The Anthropocene is best understood as an ongoing, intensifying, diachronous event

Walker, Michael J. C. and Bauer, Andrew M. and Edgeworth, Matthew and Ellis, Erle C. and Finney, Stanley and Gibbard, Philip and Maslin, Mark (2023) The Anthropocene is best understood as an ongoing, intensifying, diachronous event. Boreas, 53 (1). pp. 1-3. ISSN 1502-3885

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Abstract

Current debate on the status and character of the Anthropocene is focussed on whether this interval of geological time should be designated as a formal unit of epoch/series rank in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart/Geological Time Scale, or whether it is more appropriate for it to be considered as an informal ‘event’ comparable in significance with other major transformative events in deeper geological time. The case for formalizing the Anthropocene as a chronostratigraphical unit with a base at approximately 1950 CE is being developed by the Anthropocene Working Group of the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy. Here we outline the alternative position and explain why the time‐transgressive nature of human impact on global environmental systems that is reflected in the recent stratigraphical record means that the Anthropocene is better seen not as a series/epoch with a fixed lower boundary, but rather as an unfolding, transforming and intensifying geological event.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	** Article version: VoR ** From Wiley via Jisc Publications Router ** History: received 17-07-2023; accepted 13-09-2023; epub 08-10-2023. ** Licence for VoR version of this article: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) Q Science > QE Geology
Divisions:	Institutes and Academies > Institute of Education and Humanities > Academic Discipline: Humanities and Social Sciences
SWORD Depositor:	JISC Publications Router
Depositing User:	JISC Publications Router
Date Deposited:	09 Oct 2023 15:17
Last Modified:	30 Jan 2024 10:07
URI:	https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/2624

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