The Anthropocene.We have written before about the Anthropocene (on.fb.me/1nyNfLn and o

The Anthropocene.We have written before about the Anthropocene (http://on.fb.me/1nyNfLn and http://on.fb.me/1CjK5Ct). A new paper written by Simon L. Lewis and Mark A. Maslin states that this epoch began when the Europeans arrived in America.Human influence on the planet has had a huge impact, causing geological and environmental change. Examples of such events globally include the invention of the Haber-Bosch (conversion of nitrogen to ammonia for fertiliser (see link below for more information)) which has affected the nitrogen cycle and the release of up to 29 gigatonnes of CO2 per year.When geologists define new periods of time they find a rock feature that can be seen globally. This serves as a global reference point of the lower boundary of this geological time. As deposition occurs on top of this point it will always be seen as the beginning of the set time period. Suggestions as to how to mark this point for the anthropocene have so far included the impacts of fire, pre-industrial farming and industrial machines.However defining the date on the lower boundary of the anthropocene is difficult. Lewis and Maslin stated that for a date to be significant environmental change at a date must be linked to atmospheric gases which can affect the world globally. This ensures this rock feature can be seen globally rather than in one area.The pair concluded that the Orbis Spike from 1610 (a noted dip in CO2) accounts for global change in climate, chemistry, palaeontology and movement of species globally caused by colonisation, global trade and coal. Thus have stated that the Anthropocene began in 1610.The other difficulty with defining a new era is whether to classify it as an age, epoch, period, era or eon. To work this out all that can really be done is wait!~SAPaper: http://bit.ly/1MIVE7VHaber-Bosch Process: http://bit.ly/1AEdTDTImage: http://bit.ly/190zKhe -- source link

More pics about