The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene
- Autor(en)
- Colin N. Waters, Jan Zalasiewicz, Colin Summerhayes, Anthony D. Barnosky, Clement Poirier, Agnieszka Galuska, Alejandro Cearreta, Matt Edgeworth, Erle Ellis, Michael A. Ellis, Catherine Jeandel, Reinhold Leinfelder, John McNeill, Daniel Richter, Will Steffen, James P.M. Syvitski, Davor Vidas, Michael Wagreich, Mark Williams, An Zhisheng, Jacques Grinevald, Eric O. Odada, Naomi Oreskes, Alexander P. Wolfe
- Abstrakt
Human activity is leaving a pervasive and persistent signature on Earth. Vigorous debate continues about whether this warrants recognition as a new geologic time unit known as the Anthropocene. We review anthropogenic markers of functional changes in the Earth system through the stratigraphic record. The appearance of manufactured materials in sediments, including aluminum, plastics, and concrete, coincides with global spikes in fallout radionuclides and particulates from fossil fuel combustion. Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles have been substantially modified over the past century. Rates of sea-level rise and the extent of human perturbation of the climate system exceed Late Holocene changes. Biotic changes include species invasions worldwide and accelerating rates of extinction. These combined signals render the Anthropocene stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene and earlier epochs.
- Organisation(en)
- Institut für Geologie
- Externe Organisation(en)
- British Geological Survey, University of Leicester, University of Cambridge, University of California, Berkeley, Université Caen-Normandie, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, University of the Basque Country, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Freie Universität Berlin (FU), Georgetown University, Duke University, Australian National University, University of Colorado, Boulder, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Hochschulinstitut für internationale Studien und Entwicklung (IHEID), Kenyatta University, Harvard University, University of Alberta
- Journal
- Science
- Band
- 351
- Anzahl der Seiten
- 11
- ISSN
- 0036-8075
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad2622
- Publikationsdatum
- 01-2016
- Peer-reviewed
- Ja
- ÖFOS 2012
- 105205 Klimawandel, 105123 Stratigraphie
- Schlagwörter
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 13 – Maßnahmen zum Klimaschutz
- Link zum Portal
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/the-anthropocene-is-functionally-and-stratigraphically-distinct-from-the-holocene(1a920160-8790-4746-b5ad-18daeeac382b).html