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Colonization of the Americas, ‘little ice age’ climate, and bombproduced carbon: Their role in defining the anthropocene

Publication ,  Journal Article
Zalasiewicz, J; Waters, CN; Barnosky, AD; Cearreta, A; Edgeworth, M; Ellis, EC; Gałuszka, A; Gibbard, PL; Grinevald, J; Hajdas, I; Do Sul, JI ...
Published in: Anthropocene Review
August 1, 2015

A recently published analysis by Lewis and Maslin (Lewis SL and Maslin MA (2015) Defining the Anthropocene. Nature 519: 171-180) has identified two new potential horizons for the Holocene-Anthropocene boundary: 1610 (associated with European colonization of the Americas), or 1964 (the peak of the excess radiocarbon signal arising from atom bomb tests). We discuss both of these novel suggestions, and consider that there is insufficient stratigraphic basis for the former, whereas placing the latter at the peak of the signal rather than at its inception does not follow normal stratigraphical practice. Wherever the boundary is eventually placed, it should be optimized to reflect stratigraphical evidence with the least possible ambiguity.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Anthropocene Review

DOI

EISSN

2053-020X

ISSN

2053-0196

Publication Date

August 1, 2015

Volume

2

Issue

2

Start / End Page

117 / 127

Related Subject Headings

  • 4407 Policy and administration
  • 4406 Human geography
  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 1605 Policy and Administration
  • 0502 Environmental Science and Management
  • 0301 Analytical Chemistry
 

Citation

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Zalasiewicz, J., Waters, C. N., Barnosky, A. D., Cearreta, A., Edgeworth, M., Ellis, E. C., … Wolfe, A. P. (2015). Colonization of the Americas, ‘little ice age’ climate, and bombproduced carbon: Their role in defining the anthropocene. Anthropocene Review, 2(2), 117–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019615587056
Zalasiewicz, J., C. N. Waters, A. D. Barnosky, A. Cearreta, M. Edgeworth, E. C. Ellis, A. Gałuszka, et al. “Colonization of the Americas, ‘little ice age’ climate, and bombproduced carbon: Their role in defining the anthropocene.” Anthropocene Review 2, no. 2 (August 1, 2015): 117–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053019615587056.
Zalasiewicz J, Waters CN, Barnosky AD, Cearreta A, Edgeworth M, Ellis EC, et al. Colonization of the Americas, ‘little ice age’ climate, and bombproduced carbon: Their role in defining the anthropocene. Anthropocene Review. 2015 Aug 1;2(2):117–27.
Zalasiewicz, J., et al. “Colonization of the Americas, ‘little ice age’ climate, and bombproduced carbon: Their role in defining the anthropocene.” Anthropocene Review, vol. 2, no. 2, Aug. 2015, pp. 117–27. Scopus, doi:10.1177/2053019615587056.
Zalasiewicz J, Waters CN, Barnosky AD, Cearreta A, Edgeworth M, Ellis EC, Gałuszka A, Gibbard PL, Grinevald J, Hajdas I, Do Sul JI, Jeandel C, Leinfelder R, McNeill JR, Poirier C, Revkin A, Richter DDB, Steffen W, Summerhayes C, Syvitski JPM, Vidas D, Wagreich M, Williams M, Wolfe AP. Colonization of the Americas, ‘little ice age’ climate, and bombproduced carbon: Their role in defining the anthropocene. Anthropocene Review. 2015 Aug 1;2(2):117–127.
Journal cover image

Published In

Anthropocene Review

DOI

EISSN

2053-020X

ISSN

2053-0196

Publication Date

August 1, 2015

Volume

2

Issue

2

Start / End Page

117 / 127

Related Subject Headings

  • 4407 Policy and administration
  • 4406 Human geography
  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 1605 Policy and Administration
  • 0502 Environmental Science and Management
  • 0301 Analytical Chemistry