Discussion on the previous proposal of the addition of a chronostratigraphic unit over the Holocene

Abstract

A stratigraphical unit was proposed before as the “anthropocene” over the Holocene to characterize the anthropogenic activities. We argue here for the great significance of that proposal. The human-induced geological processes, including anthropogenic weathering, denudation, transportation, and accumulation, are getting more and more important in modern environments. These processes are intensive, rapid, and extensive and, at some cases, even exceed the natural geological process in intensity. The anthropogenic geological processes, which are definitely distinctive from the natural processes that occurred before in the geological history, have both positive and negative effects on the Earth surface system. Adding a chronostratigraphical unit favors the investigation of anthropogenic activities, which concerns both natural and social science. A flooding sediment profile with some anthropogenic fingerprints is clearly identifiable at the top of the Holocene sediments, enabling the three subdivisions of the whole Quaternary sediments in the middle reaches of Yellow River. It is thus necessary to add the chronostratigraphic unit of the “anthropocene” over the Holocene.

Keywords

chronostratigraphic unit / human activities / “anthropocene” / anthropogenic geological process / positive and negative impact

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the reviewers for their valuable suggestions on the paper structure. Many thanks to Prof. Xie Shucheng and Dr. Peng Xingfang for their insightful thoughts and collection work on the English writing. This research was supported by the grant on the land source and geology survey on the Guyang Basin of Inner Mongolia.

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2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg