Scientists are close to proving that our planet has entered a new geological age.
Earth is currently defined as being in the Holocene age, which began at the end of the last Ice Age, nearly 12 000 ago. However, scientists believe that we may now be in the Anthropocene, where the impact of humans and our activity has clearly affected Earth’s geology and ecosystems.
The Anthropocene Working Group (AWG), a group of scientists and geologists, was formed in 2009. They have set themselves the goal of proving that we are now in this new epoch. Members of this group say that changes on Earth can no longer be explained without our taking into account human activity.
‘If we really want to understand the system, we have to not only take into account the traditional Earth spheres, like (the) hydrosphere, the atmosphere and the biosphere, but also the human technosphere,’ said Jurgen Renn of the Max Planck Institute.
Scientists have looked for sites across the planet which could prove we are now in the Anthropocene and have identified Crawford Lake in Canada.
According to a member of the AWG, Francine McCarthy, who was quoted by the Financial Times: ‘The record at Crawford Lake is representative of the changes that make the time since (1950) geologically different from before and worthy of, we think, a golden spike.’
Evidence will be provided to the International Geological Congress, which is due to be held in South Korea next year, and the body will decide whether we have entered a new era. However, it may decide that this is simply a new phase in the Holocene epoch.