Cenozoic – Accessible Science Graphics Collection

Geologic time scale (spiral)

The geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral featuring major events in Earth history, and the evolution of life.

The geologic time scale proportionally represented as a log-spiral featuring major events, and the evolution of life. Key events in Earth’s history marked on the diagram include major extinction events, global scale glaciations, the initiation of permanent atmospheric oxygen, the formation of the moon, and the formation of Earth’s magnetic field. The outer spiral arcs show components of the evolution of life on Earth.

This version is provided in fully accessible versions using the Scientific colour maps ‘batlow‘ and ‘glasgow‘ and, also, in the traditional International Commission on Stratigraphy colour scheme. Please note when using the latter colour scheme versions, you exclude some readers with colour-vision deficiencies.

Creator: Jarred C. Lloyd
This version: 24.04.2024
License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Specific citation: These graphics by Jarred C. Lloyd are available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
Related reference: Lloyd, J. (2024). Geologic time scale – log-spiral (1.0.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10978148

Alternative colour schemes
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Paleotopography

Reconstruction of the Earth’s surface paleotopography and paleobathymetry between present day and 540 Million years ago as still images.

Reconstruction of the Earth’s surface paleotopography and paleobathymetry between present day and 540 Million years ago as still images. Shown is the Scotese & Wright (2018) paleo-digital elevation model (PaleoDEMS) based on tectonic plate reconstruction. The Scientific colour map ‘bukavu‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

Creator: Fabio Crameri
This version: 13.09.2023
License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Specific citation: This animated graphic by Fabio Crameri based on Scotese & Wright (2018) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
Related reference: Scotese, Christopher R, & Wright, Nicky M. (2018). PALEOMAP Paleodigital Elevation Models (PaleoDEMS) for the Phanerozoic [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5460860

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Perceptually uniform colour map
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Paleotopography (animated)

Animated reconstruction of the Earth’s surface paleotopography and paleobathymetry between present day and 540 Million years ago.

Animated reconstruction of the Earth’s surface paleotopography and paleobathymetry between present day and 540 Million years ago. Shown is the Scotese & Wright (2018) paleo-digital elevation model (PaleoDEMS) based on tectonic plate reconstruction. The Scientific colour map ‘bukavu‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

Creator: Fabio Crameri
This version: 13.09.2023
License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Specific citation: This animated graphic by Fabio Crameri based on Scotese & Wright (2018) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
Related reference: Scotese, Christopher R, & Wright, Nicky M. (2018). PALEOMAP Paleodigital Elevation Models (PaleoDEMS) for the Phanerozoic [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5460860

Transparent background
Perceptually uniform colour map
Colour-vision deficiency friendly
Readable in black&white

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Geologic time scale (uniform)

The colour-vision deficiency friendly, time-uniform geologic time scales from the s-Ink science graphics collection.

The colour-blind friendly, time-uniform geologic time scale. The geologic time scale represents deep time based on events that have occurred throughout the Earth’s history, spanning approximately 4.54 ± 0.05 Billion years. It organises time chronologically by observing fundamental changes in stratigraphy that correspond to major geological or paleontological events.

The Scientific colour map ‘batlow‘ is used to represent individual time periods to all readers.

Creator: Fabio Crameri
This version: 08.10.2021
License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri et al. (2022) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
Related reference: Crameri, F., G.E. Shephard, and E.O. Straume (2022, Pre-print), Effective high-quality science graphics from s-Ink.org, EarthArXiv, https://doi.org/10.31223/X51P78

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Paleo surface topography

Earth’s reconstructed global surface topography from the beginning of the Cenozoic era (66 Million years ago) until today.

Still images of the Earth’s global surface topography reconstructed through the Cenozoic time (66 – 0 Ma). Shown is the Straume et al. (2020) paleogeography model. The Scientific colour map ‘bukavu‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

Creator: Fabio Crameri
This version: 22.10.2021
License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri adjusted from Straume et al. (2020) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
Related reference: Straume, E. O., Gaina, C., Medvedev, S., & Nisancioglu, K. H. (2020). Global Cenozoic Paleobathymetry with a focus on the Northern Hemisphere Oceanic Gateways. Gondwana Research, 86, 126-143. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2020.05.011

Various time snapshots
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Paleo surface topography (animated)

Animations of the Earth’s global surface topography reconstructed through the Cenozoic time (66 – 0 Ma).

Animations of the Earth’s global surface topography reconstructed through the Cenozoic time (66 – 0 Ma). Shown is the Straume et al. (2020) paleogeography model. The Scientific colour map ‘bukavu‘ is used to represent data accurately and to all readers.

Creator: Fabio Crameri
This version: 22.10.2021
License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri adjusted from Straume et al. (2020) is available via the open-access s-Ink repository.
Related reference: Straume, E. O., Gaina, C., Medvedev, S., & Nisancioglu, K. H. (2020). Global Cenozoic Paleobathymetry with a focus on the Northern Hemisphere Oceanic Gateways. Gondwana Research, 86, 126-143. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2020.05.011

Alternative map projections
Transparent background
Light & dark background versions
Perceptually uniform colour map
Colour-vision deficiency friendly
Readable in black&white

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Geologic time scale

The colour-vision deficiency friendly geologic time scale from the s-Ink science graphics collection.

The colour-vision deficiency friendly geologic time scale. The Scientific colour map ‘batlow‘ is used to represent individual time periods to all readers.

Creator: Fabio Crameri
This version: 09.10.2021
License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri et al. (2022) is available via the open-access s-Ink.org repository.
Related reference: Crameri, F., G.E. Shephard, and E.O. Straume (2022, Pre-print), Effective high-quality science graphics from s-Ink.org, EarthArXiv, https://doi.org/10.31223/X51P78

Alternative colouring
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Vector format
Transparent background
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Readable in black&white

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Geologic time scale (artistic)

An artistic version of the geologic time scale that is, for flexible use, provided with variable content.

An artistic version of the geologic time scale that is, for flexible use, also provided as barebone template for later manual adjustment, with time being indicated both as time ago from present and time since the beginning, and with alternative content. The Scientific colour map ‘batlow‘ is used to represent individual time periods to all readers.

Creator: Fabio Crameri
This version: 16.09.2021
License: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Specific citation: This graphic by Fabio Crameri from Crameri et al. (2022) is available via the open-access s-ink.org repository.
Related reference: Crameri, F., G.E. Shephard, and E.O. Straume (2022, Pre-print), Effective high-quality science graphics from s-ink.org, EarthArXiv, https://doi.org/10.31223/X51P78

Alternative content
Layered version
Vector format
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Colour-vision deficiency friendly
Readable in black&white

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