4th International Congress on Stratigraphy

Following the 1st congress in Lisbon (Portugal) in 2013, and additional congresses organized in Graz (Austria) in 2015 and Milan (Italy) in 2019, the 4th International Congress on Stratigraphy has been assigned by the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) to Lille (France). We are thus pleased to invite you to attend STRATI 2023, at Lille, France, 11th-13th July 2023. With famous pioneers, such as Cuvier and Lamarck, France is considered the birthplace of palaeontology (the word ‘paléontologie' was created by de Blainville in 1822), and French scientists were also the first to develop stratigraphical concepts. For instance, d'Orbigny introduced stages as subdivisions of strata with unique fossil assemblages. Many international geological series and stage names have been defined in France, such as the Jurassic System, named after the French-Swiss Jura Mountains, or the Givetian Stage (Devonian), named after Givet, a city in northern France. Many Mesozoic and Cenozoic standard stages derive from French localities: Hettangian, Sinemurian, Toarcian, Bajocian (Jurassic); Berriasian, Valanginian, Hauterivian, Barremian, Aptian, Albian, Cenomanian, Turonian, Coniacian, Santonian, and Campanian (Cretaceous); Lutetian (Palaeogene), Aquitanian and Burdigalian (Neogene). Lille, in the northernmost part of France, close to the Belgian border, has a long tradition of stratigraphical studies on the Upper Palaeozoic, being close to the famous Devonian-Carboniferous type localities, but also to the Ypresian and Rupelian (Palaeogene) type-sections in Belgium. We are pleased to announce that together with the 3 days indoor sessions, four excursions and two one-day field trips will be organized, covering stratigraphical successions from the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The congress will also host meetings of the ICS and its subcommissions, together with workshops and social activities. We are looking forward to welcome many of you in Lille for STRATI 2023!