Kent State Stark Geologic Time Scale Walk

•  One of few like it at a public university

•  The Phanerozoic Eon, the most recent 570 million years of geologic time, has been scaled to a path a little over one-half a mile long.

•  Students can experience the length of geologic time by walking out the various time periods

•  Interpretive signs give facts about the geologic time scale and the geology of Ohio

•  The origin of the Earth, on the same scale, would be placed at the Akron-Canton Airport, about three miles away.

•  The walk is open to students, faculty, staff, and the public

The walk begins outside the Campus's Main Hall near the East Wing and circles the Pond, located at the northeast corner of the campus.

•   Students can learn about the geology and paleontology of Ohio as they walk the geologic time scale at the Stark Campus

•   Full-color interpretive exhibits feature classic artwork, dioramas, and maps from a variety of sources

•   The Paleozoic Era summary sign is illustrated with dioramas from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and illustrations from the Ohio Geologic Survey in Columbus.

•   Each of the Eras is summarized so that students and others enjoying the walk can learn about the plants and animals that lived during that time.

•   The Mesozoic Era and the time periods it embraces are illustrated with the beautiful mural The Age of Reptiles by Rudolph F. Zollinger, courtesy of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University.

•   The Cenozoic Era is illustrated with the mural The Age of Mammals, also by Rudolph F. Zollinger, courtesy the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University

•   Signage shows the variety of mammals that have lived throughout the Cenozoic Era.

•   The Geologic Time Scale Walk ends near the Gazebo at the Pond with a summary of the most recent Ice Ages and the impact of the glaciers on Ohio.

•   Participants learn about past climate change in human history and its potential for impacting humans in the future.

•   Smaller signs mark the geological time periods and epochs within each major era
•   Smaller marker signs are spaced according to the length of the time period in millions of years.
•   Smaller signs highlight particular animals and plants that thrived during the illustrated time period
•   The number of millions of years ago at the bottom of the sign indicates when the period of time began.

•   Below are more examples of smaller marker signs.