Scientists say they’ve found a site that marks a new chapter in Earth’s history | CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/11/world/anthropocene-epoch-geological-time-unit-scn/index.html

57 points · 5 comments · view on lemmy.world

5 Comments

sturlabragason@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 3y (1 reply)

Where is that summary bot when I need it?

Here's me trying to save someone from the click bait title; "Birthplace of the Anthropocene For the Anthropocene, the proposed golden spike location is sediment cored from the bed of Crawford Lake that reveals the geochemical traces of nuclear bomb tests, specifically plutonium — a radioactive element widely detected across the world in coral reefs, ice cores and peat bogs."

klz@kbin.social · 2 pts · 3y

The tldr bot just used SMMRY to do the work. I ran this article through it:

Scientists have identified the geological site that they say best reflects a proposed new epoch called the Anthropocene - a major step toward changing the official timeline of Earth's history.

On Tuesday, the scientists announced the geological site - Crawford Lake in Ontario, Canada - that best captures the geological impact of the Anthropocene, according to their research.

Birthplace of the Anthropocene For the Anthropocene, the proposed golden spike location is sediment cored from the bed of Crawford Lake that reveals the geochemical traces of nuclear bomb tests, specifically plutonium - a radioactive element widely detected across the world in coral reefs, ice cores and peat bogs.

The great Anthropocene debate Some experts don't think the Anthropocene rises to the level of epoch-defining.

Stan Finney, secretary general of the International Union of Geological Sciences and a professor in the department of geological sciences at the California State University at Long Beach, said the stratigraphic record of the Anthropocene is relatively minimal - barely a human life span - given a proposed starting point of around 1950.

alvvayson@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 3y (2 replies)

I am not a geologist, but atmospheric nuclear testing lasted from 1945 to 1980. I guess Chornobyl kind of extended that until 1987 for parts of Europe.

If the defining characteristic is going to be man made isotopes, then that's really short for a geologic age.

DarkGamer@kbin.social · 2 pts · 3y (1 reply)

It's enough to fuck up radiocarbon dating forever.

alvvayson@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 3y

No, we still do radiocarbon dating in 2023.

At best, it's an inconvenience that introduces an extra level of uncertainty.