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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Geochemical Fingerprint and Stratigraphic Marker
ClearPotential role of microplastic in sediment as an indicator of Anthropocene
Researchers reviewed global data on microplastic deposits in lake and ocean sediment cores, arguing that microplastics have the potential to serve as a geological marker for the Anthropocene — the human-dominated era — because they are widespread, persistent, and tightly linked to human industrial activity. Alpine lake sediments are recommended as ideal sites for this research due to their stable, high-resolution depositional records.
Progress in assessment of the Anthropocene Series in the Geological Time Scale (GTS)
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.
Candidate sites and other reference sections for the Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point of the Anthropocene series
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.
Palaeontological evidence for defining the Anthropocene
This paper argues that palaeontological methods — including biostratigraphic analysis of fossil assemblages — can be used to formally define the Anthropocene as a geological epoch, as human impacts have created a distinct stratigraphic signature in the rock and sediment record. The presence of novel markers including plastic particles and industrial pollutants supports this designation.
Part 1: Anthropocene Series/Epoch: stratigraphic context and justification of rank The Anthropocene Epoch and Crawfordian Age: proposals by the Anthropocene Working Group
This paper by the Anthropocene Working Group proposes formally defining the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch, marked by human-caused changes starting around the 1950s. Among the stratigraphic signals used to define this era, microplastics are listed as a key marker, alongside nuclear fallout and synthetic chemicals. The inclusion of microplastics as a defining feature of a geological epoch underscores just how widespread and permanent plastic pollution has become in Earth's systems.
Is Earth in a New Time Period: The Plasticene?
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.
Are microplastics the ‘technofossils’ of the Anthropocene?
Researchers reviewed dating methods and microplastic data from sedimentary cores globally, establishing a chronological sequence of microplastic polymer types in sediment records and validating it against 39 published dated cores, demonstrating that microplastic composition can serve as a supplementary dating tool for Anthropocene sediments on a centennial scale.
Microplastics: Contaminants of Global Concern in the Anthropocene
This review summarizes the state of knowledge on microplastics as a global contaminant, covering their sources, distribution in different environments, and potential ecological and health effects. It frames microplastics as a defining pollution challenge of the Anthropocene era.
The potential of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) layers as Anthropocene strata
Researchers propose that municipal solid waste layers in landfills could serve as defining geological strata for the Anthropocene era, given their global distribution, clear temporal markers since the 1950s, and distinctive composition. These waste deposits preserve a record of human activity through novel materials like plastics, aluminum, and radioactive isotopes that have no precedent in geological history. The study argues that landfill strata offer a uniquely clear and anthropogenic signal compared to other proposed Anthropocene markers.
Legacy of anthropogenic activity recorded in sediments by microtechnofossils and chemical markers
This overview compares tiny man-made particles found in environmental sediments, including microplastics, fly ash, synthetic crystals, and glass microspheres, as potential markers of human activity in the geologic record. Researchers highlight that glass microspheres are particularly durable and resistant to degradation, making them strong candidates for long-term anthropogenic signatures. The study suggests these microscopic artifacts could help scientists track the extent of human impact on the environment across geological time.
The use of microplastics as a reliable chronological marker of the Anthropocene onset in Southeastern South America
Researchers analyzed microplastics in sediment cores from the world's largest coastal lagoonal system in southeastern South America, identifying a clear transition from microplastic-free sediments to contaminated layers that aligns with the onset of the Anthropocene.
CORE 100 The Anthropocene
This university course introduces the concept of the Anthropocene, examining how human activity has fundamentally altered Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces. Microplastic pollution is one of the defining markers of the Anthropocene, present in sediments and ecosystems worldwide.
Antropocen : vad, när och hur?
This Swedish-language thesis examines the concept of the Anthropocene — the proposed geological epoch defined by human impacts on Earth — reviewing its scientific definition and potential stratigraphic markers. It provides context for understanding how plastic pollution is one of the defining markers of human influence on the planet.
The rapid increases in microplastics in urban lake sediments
Researchers used sediment cores from an urban lake in Wuhan, China, combined with high-resolution dating techniques, to track microplastic accumulation over the past 60 years. They found that microplastic abundance increased more than tenfold, from 741 to 7,707 items per kilogram, with fibers from textiles being the dominant type. The study suggests that microplastics could serve as geological markers of the Anthropocene era, similar to fossils in the sediment record.
Anthropocene Ouroboros
This ethnographic study explores how plastic objects on an Indian Ocean island shatter and disperse into microplastics, complicating our understanding of geological time. Researchers argue that because microplastics can migrate through sedimentary layers and infiltrate earlier geological strata, they disrupt the very framework used to delineate the Anthropocene. The paper examines the cultural and temporal implications of plastic pollution as a defining material of the modern era.
New plastic formations in the Anthropocene
This review examined novel plastic formations in the Anthropocene, including pyroplastics, plastiglomerates, and plastic crusts formed through anthropogenic and environmental processes in the marine environment. These new geological materials represent a permanent record of the plastic age and have distinct physical and chemical properties from the original plastics from which they formed.
The Paleoecology of Microplastic Contamination
This paper reviews how paleoecological methods — using naturally accumulating environmental archives like sediment cores — can be applied to reconstruct the historical timeline of microplastic contamination. Long-term records are needed to establish baselines and understand how rapidly microplastic pollution has escalated over the past century.
Why do plastic debris forms matter for the Anthropocene?
Researchers described the first documented outcrop composed of plastic debris forms on Trindade Island in the SE Atlantic Ocean, identifying both plastiglomerates (melted plastic cemented with volcanic lithoclasts and sand) and a newly defined category termed plastistones (homogeneous melted plastic). FTIR confirmed PE and PP composition, and the ongoing erosion of the outcrop was found to supply microplastics to the adjacent beach sediment.
Beppu Bay, Japan, as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series
Researchers evaluated Beppu Bay sediments as a candidate Global boundary Stratotype Section for the Anthropocene, finding unprecedented increases in 99 anthropogenic proxies above a 1953 flood layer, including microplastics, radionuclides, and industrial pollutants.
Tracing the Anthropocene through microplastic sedimentary records: Drivers and spatiotemporal heterogeneity in Baiyangdian Lake, North China
Scientists found that tiny plastic pieces in lake sediment can track how human activities have changed over the past 80 years, with plastic pollution spiking after dam construction in 1963 and again around 2000 due to increased development. The study shows that microplastics are now everywhere in our environment, even in protected nature areas, though at lower levels than in more developed zones. This matters because these tiny plastics can enter our food and water supply, and understanding where they accumulate most helps us better protect both ecosystems and human health.
Classification Framework for Assessing Anthropogenic Sedimentary Facies
Researchers proposed a new classification system for sediments that accounts for human-made materials, including plastics, alongside natural components. As the mass of manufactured materials now exceeds Earth's total dry biomass, traditional sediment classification frameworks are no longer sufficient. The system provides standardized descriptors for anthropogenic deposits across different environments, offering a practical tool for studying how plastic and other human-made debris integrate into geological records.
Microplastics in Sediment Cores from Asia and Africa as Indicators of Temporal Trends in Plastic Pollution
By extracting microplastics from dated sediment cores in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Africa, researchers reconstructed the historical increase in plastic pollution over decades. The study shows that microplastic accumulation in sediments tracks the global rise in plastic production, making sediment cores a useful record of pollution history.
Por uma arqueologia do antropoceno: tempo, identidade e novos artefactos numa nova era
This Portuguese-language archaeology paper discusses the emergence of 'Anthropocene Archaeology' — the study of human artifacts and materials from the current geological era of human dominance. Plastics, including microplastics, are among the defining material markers of the Anthropocene that will be part of this archaeological record.
Downward migrating microplastics in lake sediments are a tricky indicator for the onset of the Anthropocene
Researchers studying lake sediment cores in northeastern Europe found that microplastics had migrated downward through sediment layers over time, appearing in layers that predate the era of plastic production. This means microplastics cannot be used as a reliable geological marker for the start of the modern era (Anthropocene), because the particles move through sediment rather than staying in place. The finding also highlights that microplastics can travel deeper into soil and sediment than previously assumed, potentially reaching groundwater.