The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene

DOI Web Site 9 Citations
  • Colin N. Waters
    British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK.
  • Jan Zalasiewicz
    Department of Geology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
  • Colin Summerhayes
    Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge University, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER, UK.
  • Anthony D. Barnosky
    Department of Integrative Biology, Museum of Paleontology, and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California–Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
  • Clément Poirier
    Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière, Université de Caen Normandie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 24 Rue des Tilleuls, F-14000 Caen, France.
  • Agnieszka Gałuszka
    Geochemistry and the Environment Division, Institute of Chemistry, Jan Kochanowski University, 15G Świętokrzyska Street, 25-406 Kielce, Poland.
  • Alejandro Cearreta
    Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Apartado 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
  • Matt Edgeworth
    School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
  • Erle C. Ellis
    Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland–Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA.
  • Michael Ellis
    British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK.
  • Catherine Jeandel
    Laboratoire d’Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (CNRS, Centre National d'Études Spatiales, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université Paul Sabatier), 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France.
  • Reinhold Leinfelder
    Department of Geological Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstraße 74-100/D, 12249 Berlin, Germany.
  • J. R. McNeill
    Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
  • Daniel deB. Richter
    Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Box 90233, Durham, NC 27516, USA.
  • Will Steffen
    The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia.
  • James Syvitski
    Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado–Boulder, Box 545, Boulder, CO 80309-0545, USA.
  • Davor Vidas
    Marine Affairs and Law of the Sea Programme, The Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Lysaker, Norway.
  • Michael Wagreich
    Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
  • Mark Williams
    Department of Geology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
  • An Zhisheng
    State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
  • Jacques Grinevald
    Institut de Hautes Études Internationales et du Développement, Chemin Eugène Rigot 2, 1211 Genève 11, Switzerland.
  • Eric Odada
    Department of Geology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Naomi Oreskes
    Department of the History of Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • Alexander P. Wolfe
    Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E9, Canada.

Abstract

<jats:title>Evidence of an Anthropocene epoch</jats:title> <jats:p> Humans are undoubtedly altering many geological processes on Earth—and have been for some time. But what is the stratigraphic evidence for officially distinguishing this new human-dominated time period, termed the “Anthropocene,” from the preceding Holocene epoch? Waters <jats:italic>et al.</jats:italic> review climatic, biological, and geochemical signatures of human activity in sediments and ice cores. Combined with deposits of new materials and radionuclides, as well as human-caused modification of sedimentary processes, the Anthropocene stands alone stratigraphically as a new epoch beginning sometime in the mid–20th century. </jats:p> <jats:p> <jats:italic>Science</jats:italic> , this issue p. <jats:related-article xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" ext-link-type="doi" related-article-type="in-this-issue" xlink:href="10.1126/science.aad2622">10.1126/science.aad2622</jats:related-article> </jats:p>

Journal

  • Science

    Science 351 (6269), aad2622-, 2016-01-08

    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

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