The Meghalayan Age is a new geological age announced by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in July 2018. It began 4,250 years ago and continues to the present. The Meghalayan Age is defined by a mega-drought that caused the collapse of a number of civilizations around 2,250 years BCE.
2. What is the Anthropocene Epoch?
The Anthropocene Epoch is a proposed geological phase that acknowledges the significant human impact on Earth. Over the past decade, more and more scientists have agreed that we have entered this completely new geological phase.
3. What is the difference between the Meghalayan Age and the Anthropocene Epoch?
The Meghalayan Age defines the “late Holocene” and the present day but makes no mention of the human impact on the environment. On the other hand, the Anthropocene Epoch acknowledges the significant human impact on Earth as a new geological phase.
4. Why is there a debate between the Meghalayan Age and the Anthropocene Epoch?
The debate arises from the different perspectives on human impact on the environment. Some scientists believe that the human impact is so significant that it warrants a completely new geological phase (the Anthropocene Epoch), while others believe that we are still living in the Holocene Epoch and within it, the Meghalayan Age.
5. What is the significance of defining a new geological age or epoch?
Defining a new geological age or epoch is highly political and crucial in an age of ever-increasing environmental change and degradation. It can profoundly influence philosophical, social, economic, and political implications. The way we define the geological age we live in can shape the story of humanity and our understanding of our role in the environment.
6. What is the proposed solution to the debate between the Meghalayan Age and the Anthropocene Epoch?
The proposed solution is to have a rational debate that examines all the nested divisions of geological time to reach some consensus across many scientific fields. Geologists should set up a new official multi-disciplinary IUGS commission with the remit of proposing the classification and definition of this geological time we live in.
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