What is the Anthropocene and what does it mean for environmental monitoring?

For those working in environmental monitoring, it is essential to understand that our planetary system is now completely shaped by human activities, from the Mariana Trench to the highest climbs of the troposphere. Jed Thomas

The Anthropocene is the geological epoch when humanity’s actions have become inextricably linked with the Earth’s natural systems, altering them in ways that are both profound and irreversible.

Unlike previous geological epochs defined by natural forces, the Anthropocene is characterized by human-driven changes that have blended natural and synthetic materials, creating a world where pollution and artificial compounds are now embedded in every ecosystem.

As we navigate this unprecedented era, monitoring these changes has become more crucial than ever to understand the extent of human influence and its long-term consequences.

What defines the Anthropocene?

Many animals have altered ecosystems and therefore changed the fossil record, ice cores and strata.

But they – and we, up until modernity – have done so only regionally, never producing a concerted, global impact that might prompt future geologists to link, say, the composition of fossilised soil in North America to the loss of minerals by deglaciation in the Tibetan Plateau.

These seemingly disparate processes are both caused by the activities of modern humans (or more specifically, modern industrial corporations), and as such belong to a new epoch that is shaped by these activities as the primary geophysical force.

A variety of indicators serve as evidence of the Anthropocene, many of which are preserved in geological records and require continuous monitoring.

1.  Synthetic chemicals are ubiquitous

Human activity has introduced an unprecedented mix of synthetic materials into the environment, including plastics, industrial chemicals, and heavy metals.

Microplastics, for example, are now found in the most remote ecosystems, from deep-sea trenches to polar ice caps, permanently altering the composition of sediments and food chains.

Heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, meanwhile, bioaccumulate in organisms, altering physiological processes and ecological balances in ways never before seen in Earth’s history.

Why microplastics are a meta-pollutant 

Microplastics—typically defined as plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm—originate from a host of sources, including plastic packaging, synthetic textiles, and consumer products used worldwide. ... Read More

2. Elevated concentrations of greenhouse gases are distinctly anthropogenic

Ice core samples from Antarctica and Greenland serve as a geological record of past atmospheric compositions.

These samples now clearly reflect an unprecedented rise in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) levels due to industrial activity, fossil fuel combustion, and deforestation. These changes are distinctly anthropogenic, breaking from the natural glacial-interglacial cycles that governed pre-industrial Earth.

How do we know that?

The ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-13 in atmospheric CO₂ provides clear evidence that rising carbon emissions are anthropogenic, as fossil fuels contain a lower proportion of carbon-13 compared to naturally occurring sources.

Measurements show that as CO₂ concentrations increase, the relative abundance of carbon-13 decreases, consistent with the combustion of ancient organic material rather than volcanic or oceanic sources.

This "Suess effect" confirms that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, are the dominant driver of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Carbon signatures from fossil fuel emissions are permanently altering the chemical makeup of air, soil, and oceans.

It is probably impossible to reverse global warming, say scientists

How much more urgent would stopping global warming be if it was more widely know that temperatures can only stabilise, not decline? All that Net Zero means is that carbon emitted matches car... Read More

3. Agricultural pollution of soil

Agricultural intensification, deforestation, and urban expansion have led to extensive topsoil depletion. In addition to soil loss, human activity has permanently altered its composition by mixing organic and inorganic materials.

Modern fertilizers, pesticides, and industrial runoff introduce synthetic compounds into soil systems, creating an environment where natural and artificial substances are inextricably linked.

Microplastics, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical residues now form part of the global soil profile.

UK loses more than a third of its earthworms in 25 years

New research highlights a dramatic decline in the UK’s earthworm populations, which have decreased by an estimated 33-41% over the last 25 years. This reduction has significant implications for s... Read More

4. Alteration of planetary hydrological system

Human activity has significantly disrupted global water cycles. Dams, irrigation, and groundwater extraction have altered river flows and aquifer levels, leading to desertification in some areas and increased flood risks in others.

The long-term consequences include salinization of freshwater sources and loss of biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems.

In addition, water pollution from pharmaceuticals, industrial waste, and microplastics has made clean water increasingly scarce, marking a fundamental shift in the composition of Earth’s hydrological systems.

Have we permanently disrupted the global water cycle?

A major new report declares Earth's hydrological cycle dangerously imbalanced, with precipitation patterns shifting to offering only torrential rain or total drought.  In line with new data th... Read More

5. Radioactive tracers in the geological record

The mid-20th century saw nuclear weapons testing that left a clear radioactive signature in soil and ice layers worldwide.

Alongside this, industrial chemical compounds, such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, have introduced long-lived residues into ecosystems, further marking the Anthropocene as the epoch of pervasive human contamination.

The presence of artificial radionuclides and chemical pollutants in sediments and biological tissues serves as a permanent reminder of humanity’s chemical impact on the planet.

6. Biodiversity collapse

Human-driven habitat destruction, climate change, and invasive species introduction have accelerated species extinctions at rates far exceeding natural background levels.

However, beyond extinction, a more subtle transformation is occurring—ecosystems are becoming hybridized with human-introduced species, pollutants, and synthetic materials.

Cities and industrial landscapes have become ecosystems of their own, filled with species that thrive in human-altered environments, while natural landscapes are increasingly infused with human-made substances.

Bats and newts: why monitoring biodiversity will only become more important

Recently, in announcing her deregulation of planning permissions, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer declared that house builders can now ‘forget about bats and newts’ – but the questio... Read More

Why the Anthropocene is the age of environmental monitoring

Given these dramatic and irrevocable alterations to Earth’s systems, environmental monitoring has become a defining feature of the Anthropocene.

This epoch demands unprecedented levels of observation and data collection to track and understand the fusion of human and natural systems.

Through technological innovation, we have tripped and fallen into total responsibility for the bio-, hydro-, atmo- and lithospheres. Measuring our impacts as a means of mitigating or, at the very least, managing them has become an essential dimension of human life.

For environmental monitoring professionals, this is a new way to conceptualize your role in society. We can’t go back to being just another animal; we have become the geophysical force shaping our epoch.

Therefore, we need to take our activities far more seriously, which first means knowing exactly what our impacts are.

Key areas of focus include:

• Remote sensing and satellite observations: Advances in satellite technology allow scientists to monitor deforestation, urban expansion, oceanic changes, and climate indicators in real-time.
• Ice core and sediment analysis: Long-term environmental archives, such as ice cores and marine sediments, provide crucial records of atmospheric and ecological changes, demonstrating the Anthropocene’s global footprint.
• Biosensors and pollution tracking: The development of biochemical sensors to detect microplastics, heavy metals, and air pollutants is essential for understanding contamination trends and their consequences.
• Citizen science and distributed monitoring: The involvement of the public in data collection, from biodiversity surveys to plastic pollution tracking, expands scientific capacity and awareness of the Anthropocene’s effects.

The Anthropocene is not just an epoch of human impact—it is the age of environmental monitoring, where humanity’s creations and contaminants are interwoven with Earth’s natural systems.

The future of environmental science must embrace interdisciplinary approaches that recognize the inescapable entanglement of humanity and nature, ensuring that we document, analyze, and, where possible, mitigate the irreversible changes of the Anthropocene.

What are the nine planetary boundaries - and have we crossed them?

As humanity continues to expand and develop, we are increasingly pressing up against the limits of what the Earth’s ecosystems can handle. Scientists have identified a set of nine planetary bound... Read More