地球或正邁入新的地質時期“人類世”

地球或正邁入新的地質時期“人類世”
2010年04月01日08:33
來源：《科技日報》
本報訊 包括一位諾貝爾獎得主在內的4位科學家在美國化學學會雙周刊《環境科學與技術》雜志撰文指出，地球或許正在邁入一個新的地質時期——人類世（Anthropocene）。他們也表示，在這個歷史時期，可能會發生第六次生物大滅絕，屆時，成千上萬的動植物將會消失殆盡。

　　英國萊斯特大學地質系的簡·扎拉斯維奇和馬克·威廉姆斯、澳大利亞國立大學氣候變化研究所主任威爾·史蒂芬以及國際著名大氣化學家、1995年諾貝爾化學獎得主保羅·克魯岑攜手做出了上述論斷。

　　目前，還有另外一組科學家正在收集相關証據，考察人類活動導致生物多樣性、岩層結構發生變化給地球帶來的影響。他們希望3年后能將收集到的証據提交給國際地質科學聯合會，由該聯合會來決定人類是否已經過渡到了一個全新的地質時期。

　　科學家們指出，近年來人類的活動，包括環境污染、人口劇增、急遽的都市化進程、化石燃料的使用、旅游、礦山開採等，都給我們賴以生存的星球帶來了巨大的、前所未有的變化，使得“人類世”正在接過目前人類所處的全新世的接力棒。

　　2000年，克魯岑首次提出“人類世”的概念。他指出，人類已經生活在一個人造的新地質時期，因為地球的變化不再是由自然競爭為主導，而是完全由人類活動控制。人類的存在是引起地球環境變化的最大因素，它比自然循環給地球帶來的影響要大很多。當時，該概念引發了不少爭議。然而，現在，克魯岑提出的這一概念逐漸獲得支持，很多科學家正在考慮將“人類世”這個一度非正式使用的詞匯變成正式用語。

　　科學家們指出，“人類世”這一名稱要獲得正式認可可能還需要時間。不過，他們認為，“人類世”代表著人類歷史和地球歷史上的一個新時期，在此期間，自然力和人力相互交織，一損俱損，一榮俱榮。從地質學的角度來說，這是宇宙星球上最令人矚目的時期。（劉霞）

（責任編輯：馬麗）
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新紀元迎來災難性滅絕
New epoch to usher in cataclysmic extinction
Thousands of species to disappear as new age dawns, scientists say
數以千計的物種會消失當新時代的來臨，科學家們說
Published On Mon Mar 29 2010
Humankind may be at the dawn of a new age, one that might not bring the word "Aquarius" to mind.

In fact, the arrival of the Anthropocene epoch may include the sixth-largest mass extinction in the Earth's history, according to a report in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, which is to appear online Monday and in print Wednesday.

Scientists behind the report say that in just two centuries, humans have wrought such vast and unprecedented changes that we actually might be ushering in a new geological time interval, and altering the planet for millions of years.

The scientists fear thousands of plants and animals will disappear in the new dawn because of the harm humans have inflicted through urbanization, pollution, travel, population growth, mining and use of fossil fuels.

"It is suggested that we are in the train of producing a catastrophic mass extinction to rival the five previous great losses of species and organisms in Earth's geological past," said co-author Dr. Jan Zalasiewicz, of the University of Leicester.

The new time or epoch is named Anthropocene – meaning new man – because it would be the first space of geological time shaped by the action of a single species.

The term has been in informal use for more than 10 years, but scientists have been gathering evidence that would support recognizing it as the successor to the current Holocene epoch.

"The Anthropocene represents a new phase in the history of both humankind and of the Earth, when natural forces and human forces became intertwined, so that the fate of one determines the fate of the other.

"Geologically, this is a remarkable episode in the history of this planet," the journal reported.

A working group of experts will consider changes human activities have brought to Earth's biodiversity and rock structure as well as the impact of factors like pollution and mineral extraction.

It is hoped that within three years, their case will be presented to the International Union of Geological Sciences, which would decide whether the transition to a new epoch has been made.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/786825--new-epoch-to-usher-in-cataclysmic-extinction

古代人類都會發現在非洲

全球20%動物物種即將消失 “第六次大滅絕”開始？