Marking the Anthropocene
The idea that we’re in a human-influenced geological epoch is gaining traction, but how will future geologists measure it? Rachel Brazil finds out
The idea for the Anthropocene came from a chemist. The idea caught the attention of the media and wider academic community because it so well encapsulated the changes that have led to our current climate crisis. Geologists have started to consider whether there really was a case for formally defining a new unit within the geological time scale. Since 2009 they have been searching for the chemical signals that would mark this new epoch.