We are excited to invite the global stratigraphy community to STRATI 2026 – Exploring the Depths: Bridging Tradition and Innovation in Stratigraphy, taking place from June 28 to July 3, 2026, at Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, China.
The STRATI congress is the official meeting of the International Commission on Stratigraphy held between meetings of the International Geological Congress. STRATI meetings serve as a cornerstone of international stratigraphic research, fostering dialogue and innovation across continents with a legacy rooted in Europe. As Earth science challenges and opportunities become increasingly interconnected, STRATI 2026 represents a pivotal opportunity to enhance global cooperation. Hosting this edition in Suzhou reflects the International Commission on Stratigraphy’s (ICS) dedication to promoting inclusive worldwide scientific exchange and addressing shared priorities in stratigraphic research.
WEBSITE
https://www.strati2026.org/
CONGRESS ORGANIZATION
International Scientific Committee
Co-chair: Elisabetta Erba (Chair of International Stratigraphy Commission)
Co-chair: Shuzhong Shen (Vice-Chair of International Stratigraphy Commission)
Organizing Committee
Co-chair: Shuzhong Shen, Nanjing University
Co-chair: Maoyan Zhu, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, CAS
Co-chair: Zhong-Qiang Chen, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan
CONGRESS SCHEDULE
LANGUAGE
English will be the official language of the meeting and the field trips.
SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS
General and Subcommission sessions both include oral and poster sessions, and parallel sessions will also be scheduled. The following scientific sessions have been proposed covering a wide range of stratigraphic topics (see details on the website):
General Sessions
G1. The Long Fuse to Biological Complexity: Advances in Mesoproterozoic through Cryogenian Stratigraphy
G2. The Middle Age Period of the Earth (1.8–0.8 Ga) ——New Stratigraphic Advances, Boundary Delimitation, and Planetary Spheres Interaction
G3. Co-Evolution of Earth and Life from the Archean to the Proterozoic
G4. The Precambrian-Cambrian Transition: Stratigraphic Record, Biological Evolution and Environmental Changes
G5. The Palaeozoic World: Events that Shaped Life
G6. Integrative Stratigraphy and Earth System Interactions Across the Permian-Triassic Transition
G7. Mesozoic Timescale Calibration
G8. Late Holocene to Anthropocene Transformations
G9. Cenozoic Terrestrial Biostratigraphy and Mammalian Evolution
G10. Novel Isotope and Elemental Geochemical Proxies for Phanerozoic Stratigraphy and Ocean Chemistry Reconstructions
G11. From the Paleotethys to the Neotethys: Insights into the Stratigraphic and Paleogeographic Evolution of the Tethys Ocean Realm
G12. Cyclostratigraphy and Its Applications in Geochronology and Paleoclimatology
G13. Understanding Mass Extinctions and Environmental Changes through Geological Time: Causes and Effects
G14. The Stratigraphy of "Events" in Earth History
G15. Trace Fossils as Indicator of Major Global Events and Regional Key Stratigraphic Surfaces
G16. GSSP Proposals to Complete the Time Scale: Problems and Solutions
G17. Quantitative Stratigraphy: Concepts, Principles, Methods and Applications
G18. Recent advances in the Cretaceous-Paleogene stratigraphy and Earth system evolution of the Tethyan realm
Subcommission Sessions
S1. Towards Subdivision of the Ediacaran System into Meaningful Stages and Series
S2. Ordovician Stratigraphy, Ecosystem and the Habitability Evolution
S3. Integrated Stratigraphy of the Silurian to Reconstruct Ancient Earth
S4. Multidisciplinary Studies on Devonian
S5. Journey to the Carboniferous
S6. Perspectives on Permian Stratigraphy
S7. Triassic Horizons: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Crises, Correlation and GSSPs
S8. Tropical Seaways Through Time: Stratigraphic, Tectonic and Paleoceanographic Evolution from the Jurassic to the Neogene
S9. Recent Advances in Jurassic Stratigraphy
S10. Marine and Non-Marine Cretaceous Stratigraphic Correlation: New Advances and Integrated Stratigraphy for Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction
S11. Rapid and Gradual Global Changes: the Paleogene vs. Other Stratigraphic Intervals
S12. Advances in Neogene Stratigraphy and Astrochronology, and the Functioning of Its Earth System
S13. Climate Changes, Terminations, and Thresholds: Stratigraphic Markers in the Quaternary Record
S14. 'GTS2030' – Toward an Open Science Geologic Time Scale
Workshops
W1. A Billion-Year Odyssey of the Earth’s Middle Age: New Advances in the Statherian-Tonian Multi-Stratigraphy, Global Correlation and Basin Dynamics
W2. Triassic GSSPs and the Candidates (post-conference field workshop)
Short Course
Stratigraphic forward Modeling: Testing Hypotheses in Carbonate Stratigraphy
FIELD EXCURSIONS
The following excursions are scheduled (Please purchase insurance in advance at your own expense):
Pre-conference Excursion
PF1. Critical stratigraphic boundary intervals in Yunnan Province, SW China
PF2. Late Paleozoic to earliest Mesozoic stratigraphy and faunas in Guizhou, South China
PF3. The Yanliao and Jehol biotas in North China
PF4. Mesoproterozoic successions in Jixian area, Tianjin City, North China
Mid-conference Excursion
MF1. Meishan section and Meishan Geopark
MF2. Tai Lake Xishan Section
MF3. Ordovician to Silurian strata and Anji Biota in the Anji, Zhejiang
Post-conference Excursion
POF1. The Cryogenian-Cambrian stratigraphy and biotas in Guizhou and Hunan
POF2. From Snowball Earth to Great Mass Extinction: Ediacaran to Triassic Stratigraphic Records in the Three Gorge area
POF3. Linxia Basin and Loess
POF4. Mesoproterozoic, Cambrian and terrestrial Permian-Triassic successions in the Yuntai Mountain-Shaolin Temple areas, Henan Province
POF5. Upper Devonian to lowest Carboniferous successions in Guilin Karst area, Guangxi
Field photos showing spectacular karst landscapes of Upper Devonian microbial carbonates in Guilin area, Guangxi Province.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Social activities include the icebreaker party and reception on Sunday June 28, as well as paid sightseeing for surrounding attractions (run by tour company).
VENUE & ACCOMMODATIONS
The indoor sessions will take place in Kunshan Crown International Exhibition Hotel, which is located at No. 1277 Qianjin West Road, Kunshan of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.
The same hotel with Strati can provide a total of 680 standard rooms for this conference, available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are also students' accommodations nearby to choose from. Detailed information on locations, room types, prices, and amenities can be found on Strati 2026 website.
TRAVEL
There are lots of direct flights from European, North American, Oceanian and African countries to Shanghai Pudong or Hongqiao airports (details on the Strati 2026 website), and Suzhou is next to Shanghai and has direct trains and buses access to the Shanghai Hongqiao airport (there are airport shuttle bus or Shanghai Suburban Railway Airport Link Line between Pudong and Hongqiao airports). Shuttles will be arranged between Shanghai airports and conference venue on June 28th and July 3rd (the service can be booked with online registration). It takes half hour from the Hongqiao airport to Suzhou. More details on the Strati 2026 website.
IMPORTANT DATES
Deadline for abstract submission: April 15th, 2026
Deadline for early bird registration: March 15th, 2026
Dispatch of third circular: May 30th, 2026
CONTACT
[email protected] for financial questions;
[email protected] for field excursion questions;
[email protected] for session and program questions;
[email protected] for registration questions;
[email protected] for other general issues.
