On the mineralogy of the “Anthropocene Epoch”
Robert M. Hazen, Edward S. Grew, Marcus J. Origlieri, Robert T. Downs
DOI: 10.2138/am-2017-5875 Published on March 2017, First Published on March 01, 2017
The “Anthropocene Epoch” has been proposed as a new post-Holocene
geological time interval—a period characterized by the pervasive impact
of human activities on the geological record. Prior to the influence of
human technologies, the diversity and distribution of minerals at or
near Earth’s surface arose through physical, chemical, and/or biological
processes. Since the advent of human mining and manufacturing,
particularly since the industrial revolution of the mid-eighteenth
century, mineral-like compounds have experienced a punctuation event in
diversity and distribution owing to the pervasive impact of human
activities. We catalog 208 mineral species approved by the International
Mineralogical Association that occur principally or exclusively as a
consequence of human processes. At least three types of human activities
have affected the diversity and distribution of minerals and
mineral-like compounds in ways that might be reflected in the worldwide
stratigraphic record. The most obvious influence is the widespread
occurrence of synthetic mineral-like compounds, some of which are
manufactured directly for applications (e.g., YAG crystals for lasers;
Portland cement) and others that arise indirectly (e.g., alteration of
mine tunnel walls; weathering products of mine dumps and slag). A second
human influence on the distribution of Earth’s near-surface minerals
relates to large-scale movements of rocks and sediments—sites where
large volumes of rocks and minerals have been removed. Finally, humans
have become relentlessly efficient in redistributing select natural
minerals, such as gemstones and fine mineral specimens, across the
globe. All three influences are likely to be preserved as distinctive
stratigraphic markers far into the future.
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