Battle to define the Anthropocene Epoch reignites
Geoscientists are debating whether to officially designate the current era as the 'Anthropocene' epoch, marked by human impact on the Earth. Recent proposals to define the epoch based on nuclear testing evidence have faced rejection by international geological bodies.
Why it matters
Defining the Anthropocene has significant implications for how humanity understands its long-term impact on the planet's geological record.
The Ivy Mike test, where the first hydrogen thermonuclear device detonated, is argued by some geoscientists to be the start of a new geological epoch. ( Supplied: US National Nuclear Security Administration )
Anthropocene is a popular term for the current time in history but is not an official geological age.
A proposal put forward by a group of scientists in 2024 to declare when the epoch started was rejected.
The scientists said the decision was flawed and voting should be opened up more widely.
Link copied Share Share article In 1952 the first full-yield test of a hydrogen bomb erupted not far from Naoero, mushroom cloud billowing above the Pacific Ocean.
That first test, and many more, spread plutonium-239 and -240 around the world marking the moment Earth entered a new era of humanity known as the Anthropocene.
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