The new Geological Age that never was or the multiple layers of the Transientocene

Orfeu Bertolami

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arXiv · 2604.06224

The new Geological Age that never was or the multiple layers of the Transientocene

Orfeu Bertolami

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Abstract

Since its humble origins, humans have left imprints on the face of the planet. From the profound transformation unleashed by the Neolithic Revolution, about 12000 years ago, till the present, humans have reshaped the planet significantly. From the second half of the XX century, the impact on the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere and upper lithosphere is so overwhelming that a new geological age, the Anthropocene, was proposed to consider the extent of these transformations. However, despite the ubiquitous nature of the changes in course, the International Union of Geological Sciences rejected in March 2024 formalizing the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch. This controversial decision implies that geologists are not quite convinced that human activities have reached the level of an encompassing new geological age. Nevertheless, it is beyond any doubt that there is no single spot on the planet where the signs of the transformations ensued by the human activities are not felt. Furthermore, the interconnection of the human activities has reached a level of entanglement that it makes the Anthropocene an inescapable feature of our present and immediate future. Thus, more important than framing our present condition in a way that it can be recognised by geologists in the future, is the understanding that by its very nature, the Anthropocene is a condition that is continuously being reshaped to the point that we should instead regard our time as a Transientocene, a time of significant and multidimensional transformations.

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Orfeu Bertolami. 2026-03-27. The new Geological Age that never was or the multiple layers of the Transientocene. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.06224

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