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Westphalian (stage)
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<table><tbody><tr><th><a href="/facts/System_(stratigraphy)/eEt8kSgg">System</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Series_(stratigraphy)/KgmTDDy5">Series</a>(NW Europe)</th><th><a href="/facts/Stage_(stratigraphy)/6HActMK7">Stage</a>(NW Europe)</th><th><a href="/facts/System_(stratigraphy)/eEt8kSgg">Sub-system</a>(ICS)</th><th><a href="/facts/Stage_(stratigraphy)/6HActMK7">Stage</a>(ICS)</th><th>Age(<a href="/facts/Megaannum/51V242hh">Ma</a>)</th></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><a href="/facts/Permian/CYgLgu5u">Permian</a></td><td>younger</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="8"><a href="/facts/Carboniferous/BRKlkYyd">Carboniferous</a></td><td rowspan="6"><a href="/facts/Silesian_(series)/k80vAHca">Silesian</a></td><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Stephanian_(stage)/famT2nwe">Stephanian</a></td><td rowspan="5"><a href="/facts/Pennsylvanian_(geology)/Fc1LAJSX">Pennsylvanian</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Gzhelian/SBq1x9zN">Gzhelian</a></td><td>298.9–303.7</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Kasimovian/BM2BzzBQ">Kasimovian</a></td><td>303.7–307.0</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">Westphalian</td><td><a href="/facts/Moscovian_(Carboniferous)/5M9hmAz1">Moscovian</a></td><td>307.0–315.2</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Bashkirian/TcD4TYta">Bashkirian</a></td><td rowspan="2">315.2–323.4</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Namurian/VxggFEKa">Namurian</a></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3"><a href="/facts/Mississippian_age/tqsS6Ifj">Mississippian</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Serpukhovian/pFpf9wK7">Serpukhovian</a></td><td>323.4–330.3</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Dinantian/8yIEl25M">Dinantian</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Visean/H00gMd9o">Visean</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Visean/H00gMd9o">Visean</a></td><td>330.3–346.7</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/facts/Tournaisian/5fc51hec">Tournaisian</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Tournaisian/5fc51hec">Tournaisian</a></td><td>346.7–358.9</td></tr><tr><td colspan="5"><a href="/facts/Devonian/nWgakqzk">Devonian</a></td><td>older</td></tr><tr><td colspan="6">Subdivisions of the Carboniferous system in Europe compared with the official <a href="/facts/International_Commission_on_Stratigraphy/sGDCGGd2">ICS</a>-stages (as of 2024)</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The Westphalian is a regional <a href="/facts/Stage_(stratigraphy)/6HActMK7">stage</a> or <a href="/facts/Age_(geology)/qFToW7mN">age</a> in the regional <a href="/facts/Stratigraphy/o3J6Ij3R">stratigraphy</a> of northwest Europe, with an age between roughly 315 and 307 <a href="/facts/Megaannum/51V242hh">Ma (million years ago)</a>. It is a subdivision of the <a href="/facts/Carboniferous/BRKlkYyd">Carboniferous</a> <a href="/facts/System_(stratigraphy)/eEt8kSgg">System</a> or <a href="/facts/Period_(geology)/6LBR11yQ">Period</a> and the regional <a href="/facts/Silesian_(series)/k80vAHca">Silesian</a> <a href="/facts/Series_(stratigraphy)/KgmTDDy5">Series</a>. The Westphalian is named for the region of <a href="/facts/Westphalia/tHtm9cTt">Westphalia</a> (<a href="/facts/German_language/oWaQIDA8">German</a>: <i>Westfalen</i>) in western <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a> where strata of this age occur. The <a href="/facts/Coal_Measures/TK0I11Iy">Coal Measures</a> of <a href="/facts/England/U9mE5bGL">England</a> and <a href="/facts/Wales/xa3W6PHH">Wales</a> are also largely of Westphalian age, though they also extend into the succeeding <a href="/facts/Stephanian_(stage)/famT2nwe">Stephanian</a>. </p><p>The Westphalian is preceded by the <a href="/facts/Namurian/VxggFEKa">Namurian</a> Stage/Age (which corresponds to the <a href="/facts/Millstone_Grit/rL9HJP1X">Millstone Grit Series</a> of Great Britain) and succeeded by the Stephanian Stage/Age (which corresponds to the uppermost part of the <a href="/facts/Coal_Measures/TK0I11Iy">Coal Measures</a> of Great Britain). </p><p>In the official <a href="/facts/Geologic_timescale/vBAm0D8Q">geologic time scale</a> of the International Commission on Stratigraphy <a href="/facts/International_Commission_on_Stratigraphy/sGDCGGd2">(ICS</a>), the Westphalian is placed within the <a href="/facts/Pennsylvanian_(geology)/Fc1LAJSX">Pennsylvanian</a> Subsystem/Subperiod (323-299 Ma) of the Carboniferous System/Period. As a regionally defined stage, the Westphalian overlaps with official ICS stages which are in use on an international level. The Westphalian extends from the approximately the upper half of the <a href="/facts/Bashkirian/TcD4TYta">Bashkirian</a> Stage through the <a href="/facts/Moscovian_(Carboniferous)/5M9hmAz1">Moscovian</a> Stage, and possibly includes a small portion of the <a href="/facts/Kasimovian/BM2BzzBQ">Kasimovian</a> Stage. Many older scientific sources refer to the Westphalian as an epoch or series, which are higher geological ranks than its current status. </p>