The Anthropocene is a prospective epoch/series, not a geological event
- Author(s)
- Martin J. Head, Jan A. Zalasiewicz, Colin N. Waters, Simon D. Turner, Mark Williams, Anthony D. Barnosky, Will Steffen, Michael Wagreich, Peter K. Haff, Jaia Syvitski, Reinhold Leinfelder, Francine M.G. McCarthy, Neil L. Rose, Scott L. Wing, Zhisheng An, Alejandro Cearreta, Andrew B. Cundy, Ian J. Fairchild, Yongming Han, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul, Catherine Jeandel, J. R. McNeill, Colin P. Summerhayes
- Abstract
The Anthropocene defined as an epoch/series within the Geological Time Scale, and with an isochronous inception in the mid-20th century, would both utilize the rich array of stratigraphic signals associated with the Great Acceleration and align with Earth System science analysis from where the term Anthropocene originated. It would be stratigraphically robust and reflect the reality that our planet has far exceeded the range of natural variability for the Holocene Epoch/Series which it would terminate. An alternative, recently advanced, time-transgressive 'geological event' definition would decouple the Anthropocene from its stratigraphic characterisation and association with a major planetary perturbation. We find this proposed anthropogenic 'event' to be primarily an interdisciplinary concept in which historical, cultural and social processes and their global environmental impacts are all flexibly interpreted within a multi-scalar framework. It is very different from a stratigraphic-methods-based Anthropocene epoch/series designation, but as an anthropogenic phenomenon, if separately defined and differently named, might be usefully complementary to it.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Geology
- External organisation(s)
- Brock University, University of Leicester, Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, Stanford University, Australian National University, Duke University, University of Colorado, Boulder, Freie Universität Berlin (FU), Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), University of the Basque Country, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Birmingham, Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Georgetown University, University of Cambridge
- Journal
- Episodes
- Volume
- 46
- Pages
- 229-238
- No. of pages
- 10
- ISSN
- 0705-3797
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/2022/022025
- Publication date
- 06-2023
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105906 Environmental geosciences
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/605e3376-e834-4189-989c-fde54c4970b6