China Releases First AI Model for Stratigraphy

Chinese scientists have released the world's first large artificial intelligence model for stratigraphy, along with an intelligent global stratigraphic profile comparison system. This development marks the first time Earth's 4.6 billion-year evolutionary history will have a globally shared database.

Stratigraphy, the study of rock layers and their chronological relation, is a foundational discipline for interpreting Earth's evolutionary history. It provides critical scientific basis for understanding the origin of life, resource distribution, and climate evolution.

Shen Shuzhong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and vice chairman of the International Commission on Stratigraphy, stated the goal is to sort all geological records of Earth's 4.6 billion-year history according to a unified time standard, using a timeline and global big data.

China holds a strong position in stratigraphy, having discovered 11 "golden spikes" – internationally recognized Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points. These discoveries provide globally standardized markers for Earth's evolutionary history.

The fifth International Congress on the Stratigraphy, where the announcement was made, took place in Kunshan, Jiangsu province. This marked the first time the International Commission on Stratigraphy's flagship conference was held in Asia since its inception.