The first ones geological footprints ofAnthropocenethe era in which man began to profoundly transform the planet, dates back to 1952. These tracks include the appearance of pollutants, microplastics And plutonium resulting from nuclear explosions. A study, published in Pnas and led byEhime University in Japan, found a sharp acceleration in human impact on the environment since the 1950s, a change observed around the world, fromEurope And Asia untilArctic and to theAntarctica.
A controversial border
Despite theInternational Union of Geological Sciences has formally refused to recognize the Anthropocene as a new geological era, the term is now widely used to describe the current era. However, precisely defining the beginning of the Anthropocene remains complicated due to the spatial and temporal variability of human impact. To address this challenge, researchers have analyzed 137 sites geological sites around the world, covering a time span of 7,700 years.
Three key periods of the Anthropocene
Scientists have identified three possible periods that could mark the beginning of the Anthropocene. The first dates back to 1855 and 1890period linked to Industrial Revolutioncharacterized by an increase in the concentration of lead. The second, between 1909 and 1944shows changes in pollen and an increase in carbon blackproduced by the combustion of petroleum products. However, the most significant period is from 1948 to 1953with a peak in 1952when human activities have caused the most rapid and marked changes.
These findings echo previous research based on sediments of the Crawford Lake in Canada, already indicated as evidence of the Anthropocene. If this proposal is confirmed, the 1952 it could be recognized as the geological turning point marking the beginning of this new era.
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