Anthropocene

People change our big Earth.

Some people use a special name for this time. They call it the Anthropocene. This name shows how much people change the world.

We use many things from the land. We also change the air. This can change how plants and animals live.

It can even change the weather.

Some say this time started a long time ago. Others think it started more recently. They look at things like old machines. They also look at tiny bits of dust in lakes.

Scientists have a big debate about this name. They want to know when it truly began. They look at how we use the land. They study how we grow our food.

Even without a new name, we see our impact. We can see how we shape our home. It is a big thing to notice.

People have a big impact on our planet. Some scientists use a special name for this time. They call it the Anthropocene. This name describes a time when humans change the Earth.

These changes affect many things. They can cause climate change. They can also lead to biodiversity loss, which means fewer kinds of plants and animals live on Earth.

Scientists disagree on when this time began. Some say it started with the Industrial Revolution. This was a time of new machines like the steam engine. Others think it started much later. Many point to the mid-20th century. This period saw a fast rise in people and pollution. This is called the Great Acceleration.

One group of scientists wanted to make it an official epoch. An epoch is a long period of time in Earth's history. They suggested Crawford Lake in Canada as a starting point. They found bits of plutonium from nuclear tests in the lake mud. However, experts voted against this in 2024. They felt the start date was too recent. Even so, many people still use the name to talk about our impact.

The term Anthropocene describes a time when humans have become a huge force of change for our planet. This name is used by many scientists to talk about how our actions change the Earth's systems. These changes happen in many ways, such as through climate change or biodiversity loss. Biodiversity loss means that many different kinds of living things are disappearing.

Even though the name is popular, it is not an official part of Earth's history yet. Scientists use it to study how we affect water, salt, and even the very shape of the land.

Scientists look for specific clues to show how these changes work. They look for things like microplastics, heavy metals, or radioactive bits left by nuclear tests. These tiny pieces get stuck in layers of mud or ice over time. One group of scientists suggested using Crawford Lake in Ontario, Canada, to mark a starting point. In 2023, they proposed that the lake's sediment shows a clear spike in plutonium. This came from hydrogen bomb tests held in the 1950s. They also saw more carbon and nitrates from burning fuels and using fertilizers.

Many people have helped develop this idea over a long time. An Italian geologist named Antonio Stoppani spoke about human power in 1873. Later, a biologist named Eugene F. Stoermer used the term informally in the 1980s. An atmospheric chemist named Paul J. Crutzen helped make the name very popular in 2000. He believed human behavior changed the atmosphere enough to create a new epoch. An epoch is a large division of time in Earth's history.

There is a big debate about when this period actually began. Some people point to the Neolithic Revolution about 12,000 to 15,000 years ago. Others suggest the Industrial Revolution around 1780 when steam engines were invented. A popular idea points to the mid-20th century, known as the Great Acceleration. This was a time after World War II when populations and pollution grew very fast. This period also included the start of the Atomic Age.

In 2024, a group of experts made a big decision about the name. The Anthropocene Working Group wanted to make it an official geological epoch. However, the International Commission on Stratigraphy voted it down by a margin of 12 to 4. They felt the proposed 1950 start date was too recent to be a formal unit. They also thought it missed earlier human impacts that happened in different places. Even so, the name will still be used by many people. It remains a helpful way to describe how humans impact the Earth system.

The Anthropocene is a term used to describe a period when humans became a planetary force of change. It refers to the ways human activities accelerate geophysical and biochemical changes on Earth. These changes affect many systems, including the climate, ecosystems, and the landscape. Scientists use the term to study Earth's water, salt, and geology. It is also used in fields like limnology and hydrology. While the term is very popular in scientific and social discourse, it is not currently an official part of the geologic time scale.

Human impact on the Earth occurs through several complex processes. One major process is the change in the atmosphere and climate. This happens as humans burn fossil fuels, which releases carbon particles into the air. Another process involves the loss of biodiversity, where the variety of living things decreases. This can happen through land clearance or the use of chemical fertilizers. Humans also leave behind physical traces in the Earth's layers. These include microplastics, heavy metals, and radioactive nuclei. These materials become embedded in sediments and ice cores over time.

There is significant debate regarding the specific start date of the Anthropocene. Some scientists suggest the Neolithic Revolution, which occurred 12,000 to 15,000 years ago, as the beginning. This would link the era to the rise of early agriculture. Others point to the Industrial Revolution around 1780 or the use of the Newcomen steam engine in 1712. A more recent proposal focuses on the mid-20th century. This period is known as the Great Acceleration. During this time, global population and economic growth increased at a dramatic rate.

The mid-20th century proposal is tied to the start of the Atomic Age. This era saw an increase in the risks of nuclear accidents and warfare. Many researchers suggested July 16, 1945, the date of the Trinity test, as a starting point. The Trinity test was a major nuclear event.

Another group proposed the 1950s as the beginning. They looked at the Crawford Lake sediments in Ontario, Canada, for evidence. These sediments show a spike in plutonium from hydrogen bomb tests. They also show higher levels of nitrates from fertilizers and carbon from fuels.

To make the Anthropocene an official epoch, a group called the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) took several steps. In 2016, the AWG voted to recommend the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch. They worked to find a Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point, or GSSP. A GSSP is a physical location used to define the start of a geological unit. The AWG presented proposals to the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). In 2023, they selected Crawford Lake as the site for the proposed boundary. They hoped to name the first age of this epoch the Crawfordian age.

In 2024, the proposal faced a major turning point. The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the ICS reviewed the evidence. After 15 years of deliberation, the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS) voted down the proposal. The vote was 12 to 4, with two abstentions. The rejection was due to the proposed 1950 start date being too recent. This is sometimes called recency bias. Experts also felt the proposal ignored earlier human impacts that happened at different times and places.

Even without official status, the term remains highly significant. The IUGS stated that the Anthropocene will continue to be used by many people. This includes Earth scientists, social scientists, politicians, and economists. It serves as an invaluable descriptor of how humans impact the Earth system. Some scholars argue the Anthropocene should be viewed as a geological event rather than an epoch. An event is a transformation that may not have one single, precise starting date. This view compares it to the Great Oxidation Event in Earth's history. This perspective helps reconcile different models of human impact across time.