Abstract: Geochronology, including absolute radio-isotopic dating and relative dating, is an essential subject of Earth sciences. We have seen significant advances in geochronology in the past century as demonstrated by the developments of theoretical systems, techniques, and analytical approaches, which facilitated both the quality and quantity of geochronology data. Within the suitable range of calibration, various dating methods could confirm each other, and the geochronology system becomes more accurate and explicit. For example, high-precision geochronological results and massive micro-analysis data provide time framework for geological events with unprecedented details. They lay the foundation for both quantifying the processes and rates of geological events and underpinning the coupled evolution of the Earth system. As a response to the dramatic increase of geochronological data, many databases for data management and sharing have been developed. The current paper summarizes the features of the existing geochronological databases, as well as advances in both high temporal and spatial resolution geochronology, to explore the opportunities and challenges of developing geochronology in the big data era.

Key words: geochronology, database, big data, temporal resolution, spatial resolution