The dawning of the Anthropocene era

July 11, 2023 2:53 PM

Ontario's Crawford Lake seen as a golden spike
posted by sardonyx (15 comments total)

Still reading, but:

About two decades ago, Nobel prizing winning chemist Paul Crutzen popularized the idea that science should recognize that impact with a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene

I would have sworn that term had been around for longer than that.
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:02 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

That chart has a gap from 2200BCE to 1950. Is this another “the Empire never ended” thing?
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:07 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

thank you! I saw this headline someplace earlier today, meant to read it, and lost track. Digging into it now.
posted by martin q blank at 3:07 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

Because of that, Crawford Lake is meromictic — that is, it's a rare type of lake where the bottom layer of water doesn't mix with upper layers.

From the class war perspective that's right on the nose for this epoch.
posted by chavenet at 3:26 PM on July 11, 2023 [6 favorites]

So the Age of Aquarius didn't work out? Shit.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 3:35 PM on July 11, 2023 [4 favorites]

shape of a shoe print.
posted by clavdivs at 4:23 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

Canada: Your Mass Extinction Event Begins Here!
posted by Capt. Renault at 4:53 PM on July 11, 2023 [5 favorites]

We spent more time at Crawford lake then anywhere else when my children were between 2 and 15. All three of them had birthdays there. We went on many walks there, countless. Many things about it stick with me. I thought people might like to hear this one the most, because it involves the lakes special properties. Apparently in the past a sled team of horses went through the ice pulling timber and the horses to the bottom. The story is tragic but the wild thing was for decades you could see the glint of light off the horses eyes. My kids loved that story. I cannot actually attest to the veracity of the story to be honest. I do like a spooky tale though.

Crawford Lake has much to enjoy and if you can ever go see it, enjoy it is a neat place.
posted by mrgroweler at 5:12 PM on July 11, 2023 [6 favorites]

Just wait until a DeGasperis buys it and fills it in for Doug Ford!

→ Canada: Your Mass Extinction Event Begins Here!

ooh, we know a song about that: Extinction Event Souvenir T​-​Shirt
(with the ace lines: Billionaire rocketmen / Got me rooting for the vacuum of space)
posted by scruss at 6:00 PM on July 11, 2023 [2 favorites]

Well played PKDick reference, GenjiandProust !
posted by doctornemo at 8:03 PM on July 11, 2023 [1 favorite]

I read this a few days ago and it is amazing! I am related to geologists but not one myself so I only understand it a bit but it’s really really cool.
posted by bendy at 10:07 PM on July 11, 2023

Very cool!
posted by dg at 10:44 PM on July 11, 2023

If I read this right, it’s actually radioactive plutonium which is the ‘golden spike’, plutonium whose presence in cores from the lake proves its worldwide atmospheric spread?

A carbon-based ‘spike’ marker might make more sense, but apparently there isn’t a good candidate? That seems surprising, and maybe a point for team ‘Too Soon’?
posted by Phanx at 12:07 AM on July 12, 2023 [1 favorite]

There was a nice interactive article from the Washington Post last month in preparation for this decision. Unfortunately I can't seem to get a gift link for it.
posted by pjenks at 7:18 AM on July 12, 2023

I love Extinction Event Souvenir T​-​Shirt, thanks scruss. (related)
posted by jeffburdges at 11:46 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]