The Anthropocene Working Group(AWG)of the International Commission on Stratigraphy voted that the Anthropocene should be defined by a Global boundary Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP or'golden spike')as a formal chronostratigraphic unit.Increasing evidence has shown that human activities have drastically intensified since the mid-twentieth century,altering the original rate and direction of Earth's evolution,triggering a profound impact on Earth's environment,and leaving their imprint on geological records through physical,chemical,and biological markers.Consequently,the 1950s was assumed to be the ideal onset of the Anthropocene.Currently,12 candidate sites for the GSSP of the Anthropocene have been proposed for consideration by the AWG.Chinese researchers have made outstanding progress in recent years regarding the establishment of a system of proxies for human activities and the global comparison of the candidate sites for the GSSP of the Anthropocene.These proxies,including anthropogenic radioactive isotopes,microplastics,δ13C,δ15N,and diatoms,have great potential as markers of human activities.These proxies recorded in the sediments of Sihailongwan Maar Lake,which is far away from cities and less affected by human activities,indicate that this site is sensitive to global change.The concentrations of 239,240Pu have drastically increased since 1953 CE in the sediment profile collected from Sihailongwan Maar Lake.as Additionally,other proxies such as PAHs,129I,soot 14C,SCP(spheroidal carbonaceous particles),DNA,δ13C,and Pb exhibit synchronous changes near 1953 CE,indicating the onset of Anthropocene.Two sediment stratotype profiles collected from Sihailongwan Maar Lake and Beppu Bay,Japan,were selected by the AWG as auxiliary sections for the GSSP of the Anthropocene.The ultimate goal of Anthropocene science should be to deepen the theory and technological innovation of sustainable development of the Earth-humans system and adaptation based on clarifying the impact of human activities on the Earth system.
Sihailongwan Maar LakePlutonium isotopesGlobal boundary Stratotype Section and Point(GSSP)Anthropocene Science
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