What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess whether human-driven functional changes and physical signatures in the Earth system justify recognizing the Anthropocene as a distinct geological time unit separate from the Holocene.

January 7, 2016ScienceOpen Access

The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene

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To assess whether human-driven functional changes and physical signatures in the Earth system justify recognizing the Anthropocene as a distinct geological time unit separate from the Holocene.
Reviewed physical, chemical, and biological markers of anthropogenic Earth-system perturbation preserved within the stratigraphic record.
Analyzed trends in manufactured sediment components, fallout radionuclides, biogeochemical cycles, climate metrics, and biotic turnover.
Manufactured materials including plastics, aluminum, and concrete appear concurrently in recent sediments alongside spikes in radionuclides and fossil fuel combustion particulates.
Perturbations in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles, as well as rates of sea-level rise and climate system shifts, substantially exceed Late Holocene variations.
Biotic alterations characterized by widespread species invasions and accelerating extinction rates provide an unambiguous stratigraphical boundary.

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Implication

Geological review demonstrates distinct functional and stratigraphic markers across Earth's sedimentary record, indicating human activity warrants a new epoch.

Cite This Study

Waters et al. (2016) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d729ebb815ed77c2bef083 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad2622

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Implication

Geological review demonstrates distinct functional and stratigraphic markers across Earth's sedimentary record, indicating human activity warrants a new epoch.

The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

The Anthropocene is functionally and stratigraphically distinct from the Holocene

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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