The Termazoic Era

An era is defined by a major shift in the development of life on earth; the Paleozoic Era (old life), Mesozoic Era (middle life) and Cenozoic Era (recent life). They are separated by catastrophic global mass extinctions, such as the K-T event (Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction) at the end of the Mesozoic era and the beginning of the Cenozoic era, when the dinosaurs were driven to extinction. This was due to a massive asteroid which devastated the planet, altering its climate and making it inhospitable for large animals. Soon plant life perished, with herbivores the first to die and carnivores soon after. The only survivors were the small, scavenging mammals which were able to burrow to escape the freezing conditions on the Earth’s surface. This then marked the start of the Cenozoic era, also known as the Age of the Mammals.

Within each era there are smaller geological subdivisions known as epochs. These different epochs are decided upon by global geological signals, incorporated into deposits which become the future geological record that can be observed in rock layers. The extinction of the dinosaurs didn’t just represent a change in era but also a change in epoch from the Cretaceous to the Paleocene epoch (the K-Pg boundary). This meant that not only was there a change in the development of life, but also in the geological deposits which make up our geological records. The geological records of that time period allow us to provide evidence for the reasons why these mass extinctions took place. Alverez et al[1] found that globally there were higher concentrations of iridium found in deposits at the same geological time period as the K-Pg boundary. They proposed that the higher levels of iridium can only be explained by an extra-terrestrial event, such as the asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico which resulted in a worldwide thin layer of iridium.

Today’s global geological signals, which will make up the future geological record, are dominated by man-made deposits. The most distinct indicators are radioactive isotopes which are present in the geological record due to nuclear weapons testing during the Atomic Age, which spread radioactive fallout worldwide. The post-war boom, known as The Great Acceleration, resulted in rapid development and increased consumption. In order to keep pace with population growth, the agricultural and industrial systems had to change. The Green Revolution brought about a fundamental change in crop production; higher yielding crops demand greater quantities of pesticides, fertilisers and water, doubling the nitrogen and phosphorus levels in our soils and polluting our waterways[2]. Then global shift, a consequence of globalisation, has led to manufacturing moving East to rapidly industrialising nations. Therefore, as the price of goods has fallen, Western consumerism has become a dominant economic and social order, hence promoting a higher quality of life to people universally. Consequently, the environmental impact has been catastrophic as these countries are less likely to enforce environmental regulations which will have a negative impact on their economic[3]. These impacts have made humans the most ‘dominant geological influence’[4] on Earth. Ergo this all points to a new epoch, popularised by Paul Crutzen, and termed as the Anthropocene (anθrəpəʊ - human being, καινός - new)

These changes, during the Anthropocene, will have huge repercussions on the Earth’s systems, causing irreversible damage to the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere. This will induce the Earth’s next mass extinction and its next era, which I have named the Termazoic Era (adj. τέρμα/terma- end, ζωη/zoi- life, ic) (A.S. 2019)

Carbon is responsible for life on earth and its equilibrium is being threatened by feedback loops, accelerating the earth’s climate towards its tipping point. In 2018, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels hit a record high in human history at 415.79ppm (parts per million)[5]. This is significant because carbon dioxide is a driver of global temperatures (Figure 2).

In 2015, worldwide temperatures were 1°C warmer than pre-industrial temperatures. 1°C may not strike you with panic however it will disrupt the delicate balance of global ecosystems. For example, it is already exerting a huge pressure on Arctic ecosystems. Permafrost contains over 1,500 billion tons of trapped carbon dioxide; this is nearly double the quantity of carbon dioxide (CO2) found in our atmosphere today[6]. Therefore, as permafrost thaws, it continues to release even more carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4 [methane is 20 times more potent than CO2]) into the atmosphere, contributing to the enhanced greenhouse effect, leading to further global warming which cyclically amplifies the rate at which permafrost is melting. Melting permafrost is not the only positive feedback loop; there are other examples across every ecosystem and subsystem on earth (Figure 3).

Once we have reached the tipping point, positive feedback loops will be out of our control and warming will accelerate to unprecedented levels. Evolution occurs over millions of years, so life on earth will be unable to adapt at the pace required.

The current spate of extinction of species is the worst since the extinction of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago, as animals are dying ‘at up to 1,000 times the background (extinction) rate’[7]. The K-T event was a result of an asteroid impact; however, humans will be entirely responsible for this impending mass extinction event. The geological foundations for the Termazoic Era have now been laid.

[1] (Alvarez, et al., 1980) [2] (Carrington, 2016) [3] (BBC, 2017) [4] (Strickland, 2016) [5] (Nace, 2019) [6] (Cho, 2018) [7] (Centre for Biological Diversity, 2010)

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