There are too many markers to deny the reality of the emergence of a new global impact driver with consequent geologic epoch. A so-called “Golden Spike”, a clearly seen signal, the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) [colloquial ‘golden spike’] is yet to be chosen but one probably will be named within the next 2 or 3 years. Golden Spike contenders are literally everywhere on our planetary surface, in its gas envelope, in its ocean, in its cryosphere (ice), and in its crust. Will the Golden Spike be radioactive fallout? How about 400ppm (parts per million) of atmospheric CO2? It might be sediments of either carbon or plastic particles, fossilized domestic chickens. Or GSSP could be one of many other possibilities such as changed nitrogen isotope patterns but the fact is that this morning The Working Group on the 'Anthropocene' (AWG) has spoken in a voice of strong majority opinion.
“The darkest prognosis is that bio, cyber or environmental catastrophes could foreclose humanity’s potential. But there is an optimistic option”
— Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, master of Trinity College, professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge
The Holocene Epoch, a span of 12,000 most recent years of climate stability since the last ice age is toast. In the Holocene recent & present human civilization developed. By about 1950 humans managed to trash it in ways not seen since disgusting prokaryotic cyanobacteria gagged everyone else on earth with noxious oxygen-O2 poisonous product of disastrously frequent photosynthesis. And where has that gotten us? Chickens! yech. Humans gassing the air with CO2 from manufacturing cement, of all things, in quantities way beyond what any of us can tolerate, not to mention the Plutonium fallout for goodness sake! yech.
The Anthropocene beginning might conceivably be defined by a Global Standard Stratigraphic Age (GSSA), i.e. a numerical age that can be expressed as a calendar date such as 1945. The overwhelming majority opinion is in favor of GSSP (Golden Spike like global coral extinction or frog extinction) rather than GSSA (1940, 1950, 1960 or some such year).
Learn more:
The Guardian — Common Dreams — International Geological Congress (IGC) — International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) — International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) — Anthropocene Working Group (AWG)
AWG Vote (35 members):
- Is the Anthropocene stratigraphically real? For: 34, Against: 0, Abstain: 1
- Should the Anthropocene be formalised? For:30, Against: 3, Abstain: 2
- Hierarchical level of the Anthropocene? Era: 2, Period: 1.5, Epoch: 20.5, Sub-epoch: 1, Age: 2, Sub-age: 0, None: 1, Uncertain: 3, Abstain: 4
- Base/beginning of the Anthropocene? ~7ka: 0, ~3ka: 1.3, 1610 Orbis: 0, ~1800: 0, ~1950: 28.3, ~1964: 1.3, Diachronous: 4, Uncertain: 0, Abstain: 0
- GSSA .v. GSSP? GSSP: 25.5, GSSA: 1.5, Uncertain: 8
- What is the Primary Signal? aluminium: 0, plastic: 3, fuel ash particles: 2, carbon dioxide concentration: 3, methane concentration: 0, carbon isotope change: 2, oxygen isotope change: 0, radiocarbon bomb spike: 4, Plutonium fallout: 10, Nitrate concentration / nitrogen isotope change: 0, Biostratigraphic: extinction/ assemblage change: 0, Other (lead, persistent organic pollutants, technofossils): 3, Uncertain: 2, Abstain: 6.
Click here (PDF or JPG) to download the latest version (v2016/04) of the International Chronostratigraphic Chart. The explanatory article was published in September 2013 issue of Episodes (download from Episodes or ICS website).
