Colonization of the Americas, 'Little Ice Age' climate, and bomb-produced carbon

Their role in defining the Anthropocene

Bibliographic Data

ID4189148
AuthorsJ Zalasiewicz (0000-0002-3220-4855, University of Leicester), Colin N Waters (0000-0001-6113-8730, British Geological Survey), Anthony D Barnosky (0000-0003-0265-7113), Alejandro Cearreta (0000-0003-0100-1454, University of the Basque Country), Matt Edgeworth (0000-0002-9375-0753, University of Leicester), Erle C Ellis (0000-0002-2006-3362, University of Maryland, Baltimore County), Agnieszka Gałuszka (0000-0002-2497-2627, Jan Kochanowski University), Philip L Gibbard (0000-0001-9757-7292, University of Cambridge), Jacques Grinevald (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies), I Hajdas (0000-0003-2373-2725, ETH Zurich), Juliana A Ivar Do Sul (0000-0003-0851-3559), Juliana Ivar Do Sul (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists, Brazil), Catherine Jeandel (0000-0002-4915-4719, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Reinhold Leinfelder (0000-0002-4107-2161, Freie Universität Berlin), Jr Mcneill (Georgetown University), Claire Poirier (0000-0002-8311-8463, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Andrew Revkin (0000-0002-0170-0311, Pace Academy for Advanced Environmental Studies, USA), Clément Poirier, Will Steffen (0000-0003-1163-6736, Australian National University), Daniel Deb Richter (0000-0003-3547-433X), Colin Summerhayes (0000-0002-4638-4260, University of Cambridge), James P M Syvitski (0000-0001-7748-542X, University of Colorado Boulder), Davor Vidas (0000-0001-8134-7425, Fridtjof Nansen Institute), James Pm Syvitski, Michael Wagreich (0000-0002-8828-0857, University of Vienna), Mark Williams (0000-0002-7987-6069, University of Leicester), Alexander P Wolfe (University of Alberta)
Year2015
Volume2
Issue2
Pages117-127
Publication date2015-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Anthropocene Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2053-0196 • E-ISSN: 2053-020X
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/2053019615587056
OpenAlexW2158273866
LanguageEN
Citations received31
References cited48

A recently published analysis by Lewis and Maslin (Lewis SL and Maslin MA (2015) Defining the Anthropocene. Nature 519: 171-180) has identified two new potential horizons for the Holocene−Anthropocene boundary: 1610 (associated with European colonization of the Americas), or 1964 (the peak of the excess radiocarbon signal arising from atom bomb tests). We discuss both of these novel suggestions, and consider that there is insufficient stratigraphic basis for the former, whereas placing the latter at the peak of the signal rather than at its inception does not follow normal stratigraphical practice. Wherever the boundary is eventually placed, it should be optimized to reflect stratigraphical evidence with the least possible ambiguity

Ambiguity · Anthropocene · Archaeology · Artifact (error · Biology · Boundary (topology · Colonization · Geography · Holocene · Radiocarbon dating · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · History · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Philosophy · Geology · Paleontology