The Anthropocene is a prospective epoch/series, not a geological event

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 SulCatherine Jeandel, J. R. McNeill, Colin P. Summerhayes

Publications: Contribution to journalArticlePeer Reviewed

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)229-238
Number of pages10
JournalEpisodes
Volume46
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2023

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

  • 105906 Environmental geosciences

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