What is the Anthropocene? › Revision notes
What is the Anthropocene? — Revision notes
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Quick recap
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Brain dump
Before you look at anything else, write down everything you can remember about this lesson: key words, facts, examples. Spelling doesn't matter. Then see which of the 9 key terms you remembered.
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Ones you missed. Read these, then try again tomorrow:
Key terms
- Anthropocene
- A proposed new geological epoch where human activity has become the dominant force shaping Earth's climate, ecosystems, and geology
- Holocene
- The current official geological epoch that began about twelve thousand years ago after the end of the last ice age, marked by a warm and stable climate
- Eon
- The largest unit of geological time
- Era
- A block of geological time, smaller than an eon and larger than a period
- Period
- A block of geological time, smaller than an era and larger than an epoch
- Epoch
- A block of geological time smaller than a period; we live in the Holocene epoch
- Industrial Revolution
- A proposed start date for the Anthropocene during the late 1700s when factories emerged and carbon dioxide emissions spiked from coal burning
- Great Acceleration
- A proposed start date for the Anthropocene in the 1950s following WWII, marked by a population surge, mass plastic production, and radioactive fallout from nuclear tests
- Sixth mass extinction
- The current rapid loss of plant and animal species driven primarily by human activities, habitat destruction, and climate change
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What this lesson covers
How well do you know each one? Be honest: red means go back over it.
- Explain how geological time is divided into eons, eras, periods and epochs
- Describe the Holocene and explain when it began
- Explain what the Anthropocene is and where the word comes from
- Describe the two proposed start dates — the Industrial Revolution and the Great Acceleration
- Explain what geological evidence would be needed to define a new epoch
- Explain why scientists disagree about whether the Anthropocene should be recognised
Test yourself
Cover the answer, say it out loud, then check the full quiz on the lesson page.
- Which of these is the smallest unit of geological time?
- Which of these is NOT a main proposed start date for the Anthropocene?
- True or false — the Anthropocene is now an official geological epoch?
Topic quiz
13 questions on this topic only — not mixed with anything else, one at a time.
Question 1 of 13
Score: 0 out of 13
Spelling challenge
Read the definition, then type the correct spelling of the term. Uses the same terms as above.
Score: 0/0