The Palmer ice core as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series

Bibliographic Data

ID4189079
AuthorsElizabeth R Thomas (0000-0002-3010-6493, British Antarctic Survey, corresponding author), Diana O Vladimirova (British Antarctic Survey), Diana Vladimirova (0000-0002-1678-0174, British Antarctic Survey), Dieter R Tetzner (British Antarctic Survey), Dieter Tetzner (0000-0001-7659-8799, British Antarctic Survey), Daniel B Emanuelsson (British Antarctic Survey), B Daniel Emanuelsson (0000-0002-9373-6951, British Antarctic Survey), Jack Humby (British Antarctic Survey), Jack D Humby (0000-0003-0526-2766, British Antarctic Survey), D Turner (0000-0001-5603-8145), Simon D Turner (0000-0001-8692-8210, University College London), Nancy L Rose (0000-0002-5697-7334, University College London), Neil L Rose, Sarah L Robert (0000-0003-0985-0960, University College London), P Gaca (0000-0003-0786-3143, University of Southampton), Andy B Cundy (0000-0003-4368-2569, University of Southampton), Andrew B Cundy
Year2023
Volume10
Issue1
Pages251-268
Publication date2023-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Anthropocene Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2053-0196 • E-ISSN: 2053-020X
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/20530196231155191
OpenAlexW4327599685
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited54

The remote Antarctic continent, distant from human industrial activity, should be one of the last places on Earth to capture Anthropogenic change. Hence, stratigraphic evidence of pollution and nuclear activity in the Antarctic provides proof of the global nature of the Anthropocene epoch. We propose an Antarctic Peninsula ice core candidate for the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) to the onset of the Anthropocene. The Palmer ice core captures the first evidence of spheroidal carbonaceous fly ash particles (SCPs), resulting from high temperature combustion deposited in Antarctic ice. SCPs first appear in 1936 CE, preceding the rise in plutonium (239+240Pu) concentrations from 1945 CE onwards. GSSP 1952 CE occurs at a depth of 34.9 m, coincident with the peak in 239+240Pu the primary marker for this site

Antarctic sea ice · Anthropocene · Climatology · Cryosphere · Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point · Ice core · Ice sheet · Ice-sheet model · Sea ice · Series (stratigraphy · Stage (stratigraphy · Stratotype · Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics · Cryospheric studies and observations · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Geology · Oceanography · Paleontology