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Is Earth in a New Time Period: The Plasticene?
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This accessible science communication piece argues that plastic has become so pervasive—appearing in rocks, sediments, and ecosystems globally—that Earth may have entered a new geological epoch called the 'Plasticene.' Understanding how plastic becomes embedded in the geological record helps scientists and the public grasp the irreversible long-term scale of microplastic contamination.
Earth has a special calendar called the geologic time scale that helps us understand its long history. We are currently in the Holocene Epoch, but some scientists believe we have entered a new time called the Anthropocene or the “Age of Humans” because of our impact on the planet. One of the biggest changes humans have made is inventing and using plastic, which has now become a major pollutant. Because plastic is now found everywhere, some scientists, like us, think we have entered a new stage in Earth’s history called the Plasticene. Plastic can now be found in many places on Earth, even in rocks! Scientists are trying to understand the various types of plastic rocks and how they form, which might help us to better manage plastic pollution. Plastic waste is leaving a mark on our planet’s history, but there are ways we can help.
More Papers Like This
Progress in assessment of the Anthropocene Series in the Geological Time Scale (GTS)
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This paper reviews the progress in formally recognizing the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch, with human-made markers including microplastics now preserved in sediments worldwide. The widespread presence of microplastics in geological layers is one of the key signals of humanity's permanent impact on the planet.
Rethinking geological concepts in the age of plastic pollution
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This paper proposes reframing traditional geological concepts—from sedimentology to stratigraphy and the Anthropocene epoch—in light of widespread plastic integration into sedimentary environments. Plastics are described as emerging stratigraphic markers that alter erosion, transport, and deposition patterns, threatening marine biodiversity and challenging the view of rocks as purely natural inorganic formations.
Geochemical Fingerprint and Stratigraphic Marker
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This chapter explains how the global spread of plastic pollution — from ocean floors to mountain glaciers — makes plastic particles useful as geological markers of the Anthropocene era. The accumulation of microplastics in sediment layers provides a distinctive chemical and physical signature that will be readable in the geological record for millennia.
Microplastics and the Anthropocene: Toward a new class of planetary markers
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Since the 1950s, tiny plastic particles have become so widespread in soil, sediment, and ice that scientists say they could serve as a geological marker of humanity's impact on Earth—similar to how ash layers mark volcanic eruptions. This review doesn't directly study health effects, but it underscores just how thoroughly plastics have saturated our environment over the past 70 years, which matters since these same persistent particles are increasingly found in our food, water, and even our bodies. The researchers call for more consistent testing methods so scientists can better track exactly how much plastic pollution has built up and where it's concentrated.
Candidate sites and other reference sections for the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point of the Anthropocene series
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This paper reviews 12 proposed sites around the world that could serve as the official geological marker for the start of the Anthropocene, the proposed new epoch defined by human impact on the planet. Among the key markers of human influence found at these sites are microplastics, which appear in sediment layers starting around the mid-20th century. The widespread presence of microplastics in geological records underscores just how profoundly plastic pollution has altered the planet.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.