Campanian

EtymologyName formalityFormalUsage informationCelestial bodyEarthRegional usageGlobal (ICS)Time scale(s) usedICS Time ScaleDefinitionChronological unitAgeStratigraphic unitStageTime span formalityFormalLower boundary definitionBase of Chron C33rLower boundary GSSPBottaccione, Gubbio, Italy
43°21′46″N12°34′58″E / 43.3627°N 12.5828°E / 43.3627; 12.5828Lower GSSP ratifiedOctober 2022Upper boundary definitionMean of 12 biostratigraphic criteriaUpper boundary GSSPGrande Carrière quarry, Landes, France
43°40′46″N1°06′48″W / 43.6795°N 1.1133°W / 43.6795; -1.1133Upper GSSP ratifiedFebruary 2001

The Campanian is the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceousepoch on the geologic timescale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). In chronostratigraphy, it is the fifth of six stages in the Upper CretaceousSeries. Campanian spans the time from 83.6 (± 0.2) to 72.2 (± 0.2) million years ago. It is preceded by the Santonian and it is followed by the Maastrichtian.

The Campanian was an age when a worldwide sea level rise covered many coastal areas. The morphology of some of these areas has been preserved: it is an unconformity beneath a cover of marine sedimentary rocks.