Extraordinary human energy consumption and resultant geological impacts beginning around 1950 CE initiated the proposed Anthropocene Epoch

P. M. Syvitski, James; N. Waters, Colin; W. Day, John; D. Milliman, John; Summerhayes, Colin; Steffen, Will; Zalasiewicz, Jan; Cearreta, Alejandro; Gałuszka, Agnieszka; Hajdas, Irka; J. Head, Martin; Leinfelder, Reinhold; McNeill, John; Poirier, Clément; L. Rose, Neil; Shotyk, William; Wagreich, Michael; Williams, Mark

doi:10.1038/s43247-020-00029-y

Public

Extraordinary human energy consumption and resultant geological impacts beginning around 1950 CE initiated the proposed Anthropocene Epoch

Published in Communications Earth & Environment • Oct 16, 2020

Authors:

James P. M. Syvitski

Colin N. Waters

John W. Day

Abstract

Abstract Growth in fundamental drivers—energy use, economic productivity and population—can provide quantitative indications of the proposed boundary between the Holocene Epoch and the Anthropocene. Human energy expenditure in the Anthropocene, ~22 zetajoules (ZJ), exceeds that across the prior 11,7...

Subject

Anthropocene

Holocene

Productivity

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