Executive Summary: The Anthropocene Epoch and Crawfordian Age: proposals by the Anthropocene Working Group
Colin N. Waters, Simon Turner, Zhisheng An, Anthony D. Barnosky, Alejandro Cearreta, Andrew B. Cundy, Ian J. Fairchild, Barbara Fiałkiewicz-Kozieł, Agnieszka Gałuszka, Jacques Grinevald, Irka Hajdas, Yongming Han, Martin J. Head, Juliana A. Ivar do Sul, Catherine Jeandel, Reinhold Leinfelder, Francine M.G. McCarthy, John McNeill, Eric Odada, Наоми Орескес, Clément Poirier, Daniel D. Richter, Neil L. Rose, Yoshiki Saito, William Shotyk, Colin Summerhayes, James P. M. Syvitski, Davor Vidas, Michael Wagreich, Mark Williams, Scott L. Wing, Jan Zalasiewicz, Jens Zinke
Abstract
This is the Executive Summary of a report produced by the membership of the Anthropocene Working Group as part of a submission to the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy to seek formalisation of the Anthropocene as an epoch of geological time. It summarises the content of two reports and their associated appendices which provide a background to: the history of usage of the term Anthropocene, when the proposed epoch started, the characterisation of the Anthropocene geological deposits and their stratigraphic value, the recognition of the Anthropocene in different sedimentary environments, the rank and duration of the Anthropocene, the proposed Global boundary Stratigraphic Section and Point and supporting Standard Auxiliary Boundary Sections.