Introduction

The International Subcommission on Jurassic Stratigraphy

The International Subcommission on Jurassic Stratigraphy (ISJS) is an official body of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS, of which the various Subcommission chairs are voting members) and of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Each year we report to ICS, which reports in turn to IUGS. In this role we have three officers (Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary) and twenty Voting Members, with, in addition, an unspecified number of Corresponding Members. Additionally, the ISJS is a worldwide association of all those who have an interest in the geology of the Jurassic, whether or not they are 'official' members.

 The main aims of the ISJS are:

1. To promote and coordinate long-term international cooperation and establish standards in stratigraphy, with the priority to define global chronostratigraphic units.

2. To enable and promote international collaboration in research on the Jurassic and to sponsor regular international meetings. 

Objectives 2008-2012

For those interested in the geology of the Jurassic, the four-yearly International Symposia are a priority, and are officially supported and sponsored. Other meetings will be supported as resources allow.

For the next four years the specific objectives for the Jurassic Subcommission are:

1. To complete definition of all Jurassic Stages by the next International Geological Congress (IGC) in Australia in 2012.

2. To standardize and propose definitions for substages as appropriate, but named only as Lower/Middle/Upper. These substages will be approved by the Jurassic Subcommission, but ICS and IUGS have no current plans for involvement at this level of detail.

3. To encourage construction of integrated biostratigraphic and geochronological time-scales and make these available on the ISJS web site.

4. To review and develop the roles of Thematic Working Groups, some of which have been very successful and others far less active.