Why the Anthropocene Epoch is a more pertinent concept than the Anthropocene event for understanding ongoing Earth system transition
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4856132 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Abhik Chakraborty (0000-0002-3861-3641, Wakayama University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 118-128 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Anthropocene Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2053-0196 • E-ISSN: 2053-020X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/20530196241270665 |
| OpenAlex | W4401683175 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 50 |
While the Anthropocene Working Group proposed in 2023 to formally recognize the Anthropocene Epoch with a lower boundary ~1950, the International Commission on Stratigraphy subsequently decided to reject the proposal. Instead, some scientists have argued, the Anthropocene is better understood as an 'event' with no temporal boundary. This article argues that the Anthropocene as an event idea is deeply problematic due to four major logical issues: (i) the heterogeneous term 'event' fails to provide clarity; (ii) the '-cene' suffix is used consistently for epoch-level units of the Quaternary, so a temporally diffuse impact should be described with an altogether different term; (iii) it is misleading to put Earth system change caused by myriad organisms in the past on par with the impact of Homo sapiens (a single species) and (iv) a temporally diffuse event fails to address the qualitatively different nature of the Earth system change during the Great Acceleration
Anthropocene · Astrobiology · Astronomy · Earth science · Earth system science · Geography · Physics · Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution · Global Energy and Sustainability Research · History · Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life · Geology · Oceanography · Paleontology
The Human Planet
The Anthropogenic Greenhouse Era Began Thousands of Years Ago
Has the Earth’s sixth mass extinction already arrived?
Accelerated modern human–induced species losses
Formal ratification of the subdivision of the Holocene Series/Epoch (Quaternary System/Period)
Defaunation in the Anthropocene
The “Anthropocene”
Defining the Anthropocene
Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries
Geology of mankind
Formal subdivision of the Quaternary System/Period
The Working Group on the Anthropocene
Candidate sites and other reference sections for the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point of the Anthropocene series
The geology of mankind? A critique of the Anthropocene narrative
The Sihailongwan Maar Lake, northeastern China as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
The East Gotland Basin (Baltic Sea) as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
Could a potential Anthropocene mass extinction define a new geological period
Beppu Bay, Japan, as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
The varved succession of Crawford Lake, Milton, Ontario, Canada as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
The Palmer ice core as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
Multiple dichotomies of the Anthropocene
The trajectory of the Anthropocene
The Anthropocene event in social theory
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |