Welcome
The newly-renamed Section on European Quaternary Stratigraphy - previously the Subcommission on European Quaternary Stratigraphy (SEQS) - is a constituent body of the International Union of Quaternary Research (INQUA), Commission on Stratigraphy and Geochronology (SACCOM). The SEQS is a group devoted to the study of the Quaternary Period in Europe, the last 2.6 million years of Earth's history. This inter-disciplinary group is concerned with the Quaternary stratigraphy of Europe. It provides a forum for Quaternary scientists to discuss and establish stratigraphical investigations and classification throughout the European continent, one of the most significant and densely investigated regions of the World.
It seeks to achieve this through the organisation of regular meetings, publications and publicity. In addition a network of Working Groups with a specific mandates are established under the auspices of the Subcommission.
The SEQS exists to promote and co-ordinate international co-operation and integration by:
- the establishment and publication of a European geological time-scale for the Quaternary,
- the unification of regional and national chronostratigraphical nomenclature,
- the promotion of stratigraphical methods, and the dissemination of stratigraphical knowledge,
- the evaluation of new stratigraphical methods and their integration into a multidisciplinary stratigraphy, and
- the definition of principles of stratigraphical classification, terminology and procedure and their publication.
The SEQS scientific activities are carried out through projects, websites, publications and meetings, particularly through close co-operation with local sister national organisations, as well as through collaboration with other organisations.
Working Groups
There are currently two groups working under the auspices of SEQS:
- EQMAL - European Quaternary Malacologists
- EuroMam - the European Quaternary Mammal Research Association
News
- Renaming of the SEQS. Following the INQUA requirements, a vote of the voting members of SEQS - the organisation has been renamed the 'Section on European Quaternary Stratigraphy' from 1 January 2010.
- The 2010 INQUA-SEQS meeting will be held on 21-26 June 2010 in Rostov-on-Don in Russia, on the topic 'Quaternary stratigraphy and paleontology of the southern Russia: connections between Europe, Africa and Asia'.
- 'Quaternary geologists win timescale vote - redefinition rescues once-threatened terminology from extinction' - read report in NATURE 4.5.09.
-
Now published - Episodes special issue 31, No. 2 , June 2008 - The Quaternary.
* News items are welcome!
- making geological data accessible.