subject in Earth Sciences teaching mainly because the Quaternary is the most recent period in the Earth History, we are living in the Quaternary and human being has developed along the Quaternary. Although it is one of the most used and known geochronological terms, it is also one of the most debated by its official definition. Debate has lasted from 18th to 21st century, when finally was recognised as a proper geological period with own entity. A geological period only “exists” for Geology when the ICS (International Commission on Stratigraphy) accept it, and when the IUGS (International Union of Geological Sciences) ratify it. Likewise, this chronological definition must be accompanied by a physical type section that represents it, this is what we call GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point). An historical review about the early definitions of Quaternary, reaching the 21st century will be done, as well as an analysis of the different subdivisions of Quaternary, their GSSPs and criteria on which these definitions are based.