The name “Chibanian,” based on a stratum discovered in Chiba Prefecture, is set to represent the geological age when the latest reversal of the Earth’s magnetic fields is believed to have occurred, a Japanese national research institute said Monday.
The National Institute of Polar Research said the term meaning “Chiba age” garnered more than 60 percent of votes, beating “Ionian,” a name related to stratums in Italy, for a geologic time period from 770,000 to 126,000 years ago in the first screening process at an international academic society.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.