Whilewe officially live in the Holocene epoch, globalwarming and many other impacts of global change have led to the proposal and wide adoption of the Anthropocene to define the present geological epoch. The AnthropoceneWorking Group (AWG) established that it should be treated as a formal stratigraphic unit, demonstrated by a reference level commonly known as “golden spike”, still under discussion. Here we show that the onset of bomb-derived plutonium recorded in two banded massive corals from the Caribbean Sea is consistent (1955–1956 CE), so sites far from nuclear testing grounds are potentially suitable to host a type section of the Anthropocene. Coastal coral demonstration sites are feasible, could foster economic development, and may serve as focal points for scientific dissemination and environmental education.
Plutonium in coral archives: A good primary marker for an Anthropocene type section
Paolo Montagna;
2021
Abstract
Whilewe officially live in the Holocene epoch, globalwarming and many other impacts of global change have led to the proposal and wide adoption of the Anthropocene to define the present geological epoch. The AnthropoceneWorking Group (AWG) established that it should be treated as a formal stratigraphic unit, demonstrated by a reference level commonly known as “golden spike”, still under discussion. Here we show that the onset of bomb-derived plutonium recorded in two banded massive corals from the Caribbean Sea is consistent (1955–1956 CE), so sites far from nuclear testing grounds are potentially suitable to host a type section of the Anthropocene. Coastal coral demonstration sites are feasible, could foster economic development, and may serve as focal points for scientific dissemination and environmental education.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
