Anthropocene Boundary Discrimination at LTER Sites
The Anthropocene cannot exist without sound knowledge of what came before it. Furthermore, if the Anthropocene is to be accepted as a formal geological epoch, then the Holocene epoch must be distinguishable from the Anthropocene in the stratigraphic record. This working group session will explore how the beginning of the Anthropocene can be (or is) defined across LTER sites of widely variable environmental and human settlement conditions. The focus of this session will be on what sorts of physical evidence exist at LTER sites to clearly define the signature of human impacts that characterize the Anthropocene. This evidence could include traditional sorts, such as lacustrine or fluvial sedimentary records, but may be expanded to also include written records. Additional emphasis will involve the age assignment to the Holocene/Anthropocene boundary. Participants will be expected to bring examples of what defines the Anthropocene at their LTER site to generate discussion.
Organizer:
David Leigh
Co-organizer(s):
Ted Gragson Preferred date(s):
Sept 11
Number of 2 hour sessions requested:
1 Equipment requested:
Overhead projector and LCD projector.
Session:
Room Assignment:
Ruesch Auditorium - Hobbs (50)
