Welcome to the anthropocene, people
The influence of humanity on Earth is so deep and thorough that scientists had to state the onset of a new geological epoch.
The geochronological scale depicted as a spiral
A working group of 35 experts from the Working Group on the Anthropocene approved the final position and sent an official letter yesterday to the participants of the International Geological Congress , which began on August 27 in Cape Town. Scientists propose to officially announce the end of the Holocene geological epoch ( Holocene Epoch on the scale above) and the onset of the geological epoch of the Anthropocene.
It is proposed to consider 1950 as the formal date of the onset of the new era — the date when, after the first nuclear tests of the 40s, a layer of radioactive elements was formed on the surface of the Earth. Although de facto fundamental irreversible changes in terrestrial geology and fauna began in the XIX century, after the industrial revolution.
Nuclear tests on the atoll of Mururoa in French Polynesia in 1971. Photo: AFP / Getty Images
The clearest geological marker of the new era is the ubiquitous spread of radioactive elements on the Earth's surface due to radioactive fallout. Scientists are considering other markers that distinguish the anthropocene from the previous Holocene period, including surface contamination with plastic waste (by 2050 the weight of plastic in the world's oceans will exceed the mass of fish), soot from power plants, concrete. Even such an exotic marker as a large amount of poultry soil in the soil is considered. In general, all markers are considered that will enable future geologists to determine by soil layers that a particular event occurred precisely during the anthropocene epoch. The geological layer should be clearly visible in the soil after millions of years.
Historians of the future will be able to determine the historical anthropocene stratum on radioactive elements quite accurately and without doubt - this was the reason for the almost unanimous agreement of scientists to recognize the onset of a new geological era (30 out of 35 experts of the working group voted for, three against, two were absent).
Among other characteristics of the anthropocene is the mass extinction of flora and fauna (if the current trend continues, 75% of the species will disappear over the next centuries); an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 66 million years, a doubling of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil over the last century (presumably the most significant change in the nitrogen cycle over the past 2.5 billion years), the appearance of a constant layer of solid precipitation from the air (soot) in glacial ice.
Now the Earth is in the Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era (it is also an anthropogen ).
The Quaternary period (anthropogen) began 2.58 million years ago, and the last epoch in it, the Holocene, lasts the last 12,000 years.
Holocene came afterthe fall of the meteorite in Mexico 13,000 years ago and the abrupt end of the Last Ice Maximum , with the massive extinction of fauna and the emergence of human civilizations. From then until the XIX century, the climate on Earth remained relatively stable, the life of animals and plants changed only slightly.
Similarly, the Cretaceous period ended 66 million years ago after the Earth’s collision with an even larger meteorite than in Mexico. This accelerated the mass extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs and 93% of mammal species on the planet . But geologically, the end of an epoch is determined by the explosive growth of iridium content in the layers, which is associated with massive iridium sediments throughout the Earth after a collision with a meteorite.
“The importance of the anthropocene is that it sets a different trajectory for the Earth system, of which we are a part,” said working group chairman, geologist Jan Zalasiewicz from the University of Leicester at a press conference. - If our recommendations [regarding the formal start of a new era in 1950] are adopted, then the anthropocene began right before my birth. We have lived a large part of our life in something called the anthropocene, and only now have we begun to understand the scale and fundamental nature of the changes. ”
For 70 years, there was enough radioactive fallout on Earth to form a stable and well-recognizable layer, members of the working group say, also mentioning the presence of plastic microelements in this layer, both on land and in the ocean.
The discussion on the recognition of a new geological epoch has been going on for several years. Last year, another group of scientists published a scientific work in the journal Nature with arguments in favor of officially recognizing the onset of the anthropocene.
True, scientists have not yet reached a consensus on what specific date to determine the beginning of the anthropocene. Some believe that the changes began even before the industrial revolution, namely, around 1610when an unusual decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is registered and there is an irreversible exchange of species between the Old and New Worlds. Scientists believe that the global migration of species associated with the development of North and South America by European civilization and the beginning of international trade across the globe.
Now that the new geological epoch has been officially accepted by the participants in the working group, scientists will begin a long process of studying the evidence to select the most appropriate Global Standard Stratigraphic Age (GSSA) chronological scale. It could be 1610, 1950, or some other date. Having collected evidence, the working group will issue a formal proposal to the International Commission on Stratigraphy .
After approval by the International Commission on Stratigraphy, further ratification by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences will be required. It is then that the anthropocene will become completely official and will be included in school textbooks. The working group members will have to do a lot of work in the coming years, but they are sure that they will bring it to the end.
“Our stratigraphic colleagues are very protective of the geochronological scale. They very fairly consider it as the basis of geology and do not intend to make changes easily, ” said Zalasevich. “But we think we can prepare a pretty good deal.”
The geochronological scale depicted as a spiral
A working group of 35 experts from the Working Group on the Anthropocene approved the final position and sent an official letter yesterday to the participants of the International Geological Congress , which began on August 27 in Cape Town. Scientists propose to officially announce the end of the Holocene geological epoch ( Holocene Epoch on the scale above) and the onset of the geological epoch of the Anthropocene.
It is proposed to consider 1950 as the formal date of the onset of the new era — the date when, after the first nuclear tests of the 40s, a layer of radioactive elements was formed on the surface of the Earth. Although de facto fundamental irreversible changes in terrestrial geology and fauna began in the XIX century, after the industrial revolution.
Nuclear tests on the atoll of Mururoa in French Polynesia in 1971. Photo: AFP / Getty Images
The clearest geological marker of the new era is the ubiquitous spread of radioactive elements on the Earth's surface due to radioactive fallout. Scientists are considering other markers that distinguish the anthropocene from the previous Holocene period, including surface contamination with plastic waste (by 2050 the weight of plastic in the world's oceans will exceed the mass of fish), soot from power plants, concrete. Even such an exotic marker as a large amount of poultry soil in the soil is considered. In general, all markers are considered that will enable future geologists to determine by soil layers that a particular event occurred precisely during the anthropocene epoch. The geological layer should be clearly visible in the soil after millions of years.
Historians of the future will be able to determine the historical anthropocene stratum on radioactive elements quite accurately and without doubt - this was the reason for the almost unanimous agreement of scientists to recognize the onset of a new geological era (30 out of 35 experts of the working group voted for, three against, two were absent).
Among other characteristics of the anthropocene is the mass extinction of flora and fauna (if the current trend continues, 75% of the species will disappear over the next centuries); an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past 66 million years, a doubling of nitrogen and phosphorus in the soil over the last century (presumably the most significant change in the nitrogen cycle over the past 2.5 billion years), the appearance of a constant layer of solid precipitation from the air (soot) in glacial ice.
Now the Earth is in the Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era (it is also an anthropogen ).
The Quaternary period (anthropogen) began 2.58 million years ago, and the last epoch in it, the Holocene, lasts the last 12,000 years.
Holocene came afterthe fall of the meteorite in Mexico 13,000 years ago and the abrupt end of the Last Ice Maximum , with the massive extinction of fauna and the emergence of human civilizations. From then until the XIX century, the climate on Earth remained relatively stable, the life of animals and plants changed only slightly.
Similarly, the Cretaceous period ended 66 million years ago after the Earth’s collision with an even larger meteorite than in Mexico. This accelerated the mass extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs and 93% of mammal species on the planet . But geologically, the end of an epoch is determined by the explosive growth of iridium content in the layers, which is associated with massive iridium sediments throughout the Earth after a collision with a meteorite.
“The importance of the anthropocene is that it sets a different trajectory for the Earth system, of which we are a part,” said working group chairman, geologist Jan Zalasiewicz from the University of Leicester at a press conference. - If our recommendations [regarding the formal start of a new era in 1950] are adopted, then the anthropocene began right before my birth. We have lived a large part of our life in something called the anthropocene, and only now have we begun to understand the scale and fundamental nature of the changes. ”
For 70 years, there was enough radioactive fallout on Earth to form a stable and well-recognizable layer, members of the working group say, also mentioning the presence of plastic microelements in this layer, both on land and in the ocean.
The discussion on the recognition of a new geological epoch has been going on for several years. Last year, another group of scientists published a scientific work in the journal Nature with arguments in favor of officially recognizing the onset of the anthropocene.
True, scientists have not yet reached a consensus on what specific date to determine the beginning of the anthropocene. Some believe that the changes began even before the industrial revolution, namely, around 1610when an unusual decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is registered and there is an irreversible exchange of species between the Old and New Worlds. Scientists believe that the global migration of species associated with the development of North and South America by European civilization and the beginning of international trade across the globe.
Now that the new geological epoch has been officially accepted by the participants in the working group, scientists will begin a long process of studying the evidence to select the most appropriate Global Standard Stratigraphic Age (GSSA) chronological scale. It could be 1610, 1950, or some other date. Having collected evidence, the working group will issue a formal proposal to the International Commission on Stratigraphy .
After approval by the International Commission on Stratigraphy, further ratification by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences will be required. It is then that the anthropocene will become completely official and will be included in school textbooks. The working group members will have to do a lot of work in the coming years, but they are sure that they will bring it to the end.
“Our stratigraphic colleagues are very protective of the geochronological scale. They very fairly consider it as the basis of geology and do not intend to make changes easily, ” said Zalasevich. “But we think we can prepare a pretty good deal.”