Geologic Time Scale

The Anthropocene Is Not an Epoch: What Geologists Decided in March 2024 and Why

In March 2024, geologists formally rejected the proposal to designate the Anthropocene as a new epoch on the Geologic Time Scale. While the term remains widely used to describe human-driven planetary change, the decision reflects strict stratigraphic requirements and the diachronous nature of human impact, leading to discussions about framing it as a geological "event" instead.