Anthropocene: scientists suggest milestone this Tuesday – 07/10/2023 – Environment

The idea that humans would have already made enough of an impact to make a geological difference on the planet is closer to being realized. This Tuesday (11), a group of geologists will present their suggestion of a reference point for the Anthropocene, the so-called “golden spike”.

This point will be used to compare differences between sediments and, in the case of the Anthropocene, different concentrations of pollutants produced by human activity.

With regard to time, the most widely accepted landmark so far by researchers is that of the 1950s. The period has been suggested, after more than a decade of debates, because of the increase, on a world scale, of industrial production and the rise of the consumption, in addition to nuclear tests that scattered plutonium particles around the world.

As plutonium does not occur naturally in these quantities, identifying its presence at the bottom of lakes, for example, is seen as a good reference for studies.

This timeframe is proposed to portray the passage from the Holocene —until now considered our current geological epoch, starting the period of the last glaciation, 11,700 years ago— to the Anthropocene.

The many possible locations for the “golden spike” were gradually narrowed down to nine, including lakes, Arctic ice or corals. The latter, for example, would be good candidates because their growth is annual, and would also allow the visualization of particle change on an annual basis.

Defining an era stems from scientific evidence, but there is also a symbolic dimension to this decision. According to experts, it can help promote reflection on how we want to deal with a planet that is suffering from the effects of climate change and widespread warming, for example.

Another point of attention is how our “footprint” will always manifest itself on the planet. Changing energy matrices to reduce the use of fossil fuels will also have a relevant impact on the planet.

The process does not end this Tuesday. After submitting the proposal, the AWG (Anthropocene Working Group) suggestion needs to be validated by the International Commission on Stratigraphy, before being voted on by the International Union of Geological Sciences.

For the new season to be approved, there must be at least 60% approval in each instance.