Temporal distribution

A temporal distribution is a distribution over time. Also known as a time distribution. A temporal distribution usually has the independent variable 'Time' on the ordinate and other variables viewed approximately orthogonal to it. The time distribution can move forward in time, for example, from the present into the future, or backward in time, from the present into the past. Usually, the ordinate is plotted forward in time with the earlier time at the intersection with the abscissa variable at left. Geologic time is often plotted on the abscissa versus phenomena on the ordinate or as a twenty-four hour clock analogy.
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects, or changes such as radioactive decay.
Geologic time scale
The geologic time scale provides a system of chronologic measurement relating stratigraphy to time that is used by geologists, paleontologists and other earth scientists to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred during the history of the Earth.
In a 'clock' form, shown at right, some of the major units of geological time and definitive events of Earth history are displayed. The Hadean eon represents the time before fossil record of life on Earth; its upper boundary is now regarded as 4.0 Ga. Other subdivisions reflect the evolution of life; the Archean and Proterozoic are both eons, the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic are eras of the Phanerozoic eon. The two million year Quaternary period, the time of recognizable humans, is too small to be visible at this scale.
Another form is that of a spiral (above left) with the present at the top and the past toward the bottom.
Cosmological timeline
The cosmological timeline currently encompasses the timeline of the Big Bang which describes the history of the universe according to the prevailing scientific theory of how the universe came into being, using the cosmological time parameter of comoving coordinates. The instant in which the universe is thought to have begun rapidly expanding from an extremely high energy density is known as the Big Bang.
The best available measurements as of 2011 suggest that the initial conditions occurred between 13.3 and 13.9 billion years ago.
Time gap
For a period of continuous time, a time gap is missing information about the other variable or phenomenon, or missing time in discontinuous time. A time gap can also be the time difference between two events. Some examples are
Discontinuous time: “The largest time gap along a political border is the 3.5 hour gap along the border of China (UTC+08) and Afghanistan (UTC+04:30 ).” From Time zone.
Unconformity: The time gap between the formation of the two units is at least 500 Ma From the Eparchaean Unconformity.
Transient event
A transient event is a short-lived burst in a system caused by a sudden change of state.
Intermittency
In dynamical systems, intermittency is the alternation of phases of apparently periodic and chaotic dynamics. Something is said to be intermittent when it does not manifest continuously.
Time structure
A simple and consistent time structure is typically a rapid increase intensity followed by gradual fading of the phenomenon. These can be combined with periodicity to exhibit periodicity with rapid increases (typically of a factor of ten or greater). A pattern can also occur, or a phenomenon can occur only once.

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