Antropocen

Antropocen, or Anthropocene, is a proposed geological epoch that denotes a period in which human activities have become the dominant influence on Earth's geology and ecosystems, surpassing natural variability that defined earlier epochs. The term blends Greek anthropos, "human," with kainos, "new" or "recent."

Since the late 20th century, scientists across disciplines have used the term to describe the global-scale changes produced by agriculture, industry, urbanization, and technology. It sits within the broader Quaternary Period, following the Holocene, and is intended to reflect the scale and persistence of human forcing on the planet.

Start date is debated. The most common proposals place the onset in the late 18th century with the Industrial Revolution, but others argue for the mid-20th century "Great Acceleration" when many environmental indicators shifted rapidly. Geological evidence cited includes global radionuclide layers from nuclear tests, rising greenhouse gas concentrations, a rapid spread of plastics and other synthetic materials, extensive concrete and steel production, and widespread land-use change and biodiversity loss.

Formally, the Anthropocene has not been officially ratified as a separate epoch by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). A Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) has not been defined, though several candidate sites are discussed. In practice, the term is widely used in environmental science, policy, and public discourse to highlight human-driven planetary change, while some scientists advocate continuing to treat the Holocene as the present formal epoch.