<p>I've been searching for a map depicting the age of each part of the crust for a long time. I'm not a geologist but I'm a physicist so I would like to know about the most up-to-date and accurate references possible.</p>
<p>Since this is not my field I would like to know if these are &quot;old models&quot; now; <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2007GC001743" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Müller et al. (2008)</a> gave an age model for the oceanic crust and the relevant revised data <a href="http://www.earthbyte.org/age-spreading-rates-and-spreading-asymmetry-of-the-worlds-ocean-crust/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">can be downloaded</a> from earthbytes.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/JSGWJ.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/JSGWJ.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>But models for the continental crust age seem to be less reliable (lower spatial resolution, less resolution in the time domain and less coherent sources blended toghether). I've found this one from <a href="http://www.lithosphere.info/papers/2006-Tecto-Art-TC1-small.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Irina M. Artemieva (2005)</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/VPhqQ.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/VPhqQ.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>But there are two main problems with this map: 1) I'm unable to find the dataset anywhere and 2) between Müller's and Irina's maps there are missing parts (submerged continental crust like in Zelandia or the arctic) from which I would like to know the age also.</p>
<p>In short:
I would like to know if there's a coherent global map of the age of the crust, with no regional gaps and up-to-date. It would be great if the data can be downloaded so I can visualize it myself with python or something similar. If there are no maps like that then I would like the best possible maps of the age of the continental crust so I can blend it with the Müller's map.</p>
<p>Thank you in advance.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-22T17:25:06.077Z
"submerged continental crust" = "continental shelf". It's the light grey areas on the oceanic crust age map. I don't think there have been many studies of the continental shelf basement rock.
Spencer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-22T22:43:41.357Z
continetal crust age is difficult to sample as it can lie under hundreds or even thousands of feed of sedimentary deposits. It generally requires a lot of drilling to measure.
John
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-02T06:37:12.480Z
I can't even find a map showing the global distribution of continental and oceanic crusts.
Jim
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-02T10:49:53.520Z
In my opinion the age of a continental crust is not even a well defined concept, because vertically as well as horizontally, the continental crust in many regions is a highly heterogeneous agglomeration of crustal pieces with widely diffent ages.
Karl Fabian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-04-11T02:03:57.780Z
Bedrock geological maps for North America, Europe, and probably much of Asia offer excellent resolution of rock ages at a number of scales. Why are these maps insufficient?
Knob Scratcher
<geology><mapping><crust><paleogeography><age>
Crustal age global map
Swike
# Crustal age global map

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-22)

I've been searching for a map depicting the age of each part of the crust for a long time. I'm not a geologist but I'm a physicist so I would like to know about the most up-to-date and accurate references possible.

Since this is not my field I would like to know if these are "old models" now; [Müller et al. (2008)](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2007GC001743) gave an age model for the oceanic crust and the relevant revised data [can be downloaded](http://www.earthbyte.org/age-spreading-rates-and-spreading-asymmetry-of-the-worlds-ocean-crust/) from earthbytes.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/JSGWJ.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/JSGWJ.jpg)

But models for the continental crust age seem to be less reliable (lower spatial resolution, less resolution in the time domain and less coherent sources blended toghether). I've found this one from [Irina M. Artemieva (2005)](http://www.lithosphere.info/papers/2006-Tecto-Art-TC1-small.pdf).

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/VPhqQ.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/VPhqQ.jpg)

But there are two main problems with this map: 1) I'm unable to find the dataset anywhere and 2) between Müller's and Irina's maps there are missing parts (submerged continental crust like in Zelandia or the arctic) from which I would like to know the age also.

In short:
I would like to know if there's a coherent global map of the age of the crust, with no regional gaps and up-to-date. It would be great if the data can be downloaded so I can visualize it myself with python or something similar. If there are no maps like that then I would like the best possible maps of the age of the continental crust so I can blend it with the Müller's map.

Thank you in advance.

**Tags:** geology, mapping, crust, paleogeography, age

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "submerged continental crust" = "continental shelf". It's the light grey areas on the oceanic crust age map. I don't think there have been many studies of the continental shelf basement rock.  
> **username_2**: continetal crust age is difficult to sample as it can lie under hundreds or even thousands of feed of sedimentary deposits. It generally requires a lot of drilling to measure.  
> **username_3**: I can't even find a map showing the global distribution of continental and oceanic crusts.  
> **username_4**: In my opinion the age of a continental crust is not even a well defined concept, because vertically as well as horizontally, the continental crust in many regions is a highly heterogeneous agglomeration of crustal pieces with widely diffent ages.  
> **username_5**: Bedrock geological maps for North America, Europe, and probably much of Asia offer excellent resolution of rock ages at a number of scales. Why are these maps insufficient?  

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## 0 answers

