Defining the onset of the Anthropocene
Waters, Colin N. ; Turner, Simon D.
Earth's geological history is divided into chronostratigraphic units that distinguish phases in the planet's evolution by summarizing complex biotic, geochemical, and climatic changes. Over the past century, many components of the Earth system have changed so much that they no longer occur within the ranges evident during the Holocene-the geological epoch that represents the past ∼11,700 years. There are also distinct geological traces that warrant recognition as a new geologic epoch: the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene Working Group (AWG), a task group of the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), have been working to decide precisely when the Anthropocene began, with a focus around the mid-20th century. The definition will need to identify specific physical properties in sediment layers, or strata, that capture the effects of recent increases in human population; unprecedented industrialization and globalization; and changes imposed on the landscape, climate, and biosphere.</p>
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