Research
When did the Anthropocene begin? Scientists make the case for a specific year
Earth.com · By Eric Ralls ·
The Brief
- A group of 37 researchers argues for a specific start year of the Anthropocene.
- The argument weighs early human impacts against the planet's recent changes.
- The source cites soil reshaping about 2,000 years ago and lead pollution in the geological record going back 3,500 years.
Why it matters
The start date of the Anthropocene shapes how geologists define the current epoch and when human activity is considered to have changed Earth on a global scale.
- #anthropocene
- #geology
- #human impact
- #earth science
- #stratigraphy
People were reshaping soils 2,000 years ago, and lead pollution appears in the geological record stretching back 3,500 years. But when did human activity begin transforming Earth on a global scale? A group of 37 researchers argues that early human impacts and the planet’s recent…