The Anthropocene Epoch: An Environmental Science Essay Analysis

This essay delves into the concept of the Anthropocene epoch, exploring the significant influence of human activities on Earth's geological time and environment. It begins by tracing the historical awareness of human interference, citing scientists like Svante Arrhenius and Paul Crutzen, and highlighting the impact of tool usage on the planet. The essay examines the extinction of megafauna, urbanization, and deforestation as key factors contributing to increased CO2 levels, ocean acidification, and biodiversity decline. It provides a geological context by explaining the division of time into eras, periods, epochs, and ages, focusing on the Quarternary period and the controversial inclusion of the Anthropocene as a new epoch. The essay emphasizes the need for consensus among scientific organizations and the ongoing research into various aspects of the Anthropocene, including its impact on terrestrial biospheres and ancient climates, underscoring the importance of understanding contemporary changes in the context of deep time and the sustainability of these changes.

Since the later part of the nineteenth century, the scientists have become conscious
regarding the human interference or influence on the Earth and its components. This
was the time when scientists like Svante Arrhenius and Thomas Chamberlain were
analyzing the relation between Co2 concentration and global warming. In the year
2002, the concept of Anthropocene was rekindled by Nobel Prize winner
atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen. This study showed the impact of human
interference on the Earth within a certain time frame.
The use of different tools by the human race were considered to be a boon to the
mankind and make them different from the rest of the animal kingdom. But as the
study continues, the usage of tool gradually has been disparaging to the Earth and
the rest of its inhabitants. Slowly, with the extinction of the megafauna like sabre-
toothed cats, and woolly mammoths, the influence of the humans are starkly evident,
especially during the latter part of the Pleistocene epoch. According to the scientists,
the arrival of the modern humans coincides with the extinction of the megafauna.
Urbanisation, excessive deforestation, resulted in increased CO2 in the atmosphere,
increasing the acidity of the oceans and significant drop in the oceanic pH. Ocean
acidification affects the corals, marine planktons and also disbalances the marine
ecosystem and declines the global biodiversity.
The earth is very old, thus to understand the different developments on the surface
of the earth, the time frame has been divided into small manageable packs. Distinctly
characterized by specific fossil records, the time is divided into eras. Eras are divided
into periods and the periods are further divided into epochs and ages. The latest
period of time, the Quarternary, is comprised of two epochs – the Pleistocene and
the Holocene. The Holocene began only 11500 years ago and is the last of the
phases of interglacial climate. During this period, many surfaces were formed,
including the river deposits and sediments, soils, deltas, coastal plains and many
others.
The Quaternary period is at times considered to include another epoch called
Anthropocene. However, a huge controversy encircles the decision of considering
Anthropocene as an epoch, since it would mean a huge change to the basic
framework used by the Earth scientists. To include Anthropocene, in the category of
the epoch, requires a lot of consensus and discussions involving many formal
organizations and the question arises whether the changes involved in
Anthropocene are significant enough to demand such formalization. There are many
scientists who are now exploring the various aspects of the Anthropocene time with
regards to the history and laws of the sea, impact of humans on the flux of
sediments, the transformation of the terrestrial biosphere into anthromes, ancient
climates of the Earth and many more. However, there are many more studies that
need to be done in this sphere. The Theme Issue intends to examine the
contemporary changes in the Earth in the context of deep time. The temporal realms
of the deep past and the present are very different, but the study shows the impact of
human or anthropogenic influence on the Earth and the sustainability of the changes.

It also explores the impact of the changes on the Earth and the relevant
consequences.