https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...ene-180983905/
Quote:
In October, the Anthropocene Working Group proposed that an Anthropocene epoch started in the mid-20th century, when nuclear weapons tests left radioactive fallout across the planet. They submitted this proposal to the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (SQS), which establishes a standard timescale for the past 2.6 million years and is part of the International Union of Geological Sciences.
Twelve SQS members rejected the proposal, while four voted in favor and two abstained, according to the New York Times. This decision came as a surprise to many scientists, per New Scientist’s Chen Ly.
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It’s unfortunate that most mainstream outlets are describing this as a rejection of the Anthropocene as an epoch. Rather, it’s an argument of when the Anthropocene started. Regardless, thought this pertained to climate change and human impacts on the Earth. 1950 was the proposed boundary date, with a slew of varved sequences, soot/ash particles (SCPs) as defining markers.